Give the Gift of Love
While there are many parenting books, there is not one way to parent a child. Children are unique, and therefore, need to be parented in different ways. What works for you may not work for your sister or your neighbor.
Resilience Songs- A Playlist to Remind You of Your Strength
Music can help set the tone for our life. How many times have you heard a song and been transported back to high school, or that one road trip, or been reminded of a special person in your life? As a parent what tone do you want to set for your kids, or yourself?
How to Find the ‘Right’ Therapist
The word right is in quotation marks for a reason, right is subjective and will depend on the individual, therapist, and situation. That being said, having a good rapport, relationship, safety, and connection with your therapist is one of the most important aspects of a positive and effective therapeutic experience.
Stopping Negative Thought Patterns
As individuals, we often get stuck in negative thinking patterns. When we are in this head space, it is often accompanied by feelings of self-criticism, doubt, insecurities, self-blame, guilt, or worthlessness.
Am I a Monster: Hidden Fears and Harm OCD
Thoughts about OCD usually are accompanied by stereotypical images of someone scrubbing their hands or straightening a crooked picture frame. The truth this, OCD exists in many dimensions. Contamination and symmetry are two of the better-known dimensions where people with OCD may struggle. However, they are not the only two areas that exist. Two other dimensions where OCD can reside include harm and unacceptable thoughts. Although these areas may be lesser known, they are also very common.
The What and Why of Couples Therapy
Couples therapy is a form of therapy that helps couples improve their relationship and work through challenges they may face. It's important to note that the goal of couples therapy is not to keep a couple married or encourage them to get divorced. Instead, it's about providing a safe space for couples to heal wounds, gain insight, and work on their relationship.
Why is Faith Transition so Hard?
Faith transition is a complex process. Sometimes clients attempt to minimize their experience or feel they are not managing the transition well. The reality is this process is very difficult and can be overwhelming and disorienting.
Ketamine for Depression
Ketamine is a medication traditionally used as an anesthetic but has recently gained recognition for its potential as a treatment for depression. Studies have shown that ketamine can have rapid and significant effects on depression symptoms, even in patients who have not responded to other treatments.
Worry Monster Part 2: Trust your Child will Survive Being Scared
After reading Worry Monster Part 1 you better understand that your child has an extra sensitive alarm system that is triggering fight or flight unnecessarily. Now that you understand the underlying mechanisms, it is time to jump into what we can do that will actually help address this underlying system that is wreaking havoc.
What Do I Do If I Just Don't Like Sex?
“I think I’m broken.”
“I hate the thought of being touched anymore. I could live the rest of my life without having sex again. Does this mean I am asexual?”
“Sex is the last thing I want to do. All my partner and I do is fight about it.”
These are just a few of the statements I have heard over the years, working with women as a Certified Sex Therapist and relationship counselor.
Play Therapy for Adults: How Play Therapy Can Help Your Healing Journey
When people hear that I use play therapy with my clients, frequently I am asked if I ever use play therapy with adults. And the answer is yes! The questions that follow are, “Really? What is that like? And why is that helpful?” Play therapy is an approach that uses play to access emotions and beliefs in order to facilitate change and healing. Though it may look different at each life stage, play is essential for all ages. And play therapy may look different for each life stage as well.
Creation and Telos
Creation stories have always been a bit of an obsession for humanity. The ancient Greeks told of the original Chaos from which emerged Gaia (the Earth) who birth Uranus (the Sky). The Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) teach that God created the Earth over six days, beginning with the separation of the heavens and the earth. The tradition of Jukurrpa or “The Dreaming” of the aboriginal people of Australia describes ancestral beings (human and animal) who wandered the deserts, bringing form to the land and establishing culture. We also tell stories of our own lives and where we come from.
10 Steps for Defeating Procrastination
I am a great procrastinator. I like to over-analyze whether I am actually procrastinating in different situations or whether I am being productive (this is a great procrastination behavior, by the way). Sometimes I like to think that my excuse for procrastination is that I have too many other things to do… I cannot know for sure whether this is true. Notice, when I over-analyze my procrastination, I am not actually taking steps toward doing the things that I need to get done. It is really easy to be tempted to then analyze why I know I am not doing things that need to get done…which leads me to further procrastination. Since I have experienced procrastination myself, I totally can understand if/when you choose to procrastinate AND I have specific steps you can take that WORK to resolve procrastination.
“Have You No Shame?”
Shame is a common motif in the world of psychotherapy. It is one of the most pervasive and malignant psychobiological processes that I see walk through my door as a therapist, and yet, it can be one of the most challenging and painful strategies to let go of even when we know letting go of the way we shame ourselves leads to self-love, compassion, peace, ease, etc.
Our Rating and Review World
Customer feedback isn't a new phenomenon. Years ago, businesses would ask customers to leave feedback about their products or services. Today, the Internet has taken customer feedback to a whole new level. Public ratings and reviews have become part of the consumer's new normal. It seems ubiquitous for shoppers to "look up a rating" and "read the reviews" about a product or service before making a purchase decision. This circumstance comes with some challenges for mental health providers.
Books for Bonding with your Child
Parents looking to help their children become emotionally self-sufficient should start integrating weekly hangout time with their children. If starting this new routine feels uncomfortable, beginning the first few hangouts with expressive art books together is easy.
Finding Connection with Your Teens
When our cute little kids turn into teenagers a lot of changes take place developmentally. There is a strange new odor in the air, moods may swing (sometimes amazingly quick!) and one of the harder relational aspects of change is it is common for teens to stop seeking or accepting physical affection and they often stop talking to their parents. While they communicate plenty with their friends, unfortunately, they may not do the same to their parents. This can be a painful and sometimes abrupt change for a parent to make sense of and it is normal to experience hurt feelings. Who knew our kids could hurt our feelings so much?!
10 Suggestions That May Be Helpful To Offer Support To Grieving Friends Or Family.
Grief and loss are the one thing that as humans we can not prepare for. Even harder is hearing about or being faced with a moment of grief. At times we all have faced this. Take for instance, you are in the grocery store and run into an old friend who tells you that their spouse was just diagnosed with cancer and may not live out the year. We are often unprepared for our own grief let alone a surprise attack. This is why we sometimes will fumble over our words, say something that does not make sense, or worse off just say "sorry" without out any context. Embedding of trauma arises not only from the nature of the event, but also from who is there with us before, during, and after the event happens.
Living in the Grey
You are right, they are wrong. They are right, you are wrong. What if I told you both can be right?
Derived from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), dialectical thinking helps us view issues from multiple perspectives and assign validity to both sides. All or nothing has become a prevalent thought in society, leaving many people feeling there is no room for in-between thoughts. You’re all in or you’re all out, it’s either this or that. But is it really?