You Don’t Need a Vacation — You Need Recovery
" The nervous system is an organ of relationship. It is not just about what is happening within us, but how we are relating to the demands around us. Recovery requires a shift from a state of 'doing' and 'surviving' to a state of 'being' and 'regulating.' " — Dr. Gabor Maté — When burnout starts to show up, one of the first things people tell themselves is: “I just need a break.” So, you take time off. You unplug for a few days. You finally stop checking email. You sleep a bi
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
5 days ago6 min read
Burnout Isn’t Failure, It’s a Signal
“You can’t ‘solve’ stress. You have to complete the stress response cycle.” - Emily Nagoski Burnout rarely arrives all at once. It seems to be a popular topic right now. A lot of people are experiencing burnout's sapping symptoms. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon, rooted specifically in chronic workplace stress. And it certainly shows up there. But the experience itself isn’t confined to a job description. Anywhere prolonged demand o
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Jan 56 min read
You Can’t Find Peace at the Holiday Table If You Haven’t Brought Any With You
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” — Carl Jung — The holidays arrive each year carrying a familiar promise. Connection. Warmth. Joy. Belonging. We see it everywhere: Advertisements, movies, social media posts, stock photos (you'll see some below). Families gathered around glowing tables. Laughter spilling easily across rooms. Conflicts neatly resolved by dessert. The story is simple and comforting: if we just get ev
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Dec 27, 20256 min read
Unleashing Personal Growth Through Mindful Travel Experiences: My Journey to Transformation
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai With the holidays here, a lot of us will be traveling, and traveling is something I love. It has become something more, a way of discovery and finding myself again. The thrill of the unknown and navigating different cultures is something that I look forward to for each trip. Holiday travels don't have to be all stress and drama: they can be an adventure in discovering neglected parts of ourselves, whether abroad o
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Nov 7, 20253 min read
The Weight We Carry: When Pain Becomes Identity
Many people reach a certain point in their growth and then stop. They don’t mean to. They still may read books, listen to podcasts, and attend classes. They can talk about healing, forgiveness, and self-awareness. "Mindfulness" is a buzzword they're fluent with. And, yet, something holds them in place. It’s not because they don’t want to change. It’s because, somewhere along the way, they’ve come to believe their pain is what makes them special. That belief may not sound logi
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Oct 27, 20257 min read
The Illusion of Healing: When Safety Replaces Growth
There’s a phrase that’s been floating around in my head lately: “That’s an oversimplification.” It started as a critique, someone saying my work reduces complex emotional experiences into neat, orderly takeaways. But I couldn’t shake it, because while the accusation was meant to discredit, something was revealing about it. We’ve become so comfortable complicating everything that should invite us to grow. I’ve thought about how I wanted to respond to those who say my content i
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Oct 23, 20256 min read
When Values Collide: Navigating Conflicts Without Losing Connection
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and...
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Sep 27, 20256 min read
Living as Our Healed Self: Choosing Peace Over Conflict
We all carry within us two versions of ourselves. There’s the part that reacts - quickly, emotionally, and often from a place of hurt....
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Sep 11, 20255 min read
Fear vs. Anxiety: The Fast Fire Alarm and the Slow-Burning Story
Human beings are wired for survival. Long before we built cities, wrote poetry, or worried about deadlines, our nervous systems were...
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Sep 3, 20255 min read
Without Purpose, We Struggle
Many people I work with aren’t struggling because they’re broken—they’re struggling because they haven’t found a sense of purpose to...
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Aug 19, 20256 min read
Priming, Perception, and Mindfulness: A Guide to Thinking More Clearly
We like to believe that we make decisions based on facts, clear thinking, and conscious choice. But the truth is, much of what we do—how...
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Jul 12, 20255 min read
Self-Acceptance in a World That Wants You to Conform
You show up to a gathering wearing the outfit you thought looked great… until you walk in and instantly feel out of place. You...
Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW
Jun 18, 20255 min read
