Fear, Safety, and Connection
Healing only happens when safety is present It seems so obvious. But the implications are nothing short of mind-boggling. Healing -...
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Dana Barron PhD
- Aug 4
- 4 min
Giving Myself Permission
What if I get to show up when I want to, and how I want to, in my life, and here on this page? I've been living in a story about who I...
Dana Barron PhD
- May 21
- 6 min
The Magic of Compassionate Curiosity
You know you should do it. It would be good for you. You'd be happier. You'd feel better. But you don't do it. What the heck is going on?...
Dana Barron PhD
- Apr 24
- 8 min
Compassionate Inquiry
Don't ask "what's wrong with me?" Ask "what happened to me?" Exciting news - I've been accepted into Gabor Maté''s year-long professional...
Dana Barron PhD
- Apr 3
- 7 min
The Paul Simon Cure
When I need to come back to myself, I reach for the music that I know by heart. It quiets the stories running wild in my head. It calms...
Dana Barron PhD
- Mar 10
- 6 min
Honor the Magnitude
In the past few months I have started, and abandoned, several blog posts. I felt like I'd left a story unfinished - with a rather abrupt...
Dana Barron PhD
- Dec 20, 2021
- 6 min
Peace with What Is (Even When it Sucks)
When bad things happen, it's in our nature to resist. The mind reacts with fear and aversion: I don't want this, how can I fix this or...
Dana Barron PhD
- Dec 12, 2021
- 6 min
The "Well" One
In relationships, I've always been the one with the physical challenges. The pain, the fatigue, the long list of "I can'ts." I met my...
Dana Barron PhD
- Dec 5, 2021
- 6 min
How Do We Heal?
Yesterday we got my husband's treatment schedule, which will structure our lives for the next two months. The science and technology are...
Dana Barron PhD
- Nov 28, 2021
- 8 min
Running on Empty
Post #8 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" I hit a wall yesterday - physically, emotionally and energetically. The demands on my...
Dana Barron PhD
- Nov 21, 2021
- 6 min
When Disaster Strikes
Post #7 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" I've made reference here to a family medical crisis that has been seriously challenging...
Dana Barron PhD
- Nov 14, 2021
- 6 min
Trust the Process
Post #6 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" It's been a roller-coaster of a week. At the most stressful moments, when my body...
Dana Barron PhD
- Nov 7, 2021
- 8 min
Setbacks and Digging Deeper
Post #5 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" They say to expect setbacks on this healing path. Healing is not linear. I know this. I...
Dana Barron PhD
- Oct 31, 2021
- 7 min
Safety First
Post #4 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" I have now had two full weeks mostly pain free. I have felt it coming on several times...
Dana Barron PhD
- Oct 23, 2021
- 9 min
It's Working!
Post #3 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" I'm almost afraid I could "jinx" it, but I am seeing real progress. For a week now I've...
Dana Barron PhD
- Oct 17, 2021
- 8 min
Origin Stories
Post #2 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" To figure out where you need to go, it can be helpful to understand where you've been....
Dana Barron PhD
- Oct 9, 2021
- 4 min
Pain and the Brain
Post #1 in the series "Reprocessing Chronic Pain" When I was in my 20s, recovering from a spinal surgery that had failed to relieve two...
Dana Barron PhD
- Sep 3, 2021
- 5 min
Body Shame: It's Not Personal
Over and over again, in conversations with clients and in my own experience, I witness all manner of shame about bodies. It may be how...
Dana Barron PhD
- Jun 13, 2021
- 7 min
Stop Asking What's Wrong. Ask What Happened.
In recent years I've done a deep dive into the research and clinical practices relating to trauma. I've begun a 3-year training in...
Dana Barron PhD
- May 5, 2021
- 5 min
Why Self-Compassion is So Hard
I can't count the number of times I have heard people say that compassion for others comes easily, naturally, but self-compassion is an...