I’ll share how when I stopped the endless search for red flags and instead learned to track my feelings, I felt more empowered and confident. I’ll talk about how to just keep taking the next step in getting closer and then checking in with your heart. And I’ll touch on how I deal with one of life’s hard truths: that it still may not work out.

By understanding some of the internal shifts I took towards self love, why I think it's important for women to be fierce about it, and how it can help ground you in your purpose, values, needs, and boundaries, you can begin to build self-love skills in your own life.

In 2012, I embarked on a Vision Quest in the desert seeking clarity amidst life changes and self-doubt following a divorce and return from living abroad. This spiritual journey involved fasting alone in the wilderness for three days and four nights, providing a profound opportunity for self-reflection and connection with nature. The Vision Quest, a rite of passage ceremony, offered a transformative experience, guiding me to confront old narratives and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose and connection to my community and inner self.

Experiencing a divorce can evoke challenging emotions and self-doubt, often manifesting as panic, anger, or feelings of being broken. A skilled therapist can guide you in understanding how your nervous system responds to these emotions, helping you regulate and navigate the rollercoaster of emotions linked to states of safety, fight-flight, and freeze, ultimately fostering a sense of hope and resilience.

I'm Jodie Stein, MFT, a therapist specializing in attachment-focused, body-based therapies, utilizing nature, creativity, and Spirit for healing. Through my Healing Hikes for women in relationship transitions, participants explore the impact of a breakups on their fight or flight responses and negative self-beliefs. By understanding the correlation between emotional states and personal narratives, participants feel more in control of their emotions as they heal.

Dating can evoke a spectrum of emotions, ranging from optimism to disillusionment. This article delineates five pivotal strategies for engaging in dating from a perspective of self-awareness and self-affirmation, with the intention of fostering a greater sense of self-worth and emotional equilibrium. By recognizing and valuing one's inherent worth, adopting a mindful approach to dating as an investigative process, and establishing and upholding personal expectations, needs, and boundaries, individuals can navigate the dating landscape with confidence and authenticity.

Chances are you’ve heard about this magical thing called self-love and have been trying to get some. Self-love is supposed to give us all good stuff: the confidence to set boundaries at work, the motivation to find our life’s purpose, the ability to feel fulfilled and happy alone, and the guts to give our Mr. or Ms. Wrong the final kick out the door.

Seriously, who wouldn’t want some of that?

If you’re over 25 you’ve probably found yourself thinking you could use a few new friends. Maybe you’re feeling unsure about how to make friends as an adult. Whether you’re starting over in a new city, married and looking for couples camping buddies, or slowly outgrowing your couch surfing bros, there’s little guidance on how to go from meeting people to becoming friends.

Sometimes it does seem crazy these days to believe that love can last a lifetime. With the demands of modern life, all too often marriage can become about downtime and recovery, like a comfortable pillow, rather than a living connection that we feel inspired to nourish and feed.

But what I now realize is that sustaining love for a lifetime, if possible, does take a skill set; one I definitely didn’t have during marriage number one. Likely a lucky few inherit these skills for sustaining intimacy from their families, but for most of us, they need to be learned.

Divorce is one of the most difficult transitions you’ll ever experience. It’s the big earthquake toppling every major pillar of your life: your primary relationship, finances, home, family, friendships, and your role as a parent.

People are often surprised by how much loss and confusion they experience even when they leave the marriage. If you’ve been left, add to this mix the devastation of rejection.