Scleroderma and the Ordinary Girl — Kim Tocker

For years, when I was a practicing counselor, I used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a part of my eclectic approach to to working with clients. One aspect of CBT is understanding what you…

These last few weeks have been some of the worst I can remember. Not only have I been trying to process the terror attack in my hometown, but also we had to say farewell…

Two weeks ago my world was rocked by the mass terrorist shooting in two of our central city mosques here in Christchurch.   In February I wrote a column about finding healing in kindness.

The medical police, aka my cardiologist team, have advised me to do no more than very gentle walks. I am not permitted to do anything more intense because we are waiting for cardiology test results.

Sometimes when I’m sitting in my recliner thinking about the meaning of life, I find myself fantasizing about how my funeral will go.  In my mind’s eye, it’s going to be a…

Burnout is often used to describe what can happen to those living with constant stress, resulting in complete physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. A person can become chronically anxious, fatigued, angry, depressed, detached, and…

I had to travel to another part of the country last week. The outing was unplanned, but I’m never one to turn down a road trip if the opportunity arises. I packed my car with…

The chronically unwell face plenty of daily challenges, some big and some small. But my latest battle was brought to my attention by binge-watching a TV series. I am a huge “Grace…

It’s the middle of summer here in New Zealand. Today the temperature reached 91 degrees Fahrenheit — we Kiwis consider that pretty hot for Down Under.   During the summer months, Christchurch puts…

I’m going to fess up: sometimes I Google my symptoms.    I know it’s not a sensible thing to do, especially when I come across a website that goes into details about…

Electric scooters have come to Christchurch! For the cost of a few dollars, you can ride around town on these zippy wee numbers to see the sights, get to where you’re going without walking,…

Last weekend was our son’s graduation in Dunedin, a city in southern New Zealand that is home to Otago University. We were extremely proud to be there to watch him receive his degree…