Be-com-ing | biˈkəmi ng | noun Philosophy – the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state.

The Challenges of Advocacy Work I spent the weekend at the Democratic Executive Board Meeting Convention, supporting AIDS Healthcare Foundation and their work to promote worker safety in the adult business. At the time I agreed to doing this, I didn’t realize that next door there would be a room full of porn people – people who I used to […] Posted in: Uncategorized

Using the Tennessee anti-LGBT therapy law for good “The most recent anti-LGBTQIA law allowing Tennessee therapists to refer out clients whose social identities might violate that therapist’s “sincerely held principles” presents an ethical quagmire for anyone in the mental health field. It teeters on the high thin wire between referring out because a practitioner recognizes they aren’t competent to serve this client (e.g. […] Recovery Days Posted in: Good Days

Delayed I meant to post two days ago, to keep that commitment to first and third Monday of the month, and it slipped away from me. I had been contemplating about what to write and thought myself into paralysis, where nothing could be said that would sufficiently detail the experience. It’s been over two weeks since […] Good Days, Intense Days, Recovery Days Posted in: Days

Managing, Weight. As long as I’ve known that it’s socially important to have a “fit” body, I’ve been doing everything I can to maintain a certain shape. It started at eleven years old? Twelve? Maybe the first time I took my clothes off for a boy? Was it before that, when I realized that my mother […] Good Days, Self-Help Posted in: Creative Explorations

Book Excerpt Hello Friends, I’ve been working on this book I told you about. In fact, I’ve finished and refinished a draft (so, two, collectively). I’m going to share an excerpt here, for your eyes, and would love your thoughts. Do you like her? Would you want to read more? IMPORTANT: This is a YA novel… my […] Self-Help, Uncomfortable Days Posted in: Creative Explorations

Shitty First Draft I completed my second to last quarter of grad school, registered for my final quarter of grad school and finished a shitty first draft of the book. It seems much bigger here on the page than it does in real life. Well no, I take part of that back. Registering for the final quarter felt […] Creative Explorations, Good Days Posted in: Beautiful Days

Further Training Required I’m writing this while overlooking the green rolling hills of Petaluma, CA. I’m on retreat right now, a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy retreat, and the majority of the time is spent in meditation. There are periods of inquiry, where we discuss with the creators of this therapeutic modality the “nuts and bolts,” but ultimately, this retreat’s […] Posted in: Good Days

On Trust: B.R.A.V.I.N.G. Don’t know if you’ve ever fallen head over in love with a qualitative researcher (my, my, how my idols have changed!), but in the past two years, Brené Brown has stolen my heart and filled it with data about vulnerability, courage, and authenticity. It’s funny how someone I’ve never met can give a talk or write […] Posted in: Creative Explorations

Mindfulness: Dispelling Myths and Defining Intentions Mindfulness is defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, as a particular way of paying attention: On purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmental. With such a simple definition (to pay attention to the present moment intentionally and without judgment), one would think that this practice is open and easy for all […] Recovery Days, Self-Help Posted in: Reader Suggested Prompt