Buffalo seasons Awareness in life
Listening Mindfully: The Second Pillar of Dialogue Therapy.
If speaking for yourself is the discipline of self-responsibility, mindful listening is the discipline of restraint. It asks us to suspend the reflex to correct, defend, interpret, or counterattack. It asks us to stay. It is rooted in a contemplative stance similar to what Thich Nhat Hanh called “deep listening”—listening not to fix or persuade, but to understand suffering.
Speaking for Yourself: A Core Practice in Dialogue Therapy for Couples.
One of the most quietly radical ideas in couples therapy is also one of the simplest: speak for yourself. In Dialogue Therapy, this principle is not merely a communication skill—it is the ethical and emotional backbone of the work. Many couples arrive in therapy locked in a familiar loop. One partner speaks about the other (“You always…,” “You never…”), while the other becomes defensive, withdrawn, or counterattacks. Dialogue Therapy interrupts this cycle by asking partners to return to their own inner ground.
On the Threshold of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
Equine assisted psychotherapy has shown profound benefit for those navigating trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, attachment wounds, and life transitions. For many, especially those who feel “stuck” in traditional therapy, the barn becomes a threshold. The horse, with its attunement and honesty, calls forth trust, boundary-setting, communication, and self-regulation in ways that words alone cannot.