This past year I have been developing, with Dr. Pam Popper (www.wellnessforum.com), "Emotional Wellness 101." It was initially designed for people who want to stop taking psychiatric medications but are afraid that they will be unable to do so due to discontinuation side effects or that they will be unable to manage their symptoms and be unable to cope once off their medications. The premise was: If they had a set of tools that they could use to manage their emotions, anxieties and impulses, they wouldn't need to rely on medications. And so that became the focus of "Emotional Wellness 101" -- Create a psychological toolkit that would enable people to be their own therapist and stabilize their brain chemistry with their thoughts rather than a pill. So that's what we did. It's a powerful toolkit comprised of cognitive therapy tools, positive psychology tools, spiritual tools, communication tools, stress management tools and support group tools. And the beauty of it is: You don't have to be on medications to get tremendous value out of this toolkit. It is for anybody who wants to improve the quality of their emotional life and manifest a more balanced and abundant physical existence. Dr. Pam Popper and myself are in the final stages of fine-tuning the program. I expect it to launch within weeks. If you want to hear more about it, please listen to the BlogTalk radio conversation I had with Coach Rea Wilke which can be accessed below. There is also a podcast of an interview I did with Dr. Pam Popper at www.wellnessforum.com.

If it’s true that most people take psychiatric medications because of difficulties regulating their emotions, anxieties and impulses, then when they are taught skills to effectively self-regulate, they will no longer need to depend upon and can safely taper themselves off their psychiatric medications. The Wellness Forum’s new program, “Emotional Wellness 101,” was specifically designed for this purpose. It can also be used to great benefit by people who are not on psychiatric medications but are dissatisfied with their lives and their relationships. With emotional wellness skills, people can effectively manage their emotional life, end self-sabotaging behaviors, and achieve sustainable happiness. Dr. Pam Popper's interview with Walter E. Jacobson MD, discusses “Emotional Wellness 101” in more detail: www.wellnessforum.com/Audio/DrPopperInte... For more information: pampopper@msn.com

We can be a role model of compassion and right action. We can be a role model of service to others and the miraculous power of forgiveness to heal old wounds and soothe the primal, savage beast buried deep inside the psyche of each of us.

Forgive To Win! is an inexpensive book that teaches people how to be that role model. It is short, but to the point, providing practical tools for people who want to forgive but have trouble letting go of anger and resentments.

When we forgive, we win. And the whole world wins with us. Consider giving the gift of forgiveness to someone you love this holiday season: amzn.to/v4Xx1q