Viewers of the Survivor's Guide to Life on YouTube won't be surprised to hear that Peter is a gym rat. Jenny doesn't miss a workout, either. Dedication to exercise and fitness is an essential part of our self-care. The familiar phrase, "No pain, no gain" carries a kernel of truth [...]
Join Peter and Jenny for a video conversation with Thamahr Alexis-Woon. Thamahr is an Army veteran who has practiced her 20-year nursing profession in pediatrics, corrections, and now hospice care with Vitas Healthcare in Tamarac, Florida. Among her many patients, Thamahr provides loving care to Pauline Bernstein, Peter's 95-year-old mother. [...]
With the COVID crisis, jobs are disappearing and established businesses are going under. Could it possibly be the right move to start a new business during economic hard times? Peter and Jenny propose just that. Reinventing yourself as an entrepreneur and following a dream, while carrying risks, can also bring [...]
In hard times, you can be forced to examine your life focus and priorities. If you've tended to define success and self-worth by the amount of your wealth and material possessions, you can find that these resources aren't enough to personally sustain you through a crisis. Other resources are needed, as well as [...]
In early fall of 2009, the swine flu added another hardship for Americans struggling through the Great Recession. Recommendations by health authorities at that time were much the same as today - frequent handwashing and limited contact with anyone who might be carrying the virus. Peter and Jenny revisit a [...]
The "blessing of urgency" is a way of looking at our challenging situation as an opportunity for change, to be creative and try new things, to find new ways to overcome the difficulties we are facing. In the midst of a long-running crisis, an extended vacation may not be possible. Setting [...]
Crises urgently call for responses based on strength, skill and clear thinking. Even in the worst of times, correctly handling ourselves and our emotions can bring about good changes. In the first segment of this podcast, Peter and Jenny describe the nature of crisis, what it can feel like, and the [...]
Is it always best to try to avoid pain and trauma, or can the experience of suffering be of lasting value? Philosophers, sociologists, soldiers, holocaust victims, and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances have debated this question. Two trains of thought exist: extreme suffering wounds the mind and soul beyond the [...]
It can be too easy to get stuck in a negative mindset during hard times. We are limited and human, unable to control all that we'd like to, and our negative emotions and reactions can be triggered and take over. It's important to start by developing an awareness of when [...]
How can we keep a clear head in a crisis, so that we can respond effectively? "Trusting your intuition" doesn't always steer us in the right direction. Overwhelming emotions in the present and unresolved troubling emotions from the past can interfere with our ability to read current situations and take positive [...]
Peter M. Bernstein, PhD is a coach, mentor, educator and trainer with over 47 years of experience providing strategies for enhanced performance and relief from trauma. An Army infantry veteran who served stateside during the Vietnam War era, he feels a deep commitment to meeting the needs of veterans and their loved ones and caregivers. Peter’s approach utilizes a combination of coaching, mentoring and bodywork to offer hope and healing through transformative resilience.