WellnessWithHolli

Once again, as has happened numerous times over the past several months and years, another high profile and popular personality has betrayed his family, his friends, his most loyal supporters, and his national fans as well as an international audience .  Because Lance Armstrong is a world-wide phenomenon, the spotlight is beaming down on his soaring crash from grace.  Most of us want to hear from him and find out what he will do.  Will he –as the betrayer – apologize?  Ask for forgiveness?  Will he seek help? Get counseling? Change his ways of thinking…or his behaviors?  While the focus tends to shine more deliberately on the betrayer, there are individuals who are deeply hurting because of his actions.  Those who believed, trusted, and invested in the sport’s icon are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and find a way to begin again. One of the biggest traps that victims of a betrayal fall into is believing that their healing remains contingent upon what the be

With the holidays upon us and as we are faced with a  myriad of expectations regarding familial traditions, customs, and gatherings, for many it is often a time of internal struggle and stress. Family allegiances and history pull at our heart strings while personal betrayals and private injuries beckon our need for protective distancing. Some time ago, I had the privilege of viewing a remarkable independent film entitled Shouting Secrets.  This powerful film reminded me of  a secret whispering -  a truth often neither acknowledged or acted upon - it's ok not to go home. Directed and produced by Korina Sehringer, a Swiss movie maker, Shouting Secrets opens an emotional and psychological window into the lives of a family in turmoil, especially as the loving matriarch falls ill. Although the story embraces the rich cultural heritage of a Native American family on a reservation in Arizona, the producer has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid typical stereotypes