About Adeline

Adeline Lindstrom is a pseudonym for a licensed professional counselor who has spent twenty-five years working with adults, children, families, and couples as they navigate troubled waters and weather life’s storms. Lindstrom has counseled in private, public and educational settings.

Her book, Finding Simple Again, highlights the importance of treating each day as an adventure in our response to obstacles; for it is because of this hopeful outlook that our anxieties can quell, permitting a new direction toward contentment. Lindstrom’s witty, comfortable, and humorous writing style engages readers from the start. Her insightful narrative intertwines stories of growing up as the daughter of a renown physician’s family, outdoor adventure excursions, skiing, international travel, and a willingness to try new things for perspective, then recalibrate. She successfully depicts why the quest toward individual and family wellbeing are worth each painful step. Because of her unique personal and professional viewpoint, Lindstrom is compelled to address the existing cultural “opportunity gap” for those not privy to the knowledge or know-how of the counseling field. To fill some of this void, she artfully intertwines her “counselor voice” as the narrator; the underlying goal to help readers draw real-life parallels thus connecting to their own circumstances and life path. With this unique angle for a memoir, Lindstrom gives the gift of insight in hopes that others can discover clarity and bolster their own relationships. Finding Simple Again is a memoir with a self and family development focus.

She is a published poet and has logged numerous speaking engagements, including a national conference appearance. Intrigued by genealogy, the author researched her ancestry and became a member of The General Society of Mayflower Descendants and the Daughters of the American Revolutions (DAR). She

Adeline is passionate about adventure traveling, writing, and photography. She also loves to hike, ski, paint, and spend time doing hot Vinyasa yoga. Most of all though, Lindstrom loves spending time with her beloved husband, Sean, and their three children- Rose, Klaus, and Luca-all of whom bring great joy. Adeline can be found hiking throughout western Pennsylvania rain or shine,with her golden retrievers, Jack and Zoey. She plans to add a horse to the equation soon too!

Creative expression through writing, painting, photography, and yoga bring healing after my unexpected trauma and life hits written about in my memoir, Finding Simple Again. Since my fight or flight physiological response switch is still turned on overdrive from traumatic events, my busy mind and body need a chance to normalize. In my pursuit of these hobbies toward wellness, I become lost in another perspective and experience a more relaxed yet hyper-focused physiological process. During this respite, my revved-up thoughts, feelings, and physical jitters- anxiety symptoms that feel like shooting electrical rubber bands, are quieted.

Research supports the use of creative outlets in mitigating mental health symptoms of anxiety, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. A 2010 review by Stucky and Noble: The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature is a helpful outline of research studies. There are more recent systematic reviews of the effectiveness of creative art therapies that point to the need for better executed research to prove efficacy.

Based on my professional and personal experience, I think creative outlets are protective factors for balance and wellness for anyone. After all- there is no immunity to life’s unpredictable stress! By being open to new pursuits, even at the risk of feeling humiliated, can be a surprising growth experience. I started acrylic painting in December of 2016 and made my first portfolio of twenty-two paintings in celebration of my one-year anniversary. Some of my paintings and photographs are shared in the Gallery. What wonderful and addictive outlets my creative pursuits have become- I had no idea I would unearth and tap into so much expression! Being open to trying poetry, yoga, and painting unlocked my fundamental need for an expressive voice and regain a more balanced sense of control in my life. These activities fueled my motivation and momentum to climb out of the dark places of my soul. Feeling ridiculous, stupid, or worrying about what others think at times, becomes an inconsequential price to pay for receiving and experiencing the simple joys of life again.