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INTEGRATIVE + ONLINE PSYCHIATRY + HOLISTIC HEALTH

Category: Dreamwork

Robotic arm with open grasp and mystical flowing river with a bridge linking mountains and river. Like a Daoist print

Don’t Push the River: On Losing and Finding Perspective

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary on Health and Well-being, Creativity, Dreamwork, Getting Things Done, holistic mental healthcare, Meditation/Mindfulness, Mental Health, Non-duality, Personal Growth, Spirituality & Health, Uncategorized. No Comments on Don’t Push the River: On Losing and Finding Perspective

Recovery from over-controlling and over-planning: guidance from dreams, ancient philosophy, and the embrace of being adaptable and responsive.

“The Tao does nothing, yet nothing is left undone.” —Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching

I. Here I Am Right Now

There’s a particular fatigue that comes from having too many plans and projects competing for my mind’s attention, all of which seem important to process and either bring to a satisfactory conclusion or let go of. That’s where I have been living lately. Unfinished projects and mental schemes stack on top of each other like an unsteady pile of gadgets on my desktop, with my shallow intention to get to them when the time comes. The layering and complexity didn’t arrive all at once. It accumulated like nasty sediment in a pipe until it blocked the water flow.

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Collage of pictures of people with the theme of entrapment in patterns of ideas and beliefs and journey to peace of mind and well-being.

Stinking Thinking Revealed and Getting Unstuck

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in ACT, CBT, Dreamwork, Happiness, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, Integrative Therapies, Meditation/Mindfulness, Personal Growth, Recovery, Schema Therapy, Spirituality & Health.

Mindfulness, CBT, and Holistic Strategies for Lasting Mental Wellness

The chill of winter, the news, and politics

It was midwinter, with a chill in the air and sleet and snow steadily falling, coating the roads enough to form a treacherous layer of black ice and making travel precarious. Those of us caught indoors often turned on the TV to get the latest weather report, searching for how long our forced winter hibernation would last. On TV, news reports featured recurring stories about outlandish things the president or his party representatives were doing to upset the applecart of democracy. The more dramatic the reporting of threatening changes to the status quo of established institutions and our way of life, the greater the weight on our minds and emotions. Our emotions balanced between worry, fear, and some anger. As the final reports grew more ominous, they predicted more frigid weather, icy rain and sleet, impassable roads, and the closing of businesses and events. My wife lingered to catch the final news and reports. Still, I scurried away to enjoy my nighttime herbal tea and routine of yoga and meditation to shake off the negativity and emotional burden of my earlier exposure to network news, some articles I’d read, and the reported climatic changes, both environmental and political.

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Collage of pictures with the theme of renewal and healing from depression, the flowing river, joy, and wisdom.

Don’t Push the River: A Father’s Awakening to Nature’s Reality

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Depression, Dreamwork, Grief and Loss, Happiness, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Meditation/Mindfulness, Mental Health, Mood, Personal Growth, Spirituality & Health. 1 Comment on Don’t Push the River: A Father’s Awakening to Nature’s Reality

Embracing Life’s Ebb and Flow

               A Father’s Journey Back to Himself

My father, then in his seventies, was sitting a short way off from me on the sandy, gravel-like beach that bounded a wide, rapid-flowing river that ran from the mountains through the bottom of the national park where we were staying. The impressive, mighty flowing river absorbed all your thoughts into its splendid displays of power, freedom, nature’s natural beauty, and almighty presence. The morning light emanating from the sky, awakening the senses to the river’s enormity and nature’s presence, seemed to softly filter through curtains of mental fog and preoccupations, like a whisper. He appeared for the first time in weeks to release his tension and despair, the sense of loss, and hopelessness. Now he radiated the spirit of someone who had found his soul and regained his footing and sense of purpose.

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Six-picture collage with the theme of physical and social activity for a healthier life.

Don’t Underestimate Exercise: Life-Changing Benefits for Body, Brain, and Spirit

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Concentration, Creativity, Dreamwork, Getting Things Done, holistic mental healthcare, Integrative Therapies, Meditation/Mindfulness, Mental Health, Nutrition, Personal Growth, Recovery, Spirituality & Health.

Active Lifestyle, Healthier Life: Science-Backed Reasons to Keep Moving

Nov 24, 2025

The talk and the article

I had an interesting talk with my son about the benefits of physical activity, as he works with me on many projects that sometimes involve research or editing. He is very skilled with technology and usually gets to the core of things after spending a lot of screen time on the computer. Our conversation focused on the many advantages of being more physically active and exercising. It occurred to me to write a compelling article to support my case, backed by research literature. I also thought this would be a grand strategy since my son often does the final edit on many of my articles. Since he would likely read it, I might get some validation that I am convincing in my advocacy for a healthy lifestyle and exercise.

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Collage of pictures on theme of being stuck in a dilemma to surmounting to flow and creativity.

Surmounting dilemmas and conflicts to free productivity and flow

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Anxiety & Panic, Commentary on Health and Well-being, Dreamwork, Frauds, Scams, Criminality, Getting Things Done, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, neuroscience, Personal Growth, Podcasts, Trauma.

Indecision and fear are the roadblocks to success and well-being!


Getting stuck in a dilemma

A dilemma is when one gets stymied in choosing between two unsuitable alternatives. It is frustrating to be stuck and unable to move forward to completing a project or task. The desirable ending might be as significant as survival or as minor as making a healthy decision for something that will be positive or sustaining for one’s health and well-being.

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Collage of pictures of dream catchers from the Native American tradition and pictures representing dreams

Dreams and journaling – Part One & Two – for mindfulness, insight, and well-being

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Creativity, Dreamwork, Happiness, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, Integrative Therapies, Meditation/Mindfulness, Personal Growth.

Dreams are a valued resource for getting unstuck, aware, inspired, insightful, and more organized and productive.

Welcome to the Mind Wise podcast and newsletter, presenting perspective and information about mental health, holistic health care, wellness, neuroscience, psychiatry, philosophy, and spirituality. I am your host, Ron Parks, M.P.H., M.D., writer, teacher, and consultant.

Today I begin a 2-part series exploring a readily available phenomenon that occurs in your slumber and sleep world—dreaming.

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Collage of 13 pictures with theme of writer's block, and return to creative production and flow; one picture reminds to listen to your inner voice.

Surmounting Writer’s Block

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Creativity, Depression, Dreamwork, Expert Mentor-Guide, Getting Things Done, Happiness, holistic mental healthcare, Meditation/Mindfulness, Neurodiversity, Personal Growth, Spirituality & Health.

The critical steps to reignite inspired creativity, growth, and productivity.

Writer’s Block Strikes

I was returning from a vacation and felt guilty about not working on or beginning a new newsletter article. Every time I would sit down to start, I would find myself distracted and doing other things or just feeling tired or overwhelmed by the immensity of the task with all its components. Some basics of the task even felt too difficult, such as coming up with new material, doing the research, working through the succession of drafts, multiple edits, and the final publishing process.

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a frame with four colorful pictures suggesting a person having a nightmare with two shots of extremely alarmed people, one hanging from a mountainside, and of a pressure gauge in the red zone

Dreamwork for Insight, Creativity, and Growth

Written by Ron Parks, MD on . Posted in Anxiety & Panic, Commentary on Health and Well-being, Creativity, Dreamwork, Getting Things Done, holistic mental healthcare, PTSD, Recovery.

The dream is an untapped resource for insight, problem-solving, and self-improvement.

Dreams an Untapped Resource

Dreamwork is a valuable resource and aid in self-help and therapy work. It is a practical and always available tool that supports personal growth, productivity, and mental and emotional health.

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