Behind the curtain I undress while you smoke a joint on the queen size bed. I peek through the dingy tapestry and catch your stare upon my silhouette. As I walk out naked goosebumps creep across my flesh at your smile. And we talk for a while. Or you talk as…

I suddenly loved the skin I was in. Here’s how. — Readers please note: this story includes descriptions of life-threatening eating disorders and behaviors. If you need info, support, or help with eating disorders, contact National Eating Disorders Association. I learned early on to love hating my body. I learned that looks matter — and that being good enough was something…

After a lifetime of feeling mistreated by males, I finally faced the truth: they weren’t to blame. Here’s why. — It was a safe way for me to keep the focus off of myself. It took me years of blaming the opposite sex to realize, they weren’t at fault, I was. Let me explain. I’ve been hurt by a lot of men. I’ve been abused physically and emotionally. But what human hasn’t been hurt by another human?

It’s time to master the art of masked flirtation. — Our social lives are so limited right now. I look forward to my trips to the local health food store. I mean I get to check out and even interact with lots of seemingly attractive masked men! I make sure I wear my cute mask. You know, the one with a color that brings out my eyes. I’ve…

It’s Cancer season and my Cancerian self feels drawn to remind you of the beauty of this water sign. — I want to be that someone people turn to between doing and being. That person they seek to fill the gaps when they just want to laze quietly on a hammock and fill their thoughts with depth. That person they seek to revel in the mystery of the unknown. …

How time-travel brought me true love. — On a day full of heartache, the cheesy words of a meme floating through my Instagram feed spoke to an unhealed part of me. “The magic you seek is inside.” As I read these simple words, I was suddenly transported back in time. I found myself on a beach standing in front of a younger version of myself. The smell of the salty air and…

3 tips that have saved me and might save you too! — It’s taken me nearly 2 weeks to write about this — not because I didn’t want to — but because I didn’t feel ready to. For Harry Potter fans, coronavirus has felt like Voldemort to my mind. Writing about the virus that I wish didn’t have to be named has…

As a mental health professional, I highly value western doctors that get that health is not just about the body. — “Okay, take a deep breath and cough for me,” the white-haired doctor said as he pressed a cool metal stethoscope onto my bareback. “Hmmm, no signs of wheezing at all. And you said this has been going on for a month?” He invited me to step off the high check-up…

Hint, it starts with this thing we call “purpose”… — Do you live every day to the fullest? I’ve spent years plucking away jobs, activities, and people that suck the marrow out of my life. Why? …