Jennifer L. Ayres, Ph.D., ABPP, HSP

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Blog

Still River Reflections

Get practical wisdom about life’s messy moments and how to navigate them.

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new beginnings
Parenting
Journey Wishes: The Invisible Wishes We Sew into New Beginnings
Summer reminds us that every season eventually changes. A psychologist’s reflection on new beginnings,...
living with purpose
Intentional Living
What’s Diverting You from Living With Purpose? How to Get Back on Track.
Discover how procrastination, fear, habits, and other destiny diverters can quietly pull us away from...
new beginnings
Intentional Living
Mid-Year Reflection: Making Room for What Matters Most
A psychologist’s guide to a compassionate mid-year reflection. Take inventory of your relationships,...
Personal Growth
Resilience
Treat the Water: Reflections on Personal Growth, Healing, and Hope
A story about three carnival goldfish becomes a reflection on parenting, personal growth, grief, resilience,...
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Resilience
After Bad News: Finding Polka Dots of Awe During Life's Thunderstorms
Struggling after bad news? Learn why respecting resistance, feeling your emotions, and noticing moments...
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Resilience
Life Transitions and the Great Unknown
A reflection on friendship, grief, resilience, and learning to trust change during life transitions God...
beginning again after hard times
Dear Jennifer
Load the Bamboo: A Psychologist’s Guide to Beginning Again After Hard Times
Even after life gets better, beginning again after hard times can trigger anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional...
why friendships change
Relationships
Why Friendships Change Over Time: A Psychologist’s Guide to Friendship Shifts and Grief
Why friendships change over time, how to cope with friendship shifts, and how to understand the often-overlooked...
new beginnings
Dear Jennifer
When Little Grief Feels Big
Life transitions often bring unexpected emotional waves and little grief that arises when our lives change. Dear...
Feeling Stuck in Life
Dear Jennifer
Feeling Stuck? A Psychologist’s Guide to When Boredom Signals It May Be Time for Change
Bored. Stuck. In a rut. This reflection explores how feeling stuck often signals the beginning of change,...
living with purpose
Reflective Stories
Ernesto and the Fire Horse
A gentle legend about grief, love, and the quiet ways hope returns. Follow Ernesto and his fire horse...
quiet desperation
Dear Jennifer
Quiet Desperation: Finding Freedom From Routine
Feeling trapped by routine even though life looks good on paper? A psychologist reflects on Thoreau’s...
find courage
Dear Jennifer
How to Find Courage When Your Life Falls Apart
When life suddenly falls apart, it can feel impossible to find courage. A reflection on starting over,...
self-doubt and self-compassion
Self-Compassion
How Self-Doubt and Self-Compassion Build Courage
Finding Clarity, Steadiness, and Support When Fear Overwhelms In this final blog of the three-part...
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Resilience
How to Know When It’s Time for a Change
Avoiding Burnout and Listening to Your Inner Compass Familiar habits and comfortable jobs are hard...
Personal Growth
Dear Jennifer
How to Work with Self-Doubt Instead of Letting It Stop You
A self-compassionate practice for fear, follow-through, and new beginnings Self-doubt often shows up...
How to Talk to Teens About Decisions
Parenting
How to Talk to Teens About Decisions: A Simple 4-Step Strategy That Helps
A psychologist-mom’s suggestions about how to talk to teens about decisions Parenting teenagers...
Personal Growth
Dear Jennifer
When Self-Doubt Visits: A Self-Compassionate Way to Work with Fear Instead of Fighting It
How to deal with self-doubt using self-compassion. Learn how to work with fear instead of fighting it...
new beginnings
Dear Jennifer
Pushing Through Procrastination: A Psychologist’s Guide to Getting Unstuck
How to Stop Procrastinating with Self-Compassion, Structure, and Curiosity Pushing through procrastination...
Resilience
Ubuntu on the Corner: How Small Acts of Kindness Build Community in Hard Times
What a Left-Turn Lane, a Kind Stranger, and My Children Taught Me About Human Connection When I read...
Embrace the Tardy: A Self-Compassion Practice
Self-Compassion
Embrace the Tardy: A Self-Compassion Practice for Busy, Imperfect Days
A psychologist reflects on motherhood, perfectionism, and how learning to “embrace the tardy” became...
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