Understanding the Complexities of AI Like nuclear power, the merits of AI to the human species are not black and white. They are grey. Perhaps even more so than most other technologies because AI calls into question what it means to be human. As we face the ethics of AI usage—especially in therapy, where ethics are paramount—we can't simply say, "I shall be ethical and not use AI." It's not that simple. After much thought and sleepless nights, I've outlined the stances that A

These days its hard to go a single day without hearing AI referenced in some way or another. We've all been hit, full-force, with the wonders of technology, and I recall my eyes widening the first time I saw AI-generated art and heard an AI-generated song- created in seconds after inputting a prompt! The dopamine centers in my brain LOVED this new toy. It seemed like a good idea to use computer generated artwork for things such as, say, blog posts, rather than select from

Written by Samantha Hepworth as part of her Masters in Holisitic Mental Health Program The Neurodiversity Paradigm The term neurodiversity refers to any natural variation in neurocognitive processing (McLennan et al., 2025). This can include neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism spectrum disorder (including the diagnosis previously termed Asbergers Syndrome); Attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); DiGeorge syndrome; Down syndrome; Dyscalculia; Dysgraphia; Dysl

By R. Nadia Lopez, Art and Soul Intern What does it really mean to leave your comfort zone with purpose and intention? If it is so comfortable, then why should we be seeking to leave our comfort zone in the first place? In the same way that our very flesh and bone is constructed, held, and protected by the walls of the womb, our identities are constructed, held, and protected by the walls of the comfort zones we find ourselves in. Soft, plush, warm, safe, forgiving: that is,

In this journey, as in my day-to-day life, I practice what I preach to my clients. I know the dangers of staying too long in my cozy little comfort zone/ safety bubble. I know that bubble will shrink down until it risks killing me, a concept explained in this video we made. So what happens when we DO push outside of our comfort zone? Well, here’s what happened to me… I began this journey with anxiety levels so high that my guts were liquified. I was legitimately afraid,

I began my trip wearing a hat to hide my blue-and-pink hair at the airport. Just as I can feel triggered when I see very-right-wing conservatives wearing red MAGA hats, I was afraid of triggering those same people with my blue-haired indicator of more liberal ideals. I journeyed away from my “Us” territory into “Them” Land. Those were biases I had to consciously work to balance as I traveled. If I wanted better manage my anxieties, I needed to be more objective, and a bit

In my last entry, I wrote about the high-stress circumstances that plagued the first two days of my “Walkabout.” I set the challenge to face fears, stress, anxiety, and isolation in a MAJOR WAY, all in one week. Woof. I did it, and I’m here to tell the story. But HOW did I do it? Let’s break it down: 1) BREATHE! As in DEEP breaths! “Your first and foremost self-help tool is your breath.” ~Yudit Maros We all know it’s important to breathe. No, not just what you’re

In the book The Tools (made famous by the Netflix special, and with references in the Apple+ series Shrinking), Phil Stutz discusses a technique in which one envisions one’s fear as a black cloud. Stutz encourages his readers to silently scream in their minds “I love pain! Pain sets me free!” as they run headfirst at the cloud. This technique had worked for me in the past, especially when it came to entering cold water with my full body. I had learned that running headfir

“Are you really even considering this?? Flying to Ohio?? Briana, you are LITERALLY a ‘blue-haired liberal’- and a woman! Flying alone to a RED state?! Airports are federal space- and the federal government is doing some pretty scary things in that space. People with a legally-recognized right to be here are being deported to overseas prisons. People are being ‘violently interrogated’ at airports. Yes, you’re white. You’re a US citizen… maybe you are ‘safe’… but without

Aboriginal Australians have a traditional coming of age ritual in which a young man (roughly age 12-13) is sent into the bush (wilderness) to wander and survive on their own for a period of time. The youth spends a period of roughly 6 months, wandering around 1,000miles, surviving solely on their own. Successfully returning alive is rewarded with respect and admiration of older members of the tribe, not to mention a profound sense of independence and self-reliance in the ind