Can you trust your instincts, gut knowingness and intuition?

November 10, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC psychology gutknowingness, instinct, intuition

Many in the spiritual community, including myself, encourage others to trust their instincts, gut knowingness, or intuition. Even though these terms are often talked about, some people don’t know what each term means. First, let’s start with some definitions.

Instinct is a survival mechanism built into every human and animal being. It is an impulse that senses, often without reason, that something is wrong and propels you to fight, flight or freeze. This is associated with your first chakra.

Gut knowingness is a feeling in your gut. Did you know you have a second brain? There are brain cells in our digestive system, just like our brain. It makes sense when someone says the expression, go with your gut. Tune into your digestive system, what is it telling you about a person, place or thing? This is associated with your second and third chakra.

Intuition is a sixth sense. A knowingness but on a spiritual level rather than a physical gut knowingness level or rational mental level. This is associated with your sixth chakra.

What throws off people, especially those who rely more on thinking than feeling, is that all of this is not based on facts or anything tangible you can prove. Yet, there are many instances of people who say they listened and followed this guidance. It even saved their life!

When does following a sensation get you in trouble?

If you are in a habit of ignoring your instinct, knowingness or intuition, you will no longer trust it. This isn’t something you can turn on and off at will. These skills require practice, an openness and willingness to listen. If you decide, I am all of a sudden going to trust this sensation out of no where, you may not recognize it and mistake it for a thought or feeling.

If you are a person who is not connected to your feelings or numbed out, you will have difficulty connecting. In this instance, you would need to start with connecting to your feelings and body, trusting in those first.

Some people use the terms of instincts, gut knowingness and intuition but really are only projecting their unconscious biases onto others. It is not okay to discriminate against others based on racism, sexism, ageism, etc., and tell others you got a bad feeling about them.

Can you trust your instincts, gut knowingness and intuition?

To answer this question, which is also the title of this blog, is up to each individual. I would tell you the more healthy and balanced you are, yes, you can trust your instincts, gut knowingness and intuition. Does this mean you won’t ever make a mistake? No. You might trust an unconscious feeling or thought or you might ignore an important signal to keep you safe. The bottom line is, you can work on becoming more healthy and balanced every day, which includes trusting in these sensations.

Lisa Hutchison LMHC is a licensed psychotherapist and writing coach. She works for caring professionals, who want to prevent or treat compassion fatigue. Her specialty is teaching stress management, assertiveness and boundary setting. Lisa is the Amazon bestselling author of I Fill My Cup: A Journal for Compassionate Helpers and the kindle book Setting Ethical Limits for Caring & Competent Professionals. Get a FREE 10 page E-book; Why Compassionate People Run Out of Energy and What You Can Do About It at http://www.lisahutchison.net

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

How to Create Stability- Full Moon Eclipse in Taurus

October 31, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC psychology

Empathic helpers often have difficulty separating their energy from others. With great sensitivity can come a tendency to become stuck or frozen in place. This can cause you to not move towards your goals or get caught up in other people’s emotions. Today, I am writing and including a video reading about the Full Moon Eclipse in Taurus, which starts November 8th.

The Taurus Full Moon Eclipse

The Full Moon

The full moon is a time to surrender and release. Let go of whatever you no longer need, outdated fears, limitation, clutter, etc. forgive, release negative energies. Great time to smudge or have an energy session.

Taurus is the sign of the bull. It is known for being independent, dependable, hardworking and dedicated. This is the energy we want to work with. Watch for any stubbornness or getting fixated/stuck. Be flexible and practice the pause, especially if you feel triggered by what others say or do. Value yourself during this moon.

The Eclipse

We not only have a full moon but also a lunar eclipse. Eclipses come in pairs. Below is video 2 of 2 with tips for creating stability during these unsettling energies. The last video was about the solar eclipse in Scorpio. There is an increase in drama and intensity around eclipse energy. You may not understand the full story of what is happening or happened until after both eclipses. This is a good time to journal about your life and then go back and read it in a couple of weeks after this full moon

Eclipses are karmic, fated energies that feel out of our control. Events can feel out of your hands. Work within the darkness of yourself and others. The full moon eclipse is about sudden endings or conclusions. Let go and go with the flow. If you are letting go of someone or something, know it is the right time, even though it may be very difficult for you. No matter what you will experience a change. How you view that change is up to you and how you think about that change.

Listen deep within during this time.

Let’s pick some cards to see what we need to focus on during this full moon Taurus eclipse. This reading resonate with you b-day in Taurus or Scorpio, moon sign or rising sign. All empaths, no matter what your astrological sign because you are sensitive to energies.

Video Reading

What changes have you noticed this eclipse season?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

What is an Ambiguous Loss?

October 17, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC grief/loss, psychology, trauma ambiguous loss, disenfranchised grief, grief

An ambiguous loss occurs when a relationship or connection that was significant to you ends, without a clear understanding or closure. “Ambiguous loss is a loss that remains unclear. The premise of the ambiguous loss theory is that uncertainty or a lack of information about the whereabouts or status of a loved one as absent or present, as dead or alive, is traumatizing for most individuals, couples, and families”(Boss, 2007).

Since, the details of the loss remain unknown, it is this uncertainty which prolongs the grieving process. You are left wondering, do I continue to hold on or let go? Many people hold out hope that the relationship or connection will return to normal, while others begin the letting go process.

A Disenfranchised Grief

Since this is not a clear cut type of loss, such as when a person dies from an illness, many in society do not consider these types of “death” as significant. A disenfranchised grief is one that is unrecognized and undervalued in our society. When grief is not acknowledged and given space to air out amongst others, it worsens a person’s mood, functioning and relationships. People who experience ambiguous losses and disenfranchised grief often second guess their feelings, experience anger, shame or even guilt, just for having normal grief feelings.

Examples of Ambiguous Losses

We all have experienced some form of ambiguous loss in our lives. Here are some examples.

Lost or missing pets, those who don’t return home
Trauma
Mental or Physical Illness
Disconnection or estrangement from family or friends
Moving
Loss of employment
A person who is alive but not physically present (Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Substance Abuse/Addictions)

There are many more examples of ambiguous loss than listed above but I wanted to give you an idea about the types of loss that compromise this type of grief. Remember, if others do not recognize your loss as significant, it is important you do. There are many empathic helping professionals that can support you in this process.

References

Boss, P. (2007) Ambiguous Loss Theory: Challenges for Scholars and Practitioners. Family Relations (56.)

Have you experienced an ambiguous loss?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

Channel That Fiery Energy for Good -Full Moon Aries

September 29, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC astrology/moon, Empath Toolkit ariesfullmoon, empowerment, spirituality

Empathic helpers often have difficulty separating their energy from others. With great sensitivity can come a tendency to overreact. This can cause you to become ungrounded. Today, I am writing and including a video reading about the Aries full moon, which starts October 9th.

The Aries Full Moon

Aries is the sign of the ram. Bold, fiery, decisive and a leader. You may become reactive. Watch your temper. Be patient and practice the pause before responding, especially if you feel triggered by what others say or do. It’s good to be assertive but watch if you become aggressive. Perhaps you have become too serious about life, make time to have fun.

A situation or conflict may arise or come to a peak. It could become heated remember it takes 2 to tango. If the other person is reactive you can choose to walk away until cooler heads prevail. Use this fiery energy to exercise, put it in your creativity or something you have a passion for. Channel it for good!

Meditate every day, especially around the moon to ease tension and stress. Trust. believe and receive. Write down your impressions. Meditation will help you focus and ground, let go of those insecurities. Write down your dreams and pay attention to synchronicity. These are messages from the Divine showing you, you are on the right path. Since cancer is a water sign spend time near the water.

Listen deep within.

Let’s pick some cards to see what we need to focus on during this full moon Aries. This reading resonate with you b-day in Aries or Libra. Moon sign rising sign. All empaths, no matter what your astrological sign because you are sensitive to energies.

Video Reading

How can you step into your full power?

Lisa Hutchison LMHC is a licensed psychotherapist and spiritual coach. She works for caring professionals, who want to prevent or treat compassion fatigue. Her specialty is teaching stress management, assertiveness and boundary setting. Lisa is the Amazon bestselling author of I Fill My Cup: A Journal for Compassionate Helpers and the kindle book Setting Ethical Limits for Caring & Competent Professionals. Get a FREE 10 page E-book; Why Compassionate People Run Out of Energy and What You Can Do About It at http://www.lisahutchison.net

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

Why Change and Grief Go Hand in Hand

September 12, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC grief/loss, psychology, trauma change, coping

Life is full of change. Examples of change are experiencing the death of a loved one or pet, ending a close friendship, changing jobs, moving to a new location, perimenopause/menopause, illness and more. Any type of transition can be difficult because it requires some form of loss. When the ground shifts from the familiar to the unknown, it is not surprising to experience insecurity and fear. Some people have multiple changes at once, which compounds the stress, anxiety and sadness.

The Grieving Process

Changes initiate the grieving process. The nature of change requires something or someone dies in order for new life to be born. Often a piece of yourself dies and you experience a loss. It is not the change itself but rather the loss that brings up experiences of grief and trauma that require healing. During periods of change, it is not unusual to feel sad, depressed, shocked, or angry during this process. All the feelings you experience during the grieving process can be experienced during any major transition or change. This is normal.

Elizabeth Kubler Ross’ book on Death & Dying discussed the five stages of dying which became The Five Stages of Grief. These stages are in no particular order and you can cycle through these stages even within the same hour. These are meant to be a roadmap of expression.

Denial- Shock and denial cushion the pain and help you survive the loss.

Anger- Expressing anger in healthy ways is important. Anger is an indication of the passion and hurt you feel.

Bargaining- In an attempt to control the loss, you reach out and ask God/the Universe for a deal. During this phase or stage you may ask yourself “if only” questions and may feel guilty. At this point you are trying to not feel the pain of the loss.

Depression- Feelings of the loss set in. You may feel an emptiness without the person or thing in your life. It is not unusual to feel sad, lonely, loss of motivation, changes in eating habits and problems with concentration, to name a few experiences, in this stage.

Acceptance- Acceptance does not mean you feel okay about the loss but rather you acknowledge the person or thing is no longer in your life and you are now living in a new reality.

David Kessler who worked with Elizabeth Kubler Ross, developed a sixth stage of grief known as Meaning. This is the remembrance and keeping our loved one or the memory of the experience alive. His book is here on Amazon, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief , if you are interested in checking it out. I know I will.

How to Find your Center

Try to keep your routine as much as possible. This means eating meals, exercising and doing the necessary self-care to take care of you. As you become more accustomed to the change, you will add more and more to your list.

Seek out friends and support. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is connect to others but other people can offer you love, support and caring. You will want familiar faces when other aspects of your life are changing.

Feel your feelings. It is ok to feel depressed, sad or angry. You may also feel excited and happy. It is all good. Feelings are transitory, they come and go. The more you repress and hold onto a feeling, the more stressed your body system becomes. It is the resistance to feelings that keeps you stuck. Feel the feeling and allow it to move through you.

Focus on gratitude. Make a list daily of what you have and are thankful for, This will help you focus on the good around you.

Do a releasing ceremony or ritual. It is important to honor the loss. This can be formal ceremony or informal through letter writing. Express all your feelings and then burn the letter safely.

Be kind to yourself. Remember you are doing the best you can. We all navigate change differently. Take as much time as you need to acclimate to your new way of life.

How Can You Honor Your Feelings During Change?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

Balancing your Responsibilities and Dreams Mercury Retrograde -Full Moon Pisces

August 31, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC astrology/moon, Empath Toolkit empath, mercury retrograde, Pisces fullmoon

Empathic helpers often have difficulty separating their energy from others. With great sensitivity comes a tendency to ignore your responsibilities and dreams. This can cause you to restrict or hold back your true self. This mercury retrograde and Pisces moon is the perfect time to let go of misperceptions and escapism. Today, I am writing and including a video reading about the mercury retrograde, which starts September 9th and the Pisces full moon, which occurs September 10th

Mercury Retrograde Energy

Empathic helpers, being sensitive to energy, are often influenced by lunar and planetary changes. The good news is the more you are aware of these shifts, the better you can manage your moods and thoughts.

A mercury retrograde is when the planet of mercury appears to be moving backwards in the sky. This can effect communications, technology and travel. Give yourself extra time, check those texts and emails before you send and practice patience. This is a time to re-think, re-plan and re-do any plans that have stalled.

The Pisces Full Moon

The full moon is a time to surrender and release. Let go of whatever you no longer need, outdated fears, limitation, clutter, etc. forgive, release negative energies. This is a great time to clear your house of energies, smudge or have an energy session.

Pisces is the sign of the two fish swimming in opposite directions. For us, the opposite directions are spirituality and practicality. This moon asks you to become aware of your balance between your responsibilities and dreams. What’s blocking you from moving forward with your dreams? Take practical steps this month. Some things to let go of; let go of the rose colored glasses especially when it comes to relationships and avoid substance use. Follow your intuition and listen to what your gut says.

Meditate every day, especially around the moon and your answers will come. Trust. believe and receive. Write down your impressions. Meditation will help you focus and ground, let go of those insecurities. Write down your dreams and pay attention to synchronicity. These are messages from the Divine showing you, you are on the right path. Since cancer is a water sign spend time near the water.

Listen deep within.

Let’s pick some cards to see what we need to focus on during this full moon Pisces. This reading may resonate with you if you have a birthday in Pisces or Virgo, moon sign or rising sign. All empaths, no matter what your astrological sign can feel effected because you are sensitive to energies.

Video Reading

How can you balance your responsibilities and dreams?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

Why you are so hard on yourself

August 18, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC Empath Toolkit, psychology, trauma cognitivebehavioral, empath, psychology, selfcompassion

Many compassionate people extend kindness to others much more than themselves. In this blog, I will explore some common reasons why you are so hard on yourself and what you can do to treat yourself with more kindness.

Why can we be so negative?

First off, we are all born with a biological reaction to focus on the negative or what is missing in our lives. This is not all bad, in fact it helps us survive. Without this feature in the brain, we wouldn’t be able to distinguish threats and chose safety. As you can see, this served the human race well in prehistoric times. Being on the lookout from saber tooth tigers, worked in our favor. Even today, it is very useful to weed out those who act abusively to us and those who are friendly. Often this survival method does not serve us well when it comes to our self-esteem.

The inner critic

We all have an inner critic or critical voice within our mind. This is why you have a tendency to think negatively when you evaluate your own behavior. In order to feel safe, the brain, scans for what is missing or needs improvement, before giving yourself a pat on the back. Some of us never get the praise and become stuck in negative thoughts. In addition to having a critical voice, you may suffer from perfectionism, low self-esteem or unrealistic expectations.

Nuturing

Emotional and psychological abuse does damage to the psyche and affects how you think about yourself, others and the world around you. Children’s brains are like sponges and absorb what is said around them and to them. This includes criticism, judgments and pessimistic thinking. If you had a critical, emotionally cold or neglectful family, you learned from their behaviors how to talk to yourself in a negative manner. Some children had harsh teachers, caregivers or even friends.

When a child is neglected, he or she takes on the responsibility for that treatment rather than blame the family or society. This is safer and ensures their survival. Remember, our brains are build for survival first. In order to believe that the caretakers are good no matter how they act, means the child has to be lacking or somehow bad. The child starts to think and believe they are less worthy or deserving than others.

Brain chemistry

You may have developed an anxiety, mood or thought disorder which affects the way you think about yourself. Those who have eating disorders often struggle with body image and their self-esteem. People with depression symptoms often look towards the negative or have faulty thoughts, which limit their potential. Those with anxiety, fear and expect something to go wrong. Therapy and medication management can be helpful to balance out brain chemistry and work with your thoughts.

What can you do?

1. Recognize you are thinking negatively and become aware of what you are thinking. If you can’t figure out what you are thinking, examine your feelings. Often a depressed, irritable or sad mood is an indication your thoughts are focused on the negative.

2. When you identify the thought, refute or question it. Is this really true? What did I learn from this circumstance? Write down these thoughts.

If you can’t figure out the thought, do something the opposite of your mood state. For example, if you are sad, play a happy song or go for a walk.

3. Come up with a more kind and realistic view of yourself. Pick a thought that is true and feels right for the situation you face. Identify your positive characteristics and find a way to apply them to your current situation. Acknowledge that some situations are difficult for all humans and you are not alone in this struggle. Short term counseling can help you see a different perspective.

How Can You Treat Yourself with More Self-Compassion?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

Get into your Heart and Gut- Aquarius Supermoon

August 3, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC astrology/moon, psychology Aquarius Supermoon, empath, self-care

Empathic helpers often have difficulty separating their energy from others. With great sensitivity comes a tendency to ignore your feelings and instincts. This can cause you to restrict or hold back your true self. The Aquarius moon is the perfect time to let go of insecurities and hiding your true self by being a martyr. Today, I am writing and including a video reading about the Aquarius super full moon, which occurs August 11th.

Super Full Moon Energy

A full moon is a reminder to surrender to the Divine. You can let go of physical items, emotional baggage or creative blocks. Whatever is getting in the way of what you want in life, release it all. You can focus on letting go during the full moon and up to forty-eight hours afterwards.

We also have a Super moon! This is a full moon when it is at its closest point to Earth. This position can make the moon appear very large to the human eye. Since this moon is closer, it can influence our emotions. Emotions may run high or low. It is important to seek balance. The answer to any of your questions during this moon can be under your nose. Expect good things and positive outcomes. Opportunities are around for whatever you are asking for.

The Aquarius Full Moon

Aquarius is the sign of the water bearer but don’t get confused, this is no water sign but rather an air sign. My advice is to take some of the Aquarius detachment and apply it to this full moon, whether you are an Aquarius or not. Allow life to unfold and progress even if you are fearful of change. Let go and go with the flow.

If you have been holding back who you are, it’s time to let your quirky self come out and shine. Get out of your head and into your heart. Just Be! Don’t give too much attention to the haters because they aren’t happy with themselves or their life anyways. It is important to find your tribe and love them hard.

This moon asks you to become aware of your feelings and to be prepared to move on. There has been a lot of transitions and endings. Now is the time to, let go and let god. You are safe, loved and always guided.

Expect the unusual or unconventional with Aquarius energy.

Meditate around and on the day of the full moon and write down your impressions. Meditation will help you focus and ground. Let go of those insecurities. Write down your dreams and pay attention to synchronicity. These are messages from the Divine showing you, you are on the right path.

Listen deep within.

Let’s pick some cards to see what we need to focus on during this full moon in Aquarius. This reading may resonate with you if you have a birthday in Leo or Aquarius. moon or rising sign. All empaths, no matter what your astrological sign because you are sensitive to energies.

Video Reading

How can you stay in your heart and your gut at this time?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

When Power is in the Wrong Hands

July 18, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC Empath Toolkit, psychology, relationships, trauma inequality, narcissism, powerseekers, psychology, sociopaths

Power is an influential tool, but in the wrong hands it can cause damage and destruction. Some people who seek out powerful positions, only wish to exploit others. We all have examples of how people have used their power to cause harm. These people can be found in any level of society and in any occupation. Some well known abuses of power occur in politics, medical, religion, military and the police. Many of my clients, would say their own families have been the biggest source of a misuse of power.

Who are the power seekers?

In the mental health world, we see that certain mental disorders seek power. Two such personalities are narcissistic and sociopathic. The problem is that these are the exact people who resist treatment. Often they show up in the therapy office because they are court mandated or someone has told them to come (a family member). In either case, these types of personalities rarely take responsibility or are here to do the work of therapy.

What exactly do they do and why?

Having power over someone else makes them feel good. Some suggest these types of people are wired differently, while others say the behavior is learned. Whether someone has a certain brain chemistry or modeling, it comes down to motivation. Do they really want to change or live another way? Most often the answer is no because there are too many benefits to their behavior.

People who seek power over others often feel entitled to special treatment and think they are superior to others. Their motivation is to dominate and control. Outwardly they appear confident but deep down they are insecure. If you talk to them long enough, you will seek cracks in the veneer showing a fragile ego. They suffer from low self esteem and self worth. In order to compensate, their personalities are often bigger than life. Being ego driven, they are aggressive, pushy, impatient and controlling. They will resort to threats and intimidation to get their way.

How they get away with it

Once these types of personalities get a powerful position, they seek out others who will protect and enable them. Through their charismatic personalities, they receive much attention and are very good with social relationships. You may find they have a cognitive empathy, meaning they say the right words but they lack an affective empathy meaning there is no feeling behind those words. Instead of coming from a place of caring for others, they manipulate.

Once a personality like this feels threatened, they will do everything in their power to try and tear you down. This means they will devalue you. It is the person who speaks the truth who often becomes a skapegoat or gaslighted. Interestingly, it becomes the truth teller’s reputation who is at stake, as the perpetrator gets away with a variety of crimes.

Institutions are often unwilling to make changes unless there is a mountain of evidence against a person. Even in these cases, the rigidity of the system sets in. Rather than make healthy changes, such as a firing or suspension, the matter gets swept under the rug. Unless, these systems change, often there will be no change.

What can you do?

The best protection is through education and awareness. It is up to each of us as individuals to broaden our awareness and heal. For some of us it is going public, others it is telling their stories to professionals like me, some write about it and others chose to keep these evils locked deep inside. Do not judge others, for we all are surviving and dealing with trauma in our own way. If you must judge, judge the wrong doings of others.

How can you heal from power imbalances?

Check out my YouTube Channel: Lisa Hutchison LMHC

Success is Close-Super Full Moon in Capricorn

July 5, 2022 Lisa Hutchison LMHC astrology/moon, psychology Capricornsuperfullmoon, emotionregulation

Empathic helpers often have difficulty separating their energy from others. With great sensitivity comes a tendency to people please and overwork. At times, our work and home life gets out of balance. This can create a vulnerability towards negative thinking. The Capricorn moon is the perfect time to let go and detach from the negativity within and those around us. Today, I am writing and including a video reading about the Capricorn super full moon, which occurs July 13th.

Super Full Moon Energy

An affirmation for this moon is, Success is close. I just must trust!

The Capricorn Full Moon

The full moon is a time to go within and release anything that is preventing you from moving forward. Sort through your entire life to find what is working and what you can let go of, on all levels.

Capricorn is symbolized by the goat. Effort and determination are required pull out all the stops when it comes to your dream. Issues around work and love can come about. There could be some endings. This is a wake- up call for you to prioritize what is most important for you. Find a balance between work and your private life. Schedule time for self-care and set boundaries.

The end of a tough cycle approaches. Release control, look at what you can control, which is your thoughts and attitude. Remember, you have the power to choose. Release fear and release hopelessness. There is always something you can do.

Meditate around and on the day of the full moon and write down your impressions. Meditation will help you focus and ground, let go of those insecurities. Write down your dreams and pay attention to synchronicity. These are messages from the Divine showing you, you are on the right path. You may also want to spend time near the water.

Listen deep within.

Let’s pick some cards to see what we need to focus on during this full moon Capricorn. This reading resonate with you b-day in Cancer or Capricorn. moon or rising sign. All empaths, no matter what your astrological sign because you are sensitive to energies.