As I read the following excerpt I was touched by the clarity of the point being made. So many of us are suffering in both common and extraordinary ways. Often right in front of each other. And there are so many things that can get in the way of recognizing suffering… much less figuring out ways to help. So many things to consider as we experience our own stories… and the stories happening in our family systems… in our neighborhoods…... Read more
With the tragedy of the recent shooting in Las Vegas, our country is left reeling as to how to make sense of something so nonsensical. Often we turn to social media to share our thoughts, opinions and feelings about these matters… with some unfortunate results that can leave those who are most closely involved in pain. I have asked Benjamin Billings, a resident of Las Vegas, if I could share a post he recently wrote on his Facebook wall. I... Read more
A MORMON MATTERS RETREAT! “Understanding and Navigating Healthy Perspectives and Journeys within Mormonism” Led by Dan Wotherspoon, Ph.D. Natasha Helfer Parker, LCMFT, CST and Jana Spangler 13 – 15 October 2017, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH _____ Many of us find ourselves a bit outside the Mormon norm but still feel committed to continue our journeys as engaged members of the church, or we are committed to a spouse who chooses this. This retreat is focused on building community among and... Read more
I very much wish I could have attended the Loveloud Festival in person, but instead got a birds eye view from social media. I heard mostly positive feedback… as well as some legitimate concerns. I asked Mindy Gledhill, who was in attendance, to share some of her experience… and she has mindfully taken some time to gather her thoughts that would honor the intention of the event, the people who hosted the event, the people who participated in the event... Read more
Mindy Gledhill has been a guest poster on The Mormon Therapist in the past and will be again tomorrow since I’ve asked her to write a piece about her experience at Loveloud (an event that took place in Orem, Utah this summer supporting LGBTQIA folks). But first, I wanted to help get the word out about her new rendition of Despacito since she is donating 100% of the proceeds to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida. You’ll love the... Read more
What happened last night in Las Vegas is such a horrific event. So difficult for us to comprehend as adults how such things can happen. Not to mention contemplating the lasting repercussions on the lives of so many from just a few minutes of heinous behavior. If we struggle to understand such atrocities… imagine what it must be like for our children and adolescents. Let’s do the best we can to inform and dialogue with the children in our midst... Read more
The reason people awaken, is because they have finally stopped agreeing to things that insult their soul. Author Unknown I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self security. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders... Read more
Elder Oaks, With the respect, concern and sustaining responsibility of a fellow Latter-day Saint, not to mention my expertise as a mental health professional who has worked with hundreds of LBGT+ members and their families, I respectfully ask you to follow the simple and wise guidance we received from your counterpart, Elder Uchtdorf not that long ago: STOP IT! You cannot continue to pretend to protect families, while profoundly damaging so many others. These purported values (not to mention the... Read more
I just came across this song for some reason… everyone else seems to know about it but me. It really hit me viscerally to my very core. In the context of faith transitions… makes me extremely emotional. The fears we all share. The scripts we all grow up with. The many ways vulnerability gets squashed because of what we think we know or think we should believe. Or what others expect from us. At the end all we really want... Read more
“Self-compassion in the process of progress… well, progress just doesn’t exist without it.” Natasha Helfer Parker Read more
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