One of the greatest gifts we can offer anyone is our true presence. Unfortunately this year, many of us won't be able to congregate for the holidays. Does this mean we won't be able to be present or thankful in other ways? Of course not. Tune in for this week's episode and learn how to practice presence whether you're congregating with others or not.

“Don’t talk. Don’t trust. Don’t feel.” Rules that were taught early and often to my guest in this week’s episode. In this special interview, I connect with friend and colleague, John Evans, peer support specialist, musician, and Army Veteran. Thirteen years into his recovery, John intimately shares how his best days have come since committing to sobriety and working on his trauma. John explains, “Recovery means fearlessly attempting to unlock my potential, and being willing to reach for the life that my trauma would say, ‘don’t do that.’”

We all have core yearnings that make us human. In today’s episode I'll introduce you to six core human yearnings that stem out of the therapeutic approach of acceptance and commitment therapy, and how trauma can impact these essential core yearnings.

• Coherence

• Feeling

• Orientation

• Belonging

• Self-directed Meaning

• Competency

I recently summited my 21st different 14er mountain (14,000 ft.) in my home state of Colorado. The 12 mile trek was a grueling experience that lasted over 8 hours. It was a commitment. If I wasn't clear about my values, it's safe to say I likely would have never gone! In this episode I introduce the the therapeutic aspect of committed action - a step-by-step process of acting to create a life of integrity. Committed action is about the qualities of chosen actions, not the speed with which they are accomplished. What matters is maintaining growth and forward movement, not the amount or rate of movement.

To practice mindfulness means to bring a direct awareness to what you are experiencing as you experience it. It’s purposely tuning into what’s going on with your mind and body, and the outside world, without trying to change whatever is present.

In this episode I share a mindfulness practice called "Will I Remember This?" and provide context of how it can transform our relationship with the present moment, and the ever-evolving process of change.