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Hello and Welcome to BASK!

Purple shirt, Best smile, straight on shot

Hi and welcome to Body Appreciation and Self-Kindness (BASK).com. Here at BASK, you will find all kinds of information about ways to celebrate body appreciation and embody self-kindness. Learning how to appreciate one's body and treat one's self with kindness leads to lives that are happier, balanced, and more fulfilling. When we follow this path, we are better able to handle life's stressors, strengthen bonds, and deepen our relationships with others. I welcome your questions and comments as we embark on this journey together.

Kindly Yours,

Kerry

Recent Posts

May 9, 2021
Celebrating Moms and Motherhood and Reflecting on our Needs

This has been an unbelievable time in our lives in which the role and tasks of motherhood take on a new meaning of their own. For most mothers I know, myself included, we are burned the eff out. It is a level of exhaustion that I have never felt before in my life. For so […]

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December 21, 2020
Winter Break Wellness Guide-A Special Collaboration with Parent Self-Care

Kristi from parentself-care.com and I did a special collaboration called Winter Break Wellness to support parents. There is great information in there for non-parents too. Click on our article below to read. Staying Sane (and Having Some Fun Too!) During a COVID Holiday Break Also, we have a wonderful Winter Break Wellness Guide summarizing our […]

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May 10, 2020
Mother’s Day Reflections on the Importance of BASK-Ultimate Self-Care

Dear BASK friends, Today, I want us to hold space for what Mother’s Day means because it can be complicated. One of the main driving forces for me to create BASK is becoming a mom. In my motherhood journey, I quickly realized how much more I needed to learn and practice how to take care of […]

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April 1, 2020
Get Creative: Your Brain Will Thank You

Hello my BASK friends! One very important part of self-care is getting to express yourself through being creative. Ever since I was a little girl, I have enjoyed making things whether it is through cooking, playing music, dancing, or my favorite, doing arts and crafts. Looking back, my creativity likely has a lot to do […]

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March 26, 2020
Let's Hold Space for Ours and Others' Grief

Dear BASK friends, I am writing to share with you some words that I hope will help you cope during this scary and uncertain time due to the global pandemic of COVID-19.  In my home, we are entering the second week of social distancing and staying to ourselves as a family. As we all know,  […]

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December 6, 2019
BASK Holiday Guide: Self-care and Tips on Finding Peace During the Holidays

Self-care tips to make the holidays more peaceful

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October 30, 2019
How to Make Halloween Candy Eating More Enjoyable and a lot Less Scary

Hi BASK friends! I love Halloween and have ever since I was a child. I actually chose my college, Ohio University, because of their well known Halloween shenanigans. I am just kidding. No, not really. I still dress up because it is so freakin' fun to let your creative flag fly. 😉 As a kid, […]

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October 23, 2019
Is it Housework or Foreplay :) or Both? You Decide.

Every morning when I see that the bed has been made by my husband, who has left for work, I feel so happy and relaxed. Literally, a weight is lifted and I can take a deep breath. I know it seems like a small gesture, but when I see this, I feel seen. I feel […]

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January 28, 2019
Fill your Cup with Sleep

Hello BASK friends! Sleep is the foundation of wellness.  It has numerous health benefits, which include mood regulation, memory consolidation, focus and attention improvement, body restoration, and weight and food regulation. Unfortunately, sleep is not easy for all of us. Most of my clients report difficulty falling asleep at some point or points in their […]

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January 12, 2019
Have you Gotten your Daily Dose of Oxytocin?

Hello BASK friends! I hope you all have had a great week and whether it has been trying or not, I hope that you can take some time to recharge and fill your cup. One way we can fill our cup is through touch and in particular, hugs. It is well known that babies in […]

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January 8, 2019
A New Year: Your Body Positivity and Making Peace with Food Pledge

Dear BASK friends! I hope 2019 is off to a great start for you.Traditionally, many people make fitness and "losing weight" their top priorities and New Year's resolutions. However, these goals often don't come to fruition and some reasons are because the motivation for exercise is often about achieving a certain aesthetic, rather than "feeling […]

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December 23, 2018
Winter Holidays, Traditions, Grieving and Trauma

Hi BASK friends. While this time of year is often characterized as a happy, joyful time, unfortunately, this season can be very painful when we are grieving someone who has passed away, gone through a major upheaval, or when a relationship of any kind has been damaged or has been broken and we have had […]

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December 12, 2018
Mindfulness and How to Get Started

Hello BASK friends! As a mother of two highly spirited (aka strong-willed 🙂 ) children and a psychologist, I have happily learned that there is a better path to peace and emotional healing than what has been traditionally taught in the last 20 years. I like to know why things are recommended instead of just […]

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December 8, 2018
Holiday Traditions Help with Homesickness

Happy Friday, BASK friends! This is a two-part series on winter holiday traditions. Many people do not live near their extended families and when you have good connections with your family, it can be really painful to not be there physically to celebrate. One way to take the sadness out of feeling homesick during the […]

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November 30, 2018
When you Have a "Bad Day": Ways to Recover and Grow

Welcome! I am glad that you are here. Yesterday, I had a bad day. We all have them and this one was right before my birthday. Maybe it is to help my birthday shine.:) If you want to learn how to recover and deal with a no good, very bad, horrible day, please read on. Mine […]

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November 22, 2018
The Dread of Thanksgiving when One has an Eating Disorder: How to Cope and Ways We Can All be Supportive

  Hello BASK friends! While today is a special day that brings many families and individuals in the United States together, for people who struggle with body image problems and eating disorders, it is also a time that is filled with tremendous anxiety and dread. This information is for those who struggle and it is […]

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November 17, 2018
Friends are the Family you Choose: Adult Friendships and the Health Benefits of Them

I am one of four children from a loving supportive family and have lived more than half of my life away from my family of origin. I have led a different path. Two of my siblings stayed in our city and my youngest who has lived on each coast, is back on the East coast. […]

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October 10, 2018
We ALL Need to do Regular Check-ins on our Mental Health.

Hello! Today is World Mental Health Day. It is so important to take care of our own mental health and not take it for granted. As a psychologist, I have the tools, training, and compassion to be able to help others. I have so much respect for my clients who are all so brave and […]

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October 2, 2018
The Zen and Not-so-Zen of Family Vacays

One of my favorite TV moments was when Claire Dunphy from Modern Family was on a trip to Hawaii and her husband urged her to relax. She said, "I'm a mom traveling with her kids. It's not a vacation, it's a business trip." I am here to tell you that we can and for the […]

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September 11, 2018
Ask the Question: Tips and Information on How to Help Someone who is Suicidal

Hello BASK friends! With my experience as a suicide prevention trainer, consultant, and mental health provider, I wrote this article to help you feel more empowered and skilled in helping someone who is suicidal. September is Suicide Prevention Month and today, September 10th, is World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide prevention is everyone's job. Suicide is the 10th leading […]

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July 26, 2018
You are Worth it!: BASK Body Positivity Challenge-Week 4

Hello BASK friends! I hope you all have been having a good week and that you are enjoying the challenges from the earlier weeks. We are in Week 4 of the BASK Body Positivity Challenge. I am late in writing for the week because I am trying to take better care of myself, by getting […]

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July 17, 2018
Dear Body... BASK Body Positivity Challenge Week 3

Hello BASK friends! We are already in week 3 of the Body Positivity challenge. For this week, I would like you to focus on "how" you can "unlock" your self-love by showing how you can love your body. This can sound really hard. Actually, it is easier than you think. I work with amazing, insightful, […]

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July 16, 2018
Hello!

Hi Everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I am excited to introduce myself since there are so many new faces here. This will be my longest post. I promise. I am having a blast starting out in this new realm of social media and have really enjoyed connecting with many enthusiastic, inspiring, talented, and supportive people. […]

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July 10, 2018
BASK Body Positivity Challenge-Week 2

Hello BASK friends, I am so glad that you are here. I want to remind you to sign up for the BASK Body Positivity Challenge, if you haven't already done so. To read more and register, please click here.  It is not too late.  For week 2, we are focusing on body appreciation and what […]

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July 10, 2018
Sending Children to Overnight Camp: Tips for Parents and Kiddos

Summer overnight camp for a first-time camper is a huge decision for parents and their children. Many families experience worry about when and if they should send their child(ren) to overnight camp. Does this sound familiar? It is akin to my father’s advice of how life is full of happy-sad moments. Basically, as parents, we […]

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July 5, 2018
FOOD is FUEL. It is neither good, nor bad.

Just like feelings, food is neither good, nor bad.  It is just fuel.  As a mother, psychologist, and parent of a competitive gymnast, I am well aware of the dangers of instilling unhealthy eating attitudes in others, especially children. When I think back to so many of my clients who have struggled with eating disorders, […]

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July 3, 2018
Kick Body Shaming to the Curb: BASK Body Positivity Challenge

Hello BASK friends. As you may know, I am a clinical psychologist and have the privilege to work with men and women who struggle with body image and other concerns. Body image struggles and eating disorders do not discriminate. Let's be real. Men feel just as much pressure as women to achieve or maintain a […]

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May 30, 2018
"That is Above my Paygrade": Setting Limits and Fostering Personal Responsibility in Children

I come from a family of smart asses. Yep. Some of the best are in my lineage. Thanks, Dad, Mom, Kev, Kris, Katie, Pete, and so many more. You have taught me really well. "Above my Paygrade"is a joke in our house that we say when someone asks us to do something that we really […]

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May 10, 2018
Where do I Begin? : Tips about how to get Professional Mental Health Help

Hi Everyone, You may have heard that May is Mental Health Month. For this month, I am excited to provide a roadmap about how to begin the process of finding professional support when one is suffering from a mental health problem. If you are suffering or are concerned about a loved one or friend and […]

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February 23, 2018
A Little Self-Kindness Goes a Long Way

I am a big believer in the power of positive thought. Not only have I seen it work with my clients, but there is evidence that shows what happens to the brain when one engages in negative thinking versus positive thinking. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (adrenaline), the three main chemical messengers in the body that […]

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February 20, 2018
Brief Reflections on the Year Ahead...a Little Late, which is A-Okay

Hello friends! January is already over and I am really late to the party on making resolutions. Last year, I had a pretty kick a$$ list. My therapist even said so.  🙂 Thank you very much. This year, I am boiling it down to the most essential ingredients. My 2018 is all about intentionality and […]

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August 18, 2017
Thoughts on Charlottesville and White Supremacy Playing on the Main Stage

Several days have gone by and I've been thinking about how to respond to the horror and explicit discrimination, hatred, and violence shown by white supremacists, white nationalists, the alt-right, KKK, NeoNazis, etc. to people of color and protesters against white supremacy this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia and so many other cities and states […]

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February 25, 2017
Hello and Welcome to BASK!

Hi and welcome to Body Appreciation and Self-Kindness (BASK).com. Here at BASK, you will find all kinds of information about ways to celebrate body appreciation and embody self-kindness. Learning how to appreciate one's body and treat one's self with kindness leads to lives that are happier, balanced, and more fulfilling. When we follow this path, […]

Read More
February 25, 2017
Choosing your Battles: the War against Marketing to Children

My husband and I have vowed to teach our children about the value of money from an early age. We have a 3rd grader and a pre-schooler. The one battle that my husband and I find ourselves fighting is the war against marketing to children. Advertisers and marketers bi-pass parents and market directly to children. […]

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February 25, 2017
The Simplest Things Truly Make a Difference.

I am a clinical psychologist with years of education and clinical experience. But, just because I am a clinical psychologist, it does not mean I have it all figured out when it comes to human behavior. Some of my most head scratching, challenging, yet rewarding moments have been as a mother of my two young […]

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April 6, 2016
Special Time with Kids is the Key

  As my husband and I have started to learn more about connecting with our children, we have been getting down to basics thanks to our own family therapy support. It sounds so simple, but since it had not been part of our daily life, we have had to work at it. What is special […]

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March 18, 2016
Coloring for Calmness

Everywhere you look these days, there is a book, a smart phone application, or an article about coloring for stress relief. Coloring books have been for kiddos for as long as I can remember. It all started to change when I had children. Seven years ago, I remember being at a gymnastics meet and seeing […]

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