Catherine Auman, MFT

Spiritual Emergency

I got a call earlier this week from a couple trying to get help for a beloved friend who was unable to get off the couch due to experiencing visions, flashes spiritual-emergencyof color and light, sensations of energy coming out of her body, and ecstatic ... Read >

It's Simple Really: Breathe Deep, Feel Good

I first started thinking about oxygen back when I started a running program (it was a milestone birthday and I realized, "damn, I've got to get in shape!"). I'd been walking about an hour a day for years after hearing that exercise was the most effective ... Read >

Mind the Gap

I visited my sister and her family during the year in London her husband pursued graduate work in play directing. My nephews hated British school, their American ways considered freakish and weird by the other kids. It was hard to eat well there as the pr... Read >

Notes on Art and Therapy

Making art out of our painful experiences can be a powerful therapy. Here's a few views to stimulate your thinking: 1) At the end of his life, Timothy Leary apologized for having written so many books. The book, he said, is out of date, old technology,... Read >

Six Amazing Transformational Technologies that are Absolutely Free

A lot of people call me who can't afford to pay for therapy. It's true that many of the most powerful ways to work on yourself cost a lot of money. Psychotherapy, high priced seminars, bodywork, yoga classes, nutritional supplements, and seeking advanced ... Read >

Pet Therapy

Witches have black cats. Dogs are "man's best friend." Hamsters and gerbils are cute as they can be, and some people even like snakes. I picked Frankie the cat up from the pound last week and carried her to her new home. She immediately ran for cover u... Read >

The #1 Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Relationships

Which would you rather hear: a list of your faults, or what someone thinks are the best things about you? Seems obvious, right? Not necessarily so. When we sit down with our partner to talk about our relationship, what we think is wrong with them is o... Read >

The Sleep Stalker

I've been trying to sleep for eight years. Oh, I sleep all right, but I'll wake up at 4 a.m. raring to go with no question of going back to bed. Or I'll stay up late even though I'm exhausted. For a while I enjoyed it -- there's a high that comes from ext... Read >

Top Ten Non-Drug Treatments for Depression

Many of my patients do not want to take medication and I support their efforts to find a holistic solution. Here are my top recommendations: 1) Exercise: Believe it or not, exercise has been found to be the most effective treatment for depression. Of ... Read >

What Do We Mean by "Spiritual Relationships?"

"WIFFM" is the primary motivator for many people in their relationships. WIFFM is a marketing term for "What's In It For Me?" We have been taught to value people for how good they will look on our arm, how close they come to our fantasy of the ideal lover... Read >

Staying Sane During the Holidays

The thing that makes the holidays the most difficult is the widespread idea that they shouldn't be. We've been seduced for years by pictures of smiling families passing the turkey and opening their flawlessly wrapped presents. Everyone is easy to get alon... Read >

Envisioning Your Partner as the God or Goddess They Truly Are

One tantric exercise you can practice at home is to envision your lover as the god or goddess they truly are. That may seem a bit farfetched in today's world, as modern lovers are well too aware of what is "wrong" with their partner. Constantly bombarded ... Read >

WHAT'S YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE?

What makes one person feel loved is not always the same thing that makes another person feel loved. According to Gary Chapman in The Five Love Languages (Northfield Publishing, Chicago: 1995) there are five basic ways a person can communicate loving feel... Read >

How Can You Feel Sexy When You're All Stressed Out?

Sure, I know, there's work, and working out, and eating right, and the economy, and relationship struggles, and, and, and, ... and then if you have kids, there's even more. What a balancing act! Sometimes it's a wonder we have any energy left for sex at a... Read >

The Seven Principles for Making Relationships Work

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work (Crown, 1999) is a book that I often recommend for people who are wishing to improve their relationships, married or otherwise. The author, Dr. John Gottman, actually hooked couples up to electrodes and watch... Read >