Karen Thacker PhD Journey Forward

09/11/2024

I'm presenting at this free Mental Health Symposium next week on Tuesday, September 17, at 6:30p ET. The Symposium is the 16th & 17th in the evening via Zoom. Please share with anyone you know who might benefit.

03/04/2024

Excited to present with my cohort!

See more here

08/25/2023

New Blog Post!

I have not written a post in awhile. I thought I would let you know what’s happening in my world. I have successfully completed the coursework portion of my doctoral journey. I am now working…

02/21/2022

I am back in school. The picture is of my cohort and I'm on the bottom right. At 55 I started a Ph.D. program last August. I'm in the Counselor Education and Supervision doctoral program at the Townsend Institute at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. The program is online so I didn't move to California...although it sure is beautiful there. I have been teaching for the Townsend Institute's Master's in Counseling program since 2017....

I am back in school. The picture is of my cohort and I’m on the bottom right. At 55 I started a Ph.D. program last August. I’m in the Counselor Education and Supervision doctoral progra…

09/02/2021

So far I have addressed the reality that we are not emotionally healthy all the time, it’s simply not possible to be perfectly consistent. I encouraged you to seek out healthy relationships to help heal your attachment deficits. Now, we’ll delve into the value of spiritual connection to our emotional health. One caveat here is that not all spiritual practices are the same, even within the same branch of spirituality....

So far I have addressed the reality that we are not emotionally healthy all the time, it’s simply not possible to be perfectly consistent. I encouraged you to seek out healthy relationships to help…

08/02/2021

The second truth about emotional health is it is achieved with others, not in isolation. We can’t simply will ourselves into emotional health by reading a book, listening to a podcast, meditating on a verse or meme. We are social beings. Our emotional health is directly tied to how well we are connected with others. This connection is directly tied to attachment....

The second truth about emotional health is it is achieved with others, not in isolation. We can’t simply will ourselves into emotional health by reading a book, listening to a podcast, meditating o…

07/20/2021

Want to know the truth about emotional health? I think we all want to know what we can do to have it and keep it. No one really enjoys being in an emotional spiral or even an emotional swirl. We like it best when we are stable, when life around us is stable, and we have a sense of all is well....

Want to know the truth about emotional health? I think we all want to know what we can do to have it and keep it. No one really enjoys being in an emotional spiral or even an emotional swirl. We li…

06/18/2021

I wonder what you need today to feel balanced? Some days it might be a hug, a deep breath, a walk, a real conversation, the reminder that you are enough. Not one of those is about material items or even things you buy. They are about caring for yourself in deep and meaningful ways. Are you getting those ingredients in on a regular basis? Do what you can in this moment to care for yourself.

I wonder what you need today to feel balanced? Some days it might be a hug, a deep breath, a walk, a real conversation, the reminder that you are enough. Not one of those is about material items or…

06/04/2021

It's been a while. I'm not sure why. Mostly, I just never felt like writing. I would think about you, desire to reach out, but not have anything novel to say. But, life is always changing and even a similar topic has unique nuances based on the situation in the present. We are in a new phase of our life with COVID....

It’s been a while. I’m not sure why. Mostly, I just never felt like writing. I would think about you, desire to reach out, but not have anything novel to say. But, life is always changi…

12/04/2020

This holiday season is different in so many ways. We are being asked to limit our interactions with one another to avoid putting more pressure on our already taxed health care workers. So what do the holidays look like in this case? For me, it means decorating the house as usual and having more time at home to enjoy it. Taking time to savor the lights, the colors, the smells and the meaning of this season....

This holiday season is different in so many ways. We are being asked to limit our interactions with one another to avoid putting more pressure on our already taxed health care workers. So what do t…

11/25/2020

For those of you who read my blog regularly I have no explanation for why I haven't written a post in a long while. I just didn't feel like it. That's all. Some days...or months! are like that. We are all doing well, including Anna. Thanksgiving in the US is tomorrow. Normally my family has a large gathering. This year it is not happening....

For those of you who read my blog regularly I have no explanation for why I haven’t written a post in a long while. I just didn’t feel like it. That’s all. Some days…or mont…