…And What We Can Do With That

A compassionate, practical look at why people dig in — and how to find your footing when you can’t understand why.

I get asked this question a lot, in one form or another: How do I make sense of people who hold so tightly to beliefs that seem — from where I’m standing — completely at odds with reality? It applies to politics, family dynamics, religion, workplace culture, you name it. Why do people double down instead of opening up?

Here’s the framework I keep coming back to, both in my own life and with clients: developmental thinking. Not as a way to judge people — but as a way to genuinely understand them. And maybe, in doing so, find a little more peace.

We All Grow Through Stages — and Not Always at the Same Pace

Think about how children develop. A six-year-old isn’t being difficult when they can’t think logically — their brain literally hasn’t developed that capacity yet. Around ages seven to twelve, kids move into more black-and-white thinking: rules matter, things are right or wrong, fair or unfair. Then adolescence arrives, and suddenly it’s all about identity, relationships, and figuring out who they are in the world. Some kids even begin grappling with their values and what they believe at a deeper level — a kind of early spiritual development.

Here’s the thing: this developmental process doesn’t stop when we turn eighteen. Adults continue moving through stages of thinking, feeling, relating, and meaning-making throughout their lives. And — importantly — not everyone moves through them at the same pace, or in every dimension at once. You can be emotionally sophisticated and intellectually rigid at the same time. You can hold a graduate degree and still think in very black-and-white terms in certain areas of your life.

“We can’t expect someone to operate from a place they haven’t yet arrived at — any more than we’d expect a seven-year-old to reason like a philosopher.”

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset — It’s Not About Intelligence

You’ve probably heard of Carol Dweck’s research on fixed versus growth mindsets. In a fixed mindset, your traits, beliefs, and identity feel set — they are who you are. Change feels threatening. In a growth mindset, you’re more curious, more willing to question and update, more comfortable with the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing.

When someone is operating from a deeply fixed mindset, their beliefs aren’t just opinions — they’re identity. Challenging the belief feels like challenging the person. And the brain, wired to protect us from threat, responds accordingly: it shuts down, doubles down, gets defensive. This isn’t stupidity or malice. It’s the nervous system doing its job.

Fixed Mindset Patterns

• Comfort in certainty
• Black-and-white thinking
• Identity tightly tied to belief
• Discomfort feels threatening
• Questions feel like attacks
• Doubling down as protection

Growth Mindset Patterns

• Comfortable with ambiguity
• Can hold nuance and complexity
• Identity separate from belief
• Discomfort as information
• Questions feel like invitations
• Updating as a sign of strength

People avoid discomfort the way water finds the path of least resistance. It’s not laziness — it’s human wiring. When someone has found a belief system that feels safe, familiar, and reinforced by everyone around them — their family, their faith community, their neighborhood — stepping outside of it doesn’t just feel uncomfortable. It can feel like losing themselves entirely.

The Power of One Curious Question

So where does that leave those of us who want to connect — or at least understand — across what feels like a vast divide?

I’ll tell you one of my favorite tools: a single, genuinely curious question, asked in a neutral tone.

Try This — The Mindfulness Mindset™ in Action

The Question

“Tell me how you got to that conclusion.”

Not a challenge. Not a debate opener. A real invitation. Said calmly — without the eyebrow raise, without the sigh — this question cracks a door open, even if just by five percent. It gives the other person a chance to actually hear themselves think, possibly for the first time about this particular topic.

They may not answer well. They may not have thought it through. And that’s information too — not ammunition, just data. Real curiosity is neutral. It doesn’t have an agenda. That’s what makes it powerful.

When You Don’t Align — and That’s Okay

Here’s something I want you to hear: if you’re someone who genuinely loves learning, exploring new perspectives, sitting with questions that don’t have easy answers — you are going to feel it in your body when you’re around someone who operates very differently. That’s not a character flaw. That’s somatic intelligence. Your nervous system is reading the room.

You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to pretend it feels fine. But you also don’t have to go to war with it. There’s a lot of ground between full acceptance and all-out conflict — and that middle ground is where most of us actually have to live.

The Weather Analogy

If you’ve ever lived somewhere with weather you don’t love (like me in Seattle) — say, relentless gray winters or swampy summer heat — you know this experience: you don’t love it, but you accept that it’s real, because that’s where your life is. You don’t spend every day raging at the sky. You grab an umbrella. You plan accordingly.

Knowing that people with very different worldviews exist around you is a bit like that. You don’t have to love it. You don’t have to pretend it’s fine. But you can learn to move through the world with it, without letting it consume you.

The Hardest Part: Love Your Neighbor (For Real This Time)

Now here’s where I ask something that may feel impossible. Stay with me.

Across every major faith tradition, every contemplative practice, every wisdom lineage — the same teaching appears: love your neighbor. Not perform tolerance. Not pretend agreement. Not exhaust yourself trying to change them. But find, somewhere inside yourself, a genuine wish for their wellbeing.

This doesn’t require spending time with people who drain you. It doesn’t require silence when you disagree. It can be as quiet as a meditation, a prayer, a moment of intentional sending of goodwill — even to someone whose choices baffle or frustrate you. Think of it less as an emotion and more as a practice. Something you do, regardless of how you feel in the moment.

And while you’re at it — take a look at your own blind spots. We all have them. The areas where we resist growth, avoid discomfort, or cling to what’s familiar. That’s not an indictment. That’s being human. The invitation is just to stay curious — about them and about yourself.

Spreading the Love — Outward and Onward

One of my favorite mindfulness practices is what I think of as expanding your circle of compassion. Start with yourself — find some peace there first. Then let it ripple outward.

You

Home & Family

Neighborhood & Community

City · State · Country

The World · The Universe · The Beyond · All of It

Let your compassion expand — one breath, one circle at a time.

This isn’t passive. This is one of the most powerful things you can do. When you show up as a grounded, curious, open-hearted person — in your home, your workplace, your community — you are literally offering people around you a different way of being in the world. You don’t have to convince anyone. You just have to be it.

Your Soul’s Mission Matters Here

I believe each of us has something we’re here to do — a deep pull toward a particular kind of contribution, connection, or creation. I distinguish between your soul’s mission (the what — the essential thing you’re called toward) and your life’s purpose (the how — the specific shape your life takes in pursuing it).

When we get consumed by frustration, by the dissonance of living alongside people whose worldview feels incomprehensible — we can lose the thread of that mission. We spend our energy on the gap instead of on the gift.

Your gift — your curiosity, your openness, your capacity for love and nuance and growth — is genuinely needed. The world needs the frequency you carry. Protect it. Tend to it. And when you do engage across difference, do it from that grounded, rooted place — not from exhaustion or contempt.

Focus on the Love.

The Rest Is Noise.

You don’t have to resolve this. You don’t have to fix anyone. You just have to keep showing up — curious, boundaried, alive to your own joy and purpose — and trust that love spreads in ways we can’t always measure.

This lifetime is short. Live it fully. With a smile on your face, laughter in your heart, and people around you who see you and celebrate you for exactly who you are.

Understanding the dance between our worried minds and our trusting hearts

I’m back with another profound conversation with my incredible 12-year-old daughter, Gracie, and this time we’re diving into something so many of us struggle with: how anxiety impacts our ability to trust others and ourselves. What unfolded was a masterclass in emotional intelligence that honestly left me taking notes!

As someone who works with anxiety daily at The Mindfulness Center, I was amazed by Gracie’s natural wisdom about distinguishing between genuine intuition and anxious thoughts. Her insights remind us that even our youngest family members are navigating complex emotional landscapes with remarkable clarity.

Anxiety vs. Intuition: The Million-Dollar Question

One of the most important distinctions Gracie made was between anxiety and genuine intuition. When I asked how she tells the difference between her “spidey senses” warning her about real danger versus just being anxious, her answer was brilliant.

According to Gracie, intuition happens immediately. You walk into a room or meet someone, and you just know something’s off. You don’t want to be around that person or in that situation, and the feeling is instant and clear.

Anxiety, on the other hand, takes time to develop. It’s more of a mental process – thinking “What do they think of me?” or getting caught up in your head with worry spirals. It’s the difference between a gut feeling and overthinking.

This distinction is huge! Learning to differentiate between anxiety (which is often our mind creating scary stories) and intuition (which is our body’s wisdom keeping us safe) truly is a lifelong skill worth developing.

The Catastrophic Thinking Trap

When we talked about jumping to worst-case scenarios, Gracie’s honesty was so refreshing. She shared that this usually happens when she’s stepped out of her comfort zone – like setting a new boundary with someone. Her mind immediately goes to “What if they don’t accept it? What if I have to destroy the entire friendship just to maintain my boundaries?”

Sound familiar?

She also mentioned how someone’s unkind comment or laughter can send her spiraling into “They hate me, they talk trash about me behind my back” territory, even though most of the time these people don’t even realize their behavior was hurtful.

This is such a perfect example of how anxiety writes scary stories about the future that usually don’t come true and definitely haven’t happened yet. Our worried minds are incredibly creative storytellers, but they’re not always telling us the truth!

What Actually Helps: Real Reassurance

Here’s where Gracie’s wisdom really shines. When I asked what kind of reassurance actually helps when she’s anxious about trusting someone, she didn’t ask for empty promises or constant validation.

Instead, she values sincere apologies paired with genuine commitment: “I promise I won’t do it again.” But here’s the key – the best reassurance isn’t words at all. It’s seeing that person in action and not repeating the hurtful behavior.

“Actions speak louder than words,” she reminded me. The combination of sincere words AND consistent actions is what rebuilds trust after it’s been damaged. Quality reassurance addresses the specific worry, not just generic “don’t worry about it” responses.

Trust Rituals: The Small Things That Matter Most

When we talked about the small habits that help Gracie feel secure in our relationship, her answers melted my heart. She mentioned how I’ll send her a quick text during school asking “How’s it going?” when she’s dealing with some drama, or how I knock on her door after school just to check in and say hi.

These tiny moments of connection – these trust rituals – create something so powerful: consistency creates safety. Like we talked about last month, it’s not grand gestures that build security; it’s the reliable, small acts of caring that happen day after day.

When Anxiety Takes Over Trust

Perhaps the most vulnerable part of our conversation was about anxiety spirals – those moments when worry becomes so overwhelming that it hijacks our ability to think clearly or trust others to help us.

Gracie described situations with friend groups where her anxiety makes it hard to trust someone who’s nice to her but is friends with people who might not like her. Her mind gets caught up in trying to figure out the social dynamics logically, but sometimes the spiral takes over and logical thinking becomes impossible.

Her solution when this happens? She needs someone to “snap her out of it” and be present with supportive energy. Not trying to fix or explain away her feelings, but simply being there with her in the moment.

The first step to managing these spirals is noticing and naming them. Oftentimes just recognizing “Oh, I’m spiraling right now” can be enough to create a little breathing room.

Wisdom Beyond Her Years

What strikes me most about these conversations with Gracie is how naturally she understands concepts that many adults struggle with:

• The difference between intuitive wisdom and anxious thinking
• How our past experiences can color our expectations of future interactions
• The importance of both words and actions in rebuilding trust
• How small, consistent gestures create more security than grand promises
• The reality that anxiety often tells us stories that aren’t true

A Gentle Reminder for All of Us

If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety affecting your relationships and ability to trust, please know you’re not alone. Even 12-year-olds are navigating these complex waters, and that’s completely normal.

Here are some gentle reminders inspired by Gracie’s wisdom:

• Listen to your body’s immediate responses – they might be trying to tell you something important
• Notice when you’re creating scary future stories versus dealing with present reality
• Value consistency over grand gestures in your relationships
• Ask for specific reassurance that addresses your actual worries
• Remember that healing happens through both words and actions
• Be patient with yourself when anxiety makes trusting feel impossible

Creating Space for Both Anxiety and Trust

The beautiful thing about Gracie’s perspective is that she doesn’t see anxiety and trust as mutually exclusive. She acknowledges that anxiety is part of her experience while still choosing to give people second chances, set boundaries when needed, and remain open to connection.

Maybe that’s the real wisdom here – we don’t have to eliminate anxiety to have trusting relationships. We just need to learn how to dance with both, understanding when anxiety is trying to protect us versus when it’s creating problems that don’t actually exist.

 

 

Megan Bayles Bartley, MAMFT, LMFT, is a proud member of The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and The International Society of Hypnosis.

She has written several contributions for the Ericksonian FoundationNewsletter multiple times! She’s even had her book RESET: Six Powerful Exercises to Refocus Your Attention on What Works for You and Let Go of What Doesn’t reviewed in the Newsletter. Read the review HERE!

A heartwarming conversation about building bonds, listening to your body, and the power of second chances

Sometimes the most profound insights come from the most unexpected places. Recently, I had the absolute joy of sitting down with my 12-year-old daughter, Gracie, for a conversation about trust that left me completely amazed. What started as a simple mother-daughter chat turned into a masterclass on human connection that I just had to share with you all.

Trust as a Bond That Grows

When I asked Gracie to describe trust, her answer blew me away. She said trust is “a bond” that starts as a small string between two people. As you get to know someone and share more of yourselves, that string grows into a rope, and eventually into a metal chain as your trust in them grows.

How beautiful is that imagery? Trust isn’t just something we have or don’t have – it’s something we build, strengthen, and nurture over time through our connections with others.

Your Body Knows Before Your Mind Does

One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was when Gracie talked about the physical sensations of trust. When she trusts someone, words flow easily without overthinking how to phrase things properly. She feels comfortable and natural.

But here’s where it gets really interesting – when she can’t trust someone, her body sends signals. She gets strong gut feelings, her jaw clenches up, and she has to force herself to communicate instead of feeling at ease.

As adults, we often ignore these bodily cues, but Gracie’s wisdom reminds us: listen to your body! It’s often trying to tell us something important about the people and situations around us.

The Art of Trustworthy Body Language

Gracie has become quite the expert at reading people’s trustworthiness through their body language. According to her, trustworthy people maintain eye contact, have open body posture, tilt their heads slightly when listening, and nod along to show they’re really engaged.

On the flip side, when someone can’t be trusted, both people become uncomfortable, avoid eye contact, and close themselves off. It’s remarkable how this young person has already learned to read these subtle but powerful non-verbal cues! Remember, over 90 percent of what we communicate is our non-verbal cues – tone of voice, volume of voice, facial expressions, hand movements, and body posture.

Small Actions Speak Louder Than Grand Promises

When I asked what small thing I do that helps her trust me as her mom, Gracie’s answer touched my heart. She said she knows I care because I ask for feedback. I come back to her after conversations and ask how I can do better, especially when I feel like I wasn’t fully present or helpful.

This reminded me of something so important: small, consistent actions build trust more than grand promises. It’s not the big moments that create lasting trust – it’s the daily choice to show up, listen, and be willing to grow. Remember, however we as parents show up with our children is how we invite them to show up with us. If we want them to shift and change, we must be willing to as well.

The Healing Power of Second Chances

Perhaps the most mature insight Gracie shared was about repairing broken trust. She believes that when someone breaks your trust, you should tell them how their actions affected you. Their response tells you everything you need to know. If they apologize and commit to doing better, trust can be rebuilt.

“Everyone has to make mistakes to learn from them,” she wisely noted. “You should always give second chances. But if they break trust the second time, that’s how you know” that they can’t be trusted at this time.

What profound wisdom about the balance between forgiveness and healthy boundaries!

Trust is Personal, Not Universal

Throughout our conversation, one thing became crystal clear: trust isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. It’s deeply personal. Understanding what trust means to each person in our lives – and communicating what it means to us – is essential for building strong, authentic relationships.

A Reminder for All of Us

As I sat there listening to my daughter’s insights, I was reminded that wisdom doesn’t always come with age. Sometimes it comes from approaching life with curiosity, openness, and authenticity – qualities that children naturally possess but we adults sometimes lose along the way.

Gracie’s perspective on trust offers us all a beautiful reminder to:

• Pay attention to our body’s signals
• Value consistent small actions over grand gestures or promises
• Read the unspoken language of connection
• Approach relationships with both compassion and healthy boundaries
• Remember that trust is something we actively build together

The next time you’re navigating trust in your own relationships – whether with family, friends, or colleagues – consider viewing it through the lens of Gracie’s wisdom. Sometimes the clearest truths are the simplest ones.

____________________________________________________________________________

What insights about trust resonate most with you? If you’re curious about other mindful conversations we’ve had at The Mindfulness Center, be sure to check out our full blog for more heart-centered discussions about life, relationships, and finding peace in our beautifully imperfect human experience.

 

Visit Megan B. Bartley and her team online for more at ⁠Mindfulness-Center.com⁠ and enter to win your chance for a free copy of Megan’s book ⁠RESET: Six Powerful Exercises to Refocus Your Attention on What Works for You and Let Go of What Doesn’t⁠

View the video here

Listen to the podcast here

Buy the TRUST eBook Here! Only $12…for Gracie’s college fund!

by Megan Bayles Bartley
The Mindfulness Center, Louisville, Kentucky

At The Mindfulness Center, many clients are surprised when we discuss how holiday anxiety doesn’t just live in their worried thoughts about family dinner—it lives in their bodies and communicates through them during every family interaction, often without their awareness. The language of holiday anxiety is frequently non-verbal, and this can profoundly impact our most important family connections during what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.

Reading Between the Holiday Lines: Anxiety’s Physical Presence at Family Gatherings

Holiday family anxiety manifests physically in ways that relatives can sense, even when we’re trying our best to appear festive:

• The slight tension in shoulders or not-so-genuine smile while opening gifts in front of everyone
• Eyes that dart toward exits when certain family topics arise
• Arms crossed protectively during conversations about life choices
• A voice that shifts pitch or speeds up when relatives ask about sensitive subjects
• The subtle stepping back when a family member moves toward emotional intimacy or confrontation

These physical expressions aren’t intentional holiday rudeness—they’re the body’s authentic response to perceived threats in an environment where we most want to belong. However, they can send mixed messages that leave family members confused, hurt, or more likely to push harder for connection in ways that increase anxiety.

The Double-Bind of Holiday Family Communication

People with anxiety often find themselves in a holiday communication double-bind that looks something like this:

Words say: “I’m so excited about Christmas dinner at your house!”
Body says: Shallow breathing, fidgeting with phone, minimal eye contact when discussing plans.

Words say: “I love spending time with everyone.”
Body says: Positioning near doorways, checking the time frequently, tense facial expressions.

Words say: “I’m fine with however we do gift exchange this year.”
Body says: Rigid posture, forced smile, distracted responses to conversation.

Family members naturally respond more to the non-verbal cues than the verbal ones—it’s human instinct. Remember, over 90% of what we communicate is non-verbal. Only 10% of what we communicate are the words.This creates holiday disconnection, as the person with anxiety may genuinely want to enjoy family time, while their body tells a story of stress and discomfort.

Mindfulness: Bridging the Holiday Communication Gap

At The Mindfulness Center, we work with clients to bring awareness to this mind-body disconnection through several holiday-specific practices:

Holiday body scanning: Before and during family gatherings, take time to notice physical sensations linked to emotional states, building awareness of how family-related anxiety manifests uniquely in your body. Do you have a lump in your throat? Are your shoulders up by your ears? Is your heart beating faster than normal? 

Pre-gathering congruence check-ins: Before important family conversations or activities, take a moment to ensure your words, intentions, and physical presence are aligned. If they’re not, that’s valuable information about what you might need. 

Transparent holiday communication: With trusted family members, practice naming the physical experience: “I notice I’m feeling tense right now. I think I’m anxious about this topic, even though I want to be here with everyone.”

Mindful holiday movement: Taking short walks between family activities, stepping outside for fresh air, or even doing gentle stretches can help reconnect mind and body, making non-verbal cues more intentional and less anxiety-driven.

One client shared a holiday breakthrough: “I realized my mom wasn’t responding to my words about being happy to help with dinner, but to how my whole body seemed stressed and overwhelmed. Once I could acknowledge that tension and ask for what I actually needed—like a few minutes to decompress—everything changed.”

Creating a Non-Verbal Holiday Safe Haven

For family members supporting someone with anxiety during the holidays, understanding the non-verbal dimension creates opportunity for deeper seasonal connection:

• Honor both verbal and non-verbal messages without assuming either tells the complete holiday story
• Create physical environments that reduce threat responses (comfortable seating areas, quiet spaces for breaks, manageable group sizes)
• Offer your own calm, open body language as an anchor during challenging family moments
• Notice and gently name incongruent messages: “I hear you saying you’re enjoying dinner, but you seem tense. Would it help to take a few minutes outside together?”

Non-verbal communication happens whether we acknowledge it or not during family gatherings. By bringing mindful awareness to this dimension, those with anxiety can bring their full selves—both spoken and unspoken—into alignment with their holiday intentions, creating family connections built on authentic presence rather than performance.

In our next blog, we’ll explore how anxiety influences honesty and disclosure with family during the holidays, and how mindfulness can help navigate these emotionally charged waters with compassion.

 

Megan Bayles Bartley, MAMFT, LMFT, is a proud member of The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and The International Society of Hypnosis.

She has written several contributions for the Ericksonian FoundationNewsletter multiple times! She’s even had her book RESET: Six Powerful Exercises to Refocus Your Attention on What Works for You and Let Go of What Doesn’t reviewed in the Newsletter. Read the review HERE!

The Plot Twist Nobody Saw Coming

Here’s what they don’t tell you about getting through perimenopause: on the other side lies a version of yourself that’s more authentic, more powerful, and more unapologetically you than you’ve ever been. Welcome to your fucking fabulous fifties.

The Wisdom of the Warrior

You’ve survived sleep deprivation, hormonal chaos, teenage attitudes, and marital renegotiation. You’ve learned to hold space for your anxiety without letting it drive the bus. You’ve discovered that advocating for yourself and setting boundaries isn’t selfish – it’s survival.

This isn’t just about getting through perimenopause. This is about emerging transformed.

The Mindful Integration

By now, mindfulness isn’t just a practice – it’s a way of being. You’ve learned to:

• Respond rather than react
• Honor your needs without guilt
• Communicate authentically
• Trust your inner wisdom

Marriage: The Next Chapter

Your relationship has weathered the storm. You’ve both learned that love isn’t just about compatibility – it’s about growing together through change. Your marriage might look different now, but it’s probably more honest, more intentional, and more resilient.

Parenting: The Long Game

Your teenagers are watching you navigate this transition with grace and grit. You’re teaching them that:

• Women’s experiences are valid and important
• Change is natural and survivable
• Asking for help is courageous
• Authenticity is more valuable than perfection

The Gifts of Going Through

Clarity: You know what matters now. The rest is just noise.

Confidence: You’ve survived your worst days. You can handle whatever comes next.

Compassion: For yourself and others navigating their own transitions.

Courage: To live authentically, speak truthfully, and love fiercely.

Your Fucking Fabulous Fifties Manifesto

I am not the woman I was in my thirties, and that’s exactly as it needs to be.

I choose relationships that nourish me and release those that drain me.

I trust my body’s wisdom, even when it’s inconvenient.

I parent from authenticity rather than anxiety.

I show up in my marriage as myself, not who I think I “should” be.

I honor my needs without apology.

I speak my truth with kindness but without compromise.

I embrace the messiness of being human.

I am not too much. I am exactly enough.

The Ripple Effect

Your journey through perimenopause doesn’t just change you – it changes everyone around you. Your teenagers learn about resilience. Your partner learns about adaptability. Your friends learn about authenticity. Your community learns about the strength that comes from vulnerability.

A Letter to Your Past Self

Dear woman in the thick of it,

I know you’re scared. I know you feel lost. I know you’re tired of feeling like you’re failing everyone.

You’re not failing. You’re transforming.

This chaos you’re experiencing? It’s the breakdown that comes before the breakthrough. Your body isn’t betraying you – it’s teaching you to listen. Your emotions aren’t too much – they’re information.

Trust the process. Trust yourself. Trust that on the other side of this storm is a version of yourself that you’ll absolutely love.

Your future self is fucking fabulous, and she’s worth every uncomfortable moment of growth. Remember, growth doesn’t happen without discomfort!

The Invitation

This is your invitation to stop apologizing for taking up space, for having needs, for being human. Your perimenopause journey isn’t just about hormones – it’s about reclaiming your power, your voice, and your right to exist fully in this world.

Your fucking fabulous fifties are waiting. And honey, they’re going to be incredible.

Resources for Your Journey

• Connect with other women going through this transition
• Consider therapy or counseling for additional support
• Explore hormone therapy options with healthcare providers
• Join perimenopause support groups online or in your community
• Practice self-compassion daily

Remember: You’re not just surviving this transition – you’re using it to become the woman you were always meant to be.

Here’s to your beautiful, messy, powerful journey. You’ve got this.

 

Megan Bayles Bartley, MAMFT, LMFT, is a proud member of The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and The International Society of Hypnosis.

She has written several contributions for the Ericksonian FoundationNewsletter multiple times! She’s even had her book RESET: Six Powerful Exercises to Refocus Your Attention on What Works for You and Let Go of What Doesn’t reviewed in the Newsletter. Read the review HERE!