The YES AND Practice™

The YES AND Practice™ is the practice of holding two truths at the same time so you can stop dismissing important information and learn to trust yourself.
Most of us were taught to think in either/or.
I’m right or I’m wrong.
I’m strong or I’m weak.
I love this person or I should leave.
Life is rarely that simple.
The YES AND Practice™ teaches us that two things can be true at the same time.
I can love someone AND recognize they are hurting me.
I can feel afraid AND move forward.
Someone can be disappointed with me AND I can still be a good person.
When we stop throwing away important information, we make better decisions.
And when we make better decisions, we learn to trust ourselves.

After more than 30 years as a psychologist, I’ve learned that many people struggle because they dismiss important information.
What they feel.
What they notice.
What they need.
What they know.
For years, I did the same thing.
The YES AND Practice™ became a simple way to stop dismissing parts of my own experience and start taking myself seriously.
Healing begins when you stop dismissing parts of your own experience.
That’s why I’m so passionate about teaching this practice.

Self-trust is the willingness to take your own thoughts, feelings, needs, perceptions, and experiences seriously enough to use them when making decisions.
The YES AND Practice™ helps you do exactly that.
Every time you replace “but” with “and,” you keep more information in awareness.
You stop abandoning parts of yourself.
You stop dismissing important information.
You begin making decisions based on the full picture rather than only the parts that feel comfortable.
Over time, that process strengthens self-trust.

Many women see warning signs long before they emotionally believe the danger.
I call this Dangerous Hope™.
Dangerous Hope™ is the gap between seeing warning signs and emotionally believing what they mean.
The YES AND Practice™ helps women hold all of the information at the same time.
I can love someone AND take warning signs seriously.
I can hope things improve AND recognize what is happening.
I can see the good AND acknowledge the harm.
Holding both truths is often the beginning of freedom.

Notice how often you use the word “but.”
Then try replacing it with “and.”
I’m nervous AND I’m doing it anyway.
I’m disappointed AND I’ll be okay.
I don’t like this AND I can handle it.
Small changes in language can create profound changes in awareness.
And awareness is where self-trust begins.