Many of us grew up with a single story about Thanksgiving - a harmonious feast celebrating the harvest between pilgrims and Native Americans filled with shared gratitude. We have traditions, gathering with friends and family to give thanks. That white-centric narrative leaves out another living truth. For Native peoples, Thanksgiving is a Day of Mourning rooted in profound loss, violence, and ongoing harm. If you’ve grown up believing one story of Thanksgiving, holding both o

How to Lead Through the Misuse of “Therapy Speak” at Work Not long ago, a colleague described someone on her team as “toxic.” When I asked what she meant, she paused and said, “They make me feel bad.” That stopped me in my tracks. Because lately, I’ve noticed this pattern popping up everywhere—people using therapy or mental health language as shorthand for discomfort. “That conversation was triggering.” “They’re so toxic.” “I need to protect my peace.” Sometimes those stateme

Most of us have worked with someone whose negativity overshadows everything else. For one of my clients, this showed up in the form of her boss. Every time her phone rang and saw his name pop up, her first thought was, “Oh no, what did I do wrong this time?” The constant stream of criticism and rework of tasks she’d been doing left her feeling disempowered and drained. And yet, as we worked together, she realized an important truth: she couldn’t change her boss. What she coul

We all struggle with strong reactions that hinder progress - as parents, leaders, partners and friends. Over the years, I’ve found three simple practices that help leaders (and parents, and partners) manage their internal reactions.