Frequently asked questions
What if my stress is caused by real problems that won’t go away?
Does plant medicine help with stress?
How is this different from talk therapy?
I know I’m stressed but I don’t know what I’m actually feeling. Where do I start?
Ready to find out what’s really underneath the stress?
The Emotional Liberation work goes beneath the catch-all and into the specific emotions driving it – where real change becomes possible.
Related Posts

I get letters: Processing emotions “practices”.
When NB wrote to me after an Elevation Ceremony describing change on three levels - physiological, psychological, and spirit/emotional, I knew I had to share it. This is what we're actually doing in the work: not suppressing, not bypassing, but moving what's stored. Here's what that looks like from the inside, and why it keeps working long after the practice ends.
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Conscious Cannabis as a Spirit Medicine
It's not about getting high. It's about getting access. Conscious Cannabis pairs intentional cannabis work with the Emotional Liberation process to move what's been stuck - the emotional wounds quietly running your inner life for decades.
Read more →Do this and let’s make a date
Doom-scrolling has competition, and it's not pretty. When the weight of the world lands in your chest, Tonglen offers something rare: a way through that doesn't require checking out. Here's the practice, and an open invitation to go deeper.
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We’re not fine. Here’s one way through.
A video on navigating what we're living through - with more clarity, calm, and regulation. Not polished, just real.
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Ten Days, One Dog, Big Lessons.
We saw her perky little brown-and-white face with floppy ears on a blurry photo posted to one of the many Facebook animal rescue pages in Portugal. We’d been cruising the rescue pages on Facebook for a while. The idea was to add to our little “pack.” Our current royal, a 10-year-old, 9-pound, hypoallergenic cloud puff named Sawyer, had been our only dog for years. Ron and he are best buds.
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Escaping America on America’s Birthday: A July 4th Confession from Portugal
There’s nothing like being abroad on the 4th of July to remind you how strange patriotism can be. From here, the holiday looks less like a celebration and more like a performance. Love of country doesn’t mean ignoring the mess — it might mean finally acknowledging it.
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When life piles it on (and you can’t just blame the dog)
I recently had one of those days where nothing seemed to go smoothly – a string of mishaps that kept piling on. It stirred up the memory of a particularly hectic day that I wrote about back at the end of 2022 (funny how certain moments stay crystal clear over the years). As it came rushing back, I decided I should revisit what I took away from the experience. It stirred up the memory of a particularly hectic day that I wrote about back at the end of 2022 (funny how certain moments stay crystal clear over the years). As it came rushing back, I decided I should revisit what I took away from the experience. I remember thinking the day had barely started before the chaos jumped in the mix.
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Surviving the crucible that America is in
Panic and paralysis won’t save us as we flail around, trying to get out of the nightmare.
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Old Lady Hands [Body UNshaming: 69-ish]
This body shaming thing is so insidious. Now, with my awareness in full gear, I see just how deep the self-shaming goes. The latest example was just last week when my executive assistant, Carsey, sent me a picture of myself and said, "Wow! I love this picture! Can we use it?” My response was immediate and visceral: "Old lady hand!" ...shouting over our back-and-forth text messaging.
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A special word for my US readers (+ 69-ish)
I just want to take a moment and speak to my readers in the United States and say that my respect and compassion go out to everyone who's genuinely wrestling with how best to resist what's coming in the wake of Monday's presidential inauguration. As you know I now live in Portugal for nearly 3 years, so I'm not in the frying pan. But, regardless of where you are in the world, we are all to some degree going to be held hostage to the man's cruel whims and tantrums. At this point, the U.S. is a wobbling behemoth – the real question is when it topples who will be left in the wreckage?
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Defying dystopia & being 69-ish
I've had a strange compulsion since Trump won the White House – I'm drawn to dystopian films and series. And, at the same time, I find myself reflecting deeply on what can be done when faced with overwhelming societal challenges.
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Want to check-out Portugal?
This is a little off-topic from my usual letters, but – not really – as you’ll see. I invite you to just keep reading. The week after the presidential election, Ron and I got a lot of comments (along with assorted emoticons!) in emails from friends. I guess you could say it was in a congratulatory vein.
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