"Sex Therapy Online" - Don't miss this BlogTalk Radio show tonight at 8:30 PM EST!

You don't want to miss this episode tonight at 8:30 PM! My guest will be Rhiannon Beauregard, an experienced sex therapist in New England who's entire practice is now online! We'll discuss what sex therapy is and is not, when someone might be a candidate for this form of treatment, and the advantages of doing it online.

Call toll-free 877-497-9046, or if the lines are busy, call 760-542-4114 to join us live. Call in with a question or a comment, and hear from an expert. Hope you can make it! (If you can't make the live show, catch the recording at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susanlager.)

"Sex Therapy Online" - My Next BlogTalk Radio Episode Wed. 10/15/14 8:30 PM EST. Don't Miss This One!

I have a really exciting half hour BlogTalk Radio episode coming up this Wednesday, October 15th at 8:30 PM EST! The show title is "Sex Therapy Online - Is It For You"? My guest will be Rhiannon Beauregard, a certified sex therapist, who will be talking about online sex therapy, what it is, how it works, and when it might be the most useful form of treatment. Call in with questions or comments toll-free 877-497-9046, or if the lines are busy call 760-542-4114. Hope you can be there live! 

Tired of Waiting for Time Off? Use "Time On" Instead!

As the seasons change, many people I know are bemoaning the loss of "time off" they've had in the summer. There's an obvious feeling of ambivalence about the upcoming season of busyness and social obligations dovetailing with work and family responsibilities. People tend to dread being over scheduled and deprived of personal time to self-nurture or play. The myth we seem to have bought into in the American culture is that one needs to be on vacation to fully experience joy, spontaneity, discovery and meaningful connection.

I invite you instead, to explore the experience of what I call "time on," or living your everyday life with more wonder, appreciation and joy. Start by regularly taking a "snapshot" of the present moment - notice your breathing, the air on your skin, the color of the sky, the sound of the wind in the leaves. Notice the quality of the conversation and connection with the person facing you. Take a "snapshot" of this sharing as it is unfolding. Savor it. Drive more slowly and take in the tones of the changing season. Take a "snapshot" of that field of hay, or the person trying to get somewhere in the car next to you. Take a risk and smile at them and your common circumstance. Be more playful with yourself and those around you. Laugh at yourself more often. Be physical - dance, walk, run, move! Appreciate the daily work your body does for you, and treat it with kindness and compassion. Stop, and pet your dog or your cat if you have one. It will be good for both of you. Pick a wildflower and stick it in your hair. Write a poem, play an instrument. Turn off your automatic TV watching, and read a good book or listen to a symphony.

Just be present for your life each day, not just for one or two weeks of vacation in the summer. Use your "time on," your everyday life, to be cognizant of, and grateful for your blessings. You'll be a much happier person.......

Cheers,                                                                                                                                                
Susan                                                                                                                                                      

PS. Rick Hanson, a neuropsychologist and eloquent writer, is a terrific resource for the issues of happiness, staying present and in the "now." You can get any of his wonderful books on these subjects at my Amazon store by going to: http://astore.amazon.com/wwwsusanlagec-20

Here Comes Winter

Here it is, October 1st, the leaves are falling, the temperature has dropped radically, and most noticeably, it's getting dark at about 5:30 PM.  No doubt about it, the summer of 2014 has come and gone. Before we know it, we'll be bundled up in winter coats, shoveling or snow-blowing our driveways, freezing our butts getting into frigid cars, looking at a grey and white landscape and hiding out indoors. I love it!

When I admit that, everyone I know, (except for one client today), looks at me like I have two heads. They freely complain about all the above developments, expecting me to commiserate, and when instead I get all warm and fuzzy about the upcoming winter, they probably begin to wonder if they're sitting with a sane person. Some never come back for another session...

I'm convinced that I have the opposite of Seasonal Affective Disorder - the condition in which people's brain chemistry shifts into depressive mode around the lowered level and duration of light in the colder months. For me, I get happier as the skies get grayer and the weather gets murkier. I call it "sultry" weather - nice and cloudy and real chilly. It reminds me of happy adventures in Ireland and England. It may also be some fragment of genetic memory from my slavic ancestry, harkening me back to the cold, dark weather in Russia and Poland, where my grandparents grew up. Or, maybe I really am psychotic. But whatever the origin, I'll share some reasons why you too might look forward to the six month "winter" we're famous for here in Maine, instead of getting all bummed out about it:

• If it was warm and sunny all the time you'd lose the excitement about seasonal changes
• When it's murky and cold out there's no pressure to do fabulous things outdoors
• Grey, cold days give you space to be more still and contemplative, less busy
• There's no need for air conditioners, fans, and other costly energy hogs
• You don't have to tend to your garden or your lawn when there's 2 feet of snow outside
• Without the cold winter you'd never have an excuse to wear all those fabulous boots
• Baths and hot tubs are much more delectable when you're freezing your ass
• You have much more reason to tuck in with a good movie, book or instrument
• How would you ever experience the joy of skiing or snowshoeing without the snow?
• Without winter there would be no good soups, stews or comfort food
• There's no joy like climbing under a cozy down quilt when it's frigid outside
• Monotone landscapes rest your eyes and brain from all the vibrant summer colors
• You pet your thankful dog, cat or hamster more when you're hanging out indoors
• You have more time to read deep, thought-provoking blogs like this one

What more can I say?

So, if you have S.A.D., and are starting to get depressed facing the end of summer, get one of those special lights to reset your brain chemistry, sit back and relax!