On Taking Space and Fostering Sensitivity

Hi!

Thank you so much for following along with me as we explored the basics of attachment in relationships and why it's so very important to understand these concepts to create healthy relationships. This work is my passion and I love sharing it with you. Spring is such a wonderful time to take a look at our important relationships, clean out what no longer works, and implement new tools and strategies to support ourselves and each other. I'm thrilled to be working on some very exciting projects to do just that--so stay tuned for more information. And if you'd like to be the first to know about these projects, I'd love for you to hop on to my First to Know list.

When You Are Triggered in Your Relationship

Hello!

We've talked over the past several weeks about the importance of understanding attachment, how to learn our attachment styles, and some strategies for identifying our needs and our partner's needs when we are feeling disconnected. That's a lot of information! Thank you for being here and exploring this with me.

What You and Your Partner Need to Know to Resolve Arguments

Hello!

I'm excited to be back with you this week to share more about attachment styles and how we can be more connected, responsive, and present in our relationships with each other. These qualities make a huge difference in how our relationships feel, how our families operate, and our general outlook on life. Thanks for being here with me! And as always, if you have any questions you are welcome to leave them in the comments or email me!

Do You Know Your Attachment Style?

Hi!

I hope you found the first video of the Kitchen Table Series about the basic concepts of attachment helpful! I’m back this week with lots of information about each of the styles/adaptations and a link to a quiz so you can identify yours if you don’t know it already. And I encourage you to find out, because knowing it can change everything about how you relate to others—partners, parents, kiddos, and friends.

What Does It Mean to Be Attached? Why Does Attachment Matter?

Integrating the concept of attachment has completely changed how I engage in my practice with clients and in my personal relationships. I'm really excited to be sharing this information with you! I’m spending the month of February reflecting on the concept of attachment and the power it holds in our lives when we fully embrace it and understand it. Attachment and love go hand in hand—and having a deeper appreciation for attachment can help us have more love and joy in our lives. I'm pretty into that!

Elizabeth GilletteFebruary 5, 2018attachment, relationships, secure attachment, insecure attachment, love, partnershipComment

Saying No Is Your Friend--Here's How

Hi! I’ve been thinking a lot about saying no lately. Meghan O’Malley and I just finished our very first #nopeAF: A Boundaries Workshop for Women on Saturday, and it was AMAZING. We talked a lot about saying no, and also a lot about saying yes—when we really feel enthusiastic and aligned with what we’re saying yes to.

Elizabeth GilletteJanuary 28, 2018boundaries, self-care, self worth, healing, heirloom counselingComment

How will YOU show up this year?

Hi! Wowza—anyone still recovering from the doozy of a year that was 2017? I can feel that the energy has shifted and 2018 is definitely here, but I think my nervous system is still catching up. I’ve tried to be extra gentle with myself over the past few weeks as I navigated traveling and an office move, and I have been giving myself some space to envision the role I’d like Heirloom to play in our communities and how I want to show up as a business owner, clinician, and human being over the next year.

Elizabeth GilletteJanuary 22, 2018growth, relationships, connection, attachment, communication, vulnerability, authenticityComment

A Year in Review

I have found personally and professionally that December can be equal parts joy and heaviness. I’ve talked about my mixed feelings about the month of December in a previous blog, and those still stand. I have also found a deep appreciation for utilizing December as a time to review your experiences, emotions, and relationships of the past year, and slow down enough to recognize all that has shifted in your world. It’s easy to be swept up in the chaos and joy of the holiday season, but maybe the time we spend reviewing the year is our opportunity to take care of ourselves and really appreciate the beauty and messiness of our day-to-day life.

Elizabeth GilletteDecember 13, 2017healthy relationships, heirloom counseling, self-care, self loveComment

December: Birth and Loss

I am no stranger to loss—of people I love, relationships, seasons of my life, and health. I have been to more funerals than I’d like to share. I have looked death in the face personally in my experience with cancer. I was barely 18 when my father died unexpectedly and left me with more questions than answers about who he was and what our relationship could have been like. These experiences shape me, but they don’t define me. I would never wish these things on anyone, but I wouldn’t change them either. I am more compassionate, loving, open, and caring than I ever thought I could be. My heart is open and vulnerable, and I do the work to allow this (side note: it’s really hard). And that’s the way I choose to live my life.

Elizabeth GilletteDecember 13, 2017birth, loss, grief, heirloom counseling, vulnerabilityComment

How Practical Love Can Warm Our Hearts

December is a weighted month for me. As I’ve explored in the blog before, I often feel the excitement of the holidays and time with family, and I feel sad and a bit lonely. The cold starts settling in and I crave coziness, warmth, and home. More than ever before, the times we live in are uncertain. We are entering a time in our society where we will likely see major shifts. Where we will be expected to show up differently in our lives than we have before. The shifts may be subtle or they may be significant. They may be welcomed or they may be terrifying. As someone who likes to have as much information as possible and plan accordingly, I’ve been sitting with these concepts and trying to decide where to focus my energy for this month and create as much positive energy and love as I can in the world.

So I’ve decided on practical love.

Elizabeth GilletteDecember 2, 2017love, relationships, partnership, marriage, connectionComment

Boundaries are Badass

I strongly believe that boundaries are necessary in order for us to be truly happy and successful. Boundaries are critical, and "no" is our friend. The thing about boundaries is that often you don’t know you don’t have them. Many of us can get far in our lives, be praised even, for not having boundaries. Especially in our family of origin, our schools, and our culture in general. Even more so as women. We learn that in order to “earn” love, we must sacrifice our desires, comfort, and consent.

Elizabeth GilletteNovember 20, 2017boundaries, self love, self worth, self-care, self care, heirloom counselingComment

Emptying Our Suitcase Hearts: Letting Go of What Holds Us Back

If you are a human being who has had any experience on this earth with other human beings, you probably have some emotional baggage. If you have a family, you definitely do. Some of us have more than others, and some of us are more aware of how much we carry with us. Bottom line: we all carry experiences from our past, and they often show up in situations where they aren't really welcome or invited. During times of transition or change, this emotional baggage can become very apparent. So can the importance of figuring out how to let it go.

Elizabeth GilletteOctober 19, 2017letting go, let go, healing, healing journey, heal, self-care, self loveComment

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