Dear Conscious Community,

Did you know storytelling is a powerful way to heal and bond with others? That’s partly why children love to hear stories. It’s a way for them to feel grounded and attached to their grown-ups. Of course it also opens up their imagination and lets them roam into the world of the unknown where they learn so much about life.

But big kids like us also benefit from telling their story. That’s part of the reason counseling is so beneficial. It’s not so much about what the therapist does but more so that the individual gets to share and hear themselves tell their story.

My story or my personal journey, has in many ways prepared me for what is happening in the world today. I believe my difficult childhood has given me so many tools to help others who are faced with a difficult life.

You see, I was born in Tehran, Iran into a middle class Jewish family and my earliest memories of my childhood home is waking up every morning to see the daily newspaper splattered with photographs of executions that took place the day before.

Psychologists say that if a child has undergone severe childhood experiences, the prognosis for a healthy and happy life is very poor. In fact, most people with severe childhood trauma grow up to have many problems as adults.

Although I did struggle with depression in my 20s, for the most part, I was able to go on and create a bountiful life for myself, surrounded with beautiful children, a home, good
friends, good health, and a fulfilling practice.

Psychologists call this resilience and they always want to know what makes some people so resilient in the face of so much difficulty in life. How is it possible that some people can endure so much pain and still turn out to be OK and even become exceptional human beings as adults, while others, with much less difficulty can end up struggling so much in life?

By giving you examples of my own life and the lives of clients I have worked with, I hope you too can learn to become stronger in the face of difficulties.

Given all that’s going on right now, my hope is to create an intentional global community where we come together and offer care and support to one another and be a source of inspiration for others in the world. Moving forward, I will be creating a series of podcasts on a regular basis which you can join live or at a later time at your own leisure. The podcasts will be aired every second and fourth Monday at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time.

My first live podcast will be aired on April 10th on the topic of resilience. I will share my own life story and three practical tools that helped me build resilience.

I hope to see you there.

Here is the link.