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Trailtalk: where Nursing Theory meets Wilderness Therapy
Florence Night was the ‘Mother of all Nurses.’ Her environmental principles were frowned upon when she started opening the hospital …
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You can Run, but you can’t Hide from your Emotions
Run, Run, Runaway ….. Do you tend to avoid uncomfortable emotions like anger, sadness, or fear? It’s pretty common. Many …
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Trailtalk.com
We have changed our URL! We are now trailtalk.com. Please update your bookmarks. Happy Trails!
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What is Medical and Mental Health Care Advocacy?
Allison Page, lead trailblazer at Trailtalk, offers a service to individuals and/or family members who need help navigating the medical …
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Self Hatred: Stuck in a Story
What’s your story line? What do you tell yourself about yourself? That’s the story I’m talking about. It’s our …
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Emotional Texting: STOP THE DRAMA!
OMG! “What did he mean by that? What do you think he’s saying?” “Why did he wait a day and …
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Sleep. Is it overrated?
It does seem overrated during some periods of our lives. Can you recall periods in your life when you got …
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Thoughts and Feelings: What’s the Difference? And, Why does it matter?
Our thoughts and feelings are commonly spoken of as one in the same. The automatic nature of our thought patterns …
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I’ll Feel for You if you Think for Me
It seems like a ‘no brainer’ doesn’t it? And, that it is. Some of us work hard avoiding our full …
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Anxiety: I’m a Little Tea Pot Short and Stout!
As many of us know, anxiety feels like being chased by a tiger. Our bodies are machines, and don’t know …
Read ArticleDetached Don/Dolly revealed!
Being a Detached Don/Dolly is not about being good or bad, it’s about describing a particular relationship pattern many of …
Read ArticleThinking and Feeling at the same Time
It seems like a ‘no brainer’ doesn’t it? And, that it is. Some of us work hard avoiding our full …
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Trailogy: Music is a Must
Music Does music speak to you? Are you the kind of person who needs music to survive? Tell me about …
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Are you a Jackson Pollack thinker?
Hello! If you are a Jackson Pollack thinker, contact me. We need to get tangential and circumstantial together. I …
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Is Lying Ever OK? White Lies Justified
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZuJHVNSi7A Does my butt look fat in this dress? Honest Abe struggles with being honest, and at the same time, …
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The Way is was, not The Way I planned
Ever notice how life has a way of changing things up on you without asking? Have you ever had a …
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Trailogy Special Edition: FOMO? Oh No!
FOMO – Fear of Missing Out Here’s another addiction I’ve been struggling with for about 30 years now. It’s been …
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El Camino: I need my Coffee
Coffee, good strong coffee So, I hear many mornings on the El Camino you get out of the Refugio before …
Read ArticleTrailtalk’s Lead Trailblazer Unplugs
Allison needs to Unplug I’m checking a text on my IPhone, looking at measurement outcomes on a mini IPad, scheduling …
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Time to Re-Calibrate & Unplug, Reboot and Recharge
Time to Re-Calibrate & Unplug, Reboot and Recharge Since starting Trailtalk 5 years ago, I’ve made a point of taking …
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Trailogy Special Edition
Preparing for a 35 day walk across Spain I came up with the idea to walk the El Camino several …
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Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa #6: Rocket Man and the Traveling Wannabes
Rocketman and the Traveling Wannabes The Traveling Wannabes spend their thought life remembering and reworking their past, or anticipating their …
Read ArticleTrailogy of the Emotional Sherpa # 5: Village of Weavers
After a long day of playing 5,4,3,2,1 ( game details to follow) and listening to some great tunes, the Emotional …
Read ArticleTrailogy of the Emotional Sherpa #4: Tangled up in Blue
Tangled up in Blue The Village of Weavers The Emotional Sherpa hasn’t seen a soul this entire last week. He’s …
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The Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa® #3 In My Backpack I will Bring…
In my Backpack I will bring….. 1. Map and compass (GPS if you are a techi) – check 2. Rain …
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Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa: Season One: #2
Finding Your Way Back Home As you recall from the pilot episode, the Emotional Sherpa sets out on a solo …
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The Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa: Season One
I’m on my way “and have miles to go before I sleep.” ~ Robert Frost The Emotional Sherpa heads …
Read ArticleThe Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa®
The Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa® Pilot An Emotional Sherpa is the type of traveler who kindly takes on the …
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Trails Talk: Can you hear them?
Trails talk. Can you hear them? Come close. Let them speak calm into your busy life. Easier said than done …
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Reverse Time Out: Avoiding jail time when you have a wild child
Reverse time out is a technique my daughter pulled out of me when she was 3 years old. …
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Got Hang ups?
Got Hang Ups? Tim Peckham is making light of what many call, ” first world problems.” All jokes aside, most …
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2016: Ready or not, here we come!
2016: Ready or Not, Here We Come! Are you making some changes, ripping out pages? As a young girl (OK, …
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Lying about Santa: naughty or nice?
Lying about Santa: naughty or nice? It’s an age-old debate. Both the pros and cons of this controversy are easily …
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I’m as Cold as ICE!
I’m as cold as ICE! Does your mood change with the weather? If you are more sluggish and cranky than …
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Grieving during the Holidays
This holiday season is different for some of us. There’s an empty chair at the end of the table this …
Read ArticleAll steamed up? Get Up and Get Outside!
“I’m a little teapot short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I get all steamed …
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Do you hear me? “Linda, Linda listen to me.”
You can’t hear me Linda! You can’t hear me, Mateo! Speak louder. Build your case. Banter back and forth until …
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Wine is the New Food Group
Wine is the New Food Group Wine has positioned itself as a key food group in our Food Pyramids. It’s …
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Are you SAD? Tis’ the Season for Seasonal Affect Disorder
Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) Seasonal affect disorder is just that, a seasonal pattern of depression. Some of us feel …
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Relationships: should I stay or should I go?
Is this relationship for life or is it just for this season? A life long friend versus a season of …
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Emotional Texting: so close, yet so far away
Emotional Texting Dramatization WTF! “What did he mean by that? What do you think he’s saying?” Why did he wait …
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Boundaries: What are they? Why do they matter?
What are boundaries anyway? Boundaries are everything. You’ll get what I mean after a few more discussions about this important …
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Not the Spinning Rainbow Wheel of Death!
“Not the Spinning Rainbow Wheel of Death!” Ever rage behind your machine when the little spinning rainbow stops you dead …
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He Ain’t Heavy
He Ain’t Heavy He’s my brother, my sister, my father, my mother, my wife, my husband, my friend, my son, …
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It’s going to be another beautiful day!
Maintaining your Neurochemical Serotonin Serotonin helps maintain our mood. Winnie the Pooh is a great example of a person …
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Work, Work, Work
Work, Work, Work I love to work. At the same time, I spend way too much time working. I even …
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To Tell the Truth: Who’s behind your door #1?
Who’s behind your door #1? Many of us put on a FALSE self. We say and do things to …
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Can’t Keep it Together?
Be kind to yourself. Recognize that this is who you are and enjoy the ride. When you find yourself …
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FEAR: I’m Shakin’, I’m Nervous
Fear. Fear of heights, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of judgment, fear of …… What causes you …
Read ArticleGossip…Say What?
Did you read about the Ashley Madison website scandal? Yikes! Social media strips away our privacy and complicates our …
Read ArticleEmotional Sherpa
For many of us, forgiveness seems impossible. “How can I forgive her? She won’t even admit she hurt me.” …
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Got Moods?
Tips from the Trail The following methods may help regulate your mood when life deals you a downer. 1. Turn …
Read ArticleComing Home (Ch. 1)
In this podcast, Allison and Mike discuss the beginnings of her house metaphor, “coming home to the true you.” Ch. …
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Theracation Podcast
Allison discusses an intensive therapy vacation in this 12 minute podcast https://trailtalk.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Theracation-Podcast-2.m4a
Read ArticleTherapylite Podcast
Allison Page discusses her model of “Therapylite” in this 12 minute podcast. https://trailtalk.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Therapylite-Podcast-1-3_4_15-5.44-PM.m4a.mp3
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Do Therapists Go to Therapy?
Everyone could benefit from emotional care at some time in his or her life, right? I’m guessing even …
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What are your Heart’s Desires?
Danielle LaPorte’s book, The Desire Map offers an innovative approach to goal setting. Her website goes into great detail about how traditional goal setting …
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Life is Daily. Live it Moment-to-Moment.
Have you ever been in a yoga class and heard the words, “be here now?” I remember the first time …
Read ArticleObstacles or Opportunities?
I was out hiking today and couldn’t help but note the trees blocking my path. I thought about how many …
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Sleep: a cornerstone of good mental health therapy
Sleep. Is it overrated? It does seem overrated during some periods of our lives. Can you recall periods in your …
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Change Your Thinking and You Can Change Your Life!!
The longer the blind man lives, the more he sees. Yiddish Proverb Do you sometimes feel like you have blinders on? …
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Smell the Flowers to address your stress
It helps to have a number of ways to regulate your mood. If you can’t exercise, talk to a friend …
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Controlling Anxiety – a tool to help you self regulate your mood.
Expanding Ball Mindfulness Exercise – purchase ball Next time you feel yourself getting anxious or stressed try this exercise. Notice …
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Developing our Spiritual self
It seems appropriate to consider our spiritual self during the Holiday season. It’s Christmas and Hanukkah, a time of year …
Read ArticleTaking Therapy Outdoors
Being outside in the fresh air, while moving one foot in front of the other feels good physically and emotionally. …
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A Balanced Life?
This performer makes it look so easy. What’s the secret? Life is a dynamic process so the idea of keeping …
Read ArticleEmotions: feel them, own them, share them.
Our emotions aren’t neatly compartmentalized like in this picture. They infiltrate every aspect of our “true” SELF. But, for discussion …
Read ArticleFeelings: Our Emotional Self
“Feelings, nothing more than feelings….” Albert Morris song. Nothing more than feelings? That’s like saying nothing more than life. Life …
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Not Your Typical Couch Therapist
Mental health counseling has come a long way since Freud. This therapist is actually looking at his patient. Freud …
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“An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”
Exercising and eating a balanced diet aren’t new concepts. We all know the basic principles for healthy living. The …
Read ArticleWhat does it mean to be mentally healthy?
Mental wellness is complex. Simply put, it means to function in and interact with the world. Can you carry on …
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I can’t Sleep!!
You are not alone! According to the National Sleep Foundation: Forty-eight percent of Americans report insomnia occasionally, while 22 …
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Physical Self
I like humor as you might have guessed from reading and watching the self-image video clip on my last post. …
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Do you know the “true” you?
What does it mean to be the “true” you? For me, being true means being OK with who I am, …
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Self Image
What does self image mean to you? Does it mean how you feel about your body? How you look? What …
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