25Nov

Speaking Different Languages

A good friend recently asked me why her daughter was “acting out (being short, non-compliant, angry).” She explained, “I’ve done everything to make her happy. I buy her whatever she wants. No matter what I do for her she is still defiant, and seems unhappy. I’ve tried sitting her down and asking what’s going on, […]

21Nov

The Death of Should

“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” ― Rabindranath Tagore If there’s one thing I know for sure “should” shouldn’t exist. It is a word and a concept that causes so much frustration, grief, anxiety, envy, depression, resentment and rage that I’d like to see […]

21Nov

The Death of Should

“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” ― Rabindranath Tagore If there’s one thing I know for sure “should” shouldn’t exist. It is a word and a concept that causes so much frustration, grief, anxiety, envy, depression, resentment and rage that I’d like to see […]

21Nov

The Death of Should

“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” ― Rabindranath Tagore If there’s one thing I know for sure “should” shouldn’t exist. It is a word and a concept that causes so much frustration, grief, anxiety, envy, depression, resentment and rage that I’d like to see […]

21Nov

The Death of Should

“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” ― Rabindranath Tagore If there’s one thing I know for sure “should” shouldn’t exist. It is a word and a concept that causes so much frustration, grief, anxiety, envy, depression, resentment and rage that I’d like to see […]

11Nov

Children and Emotional Distress

One of the most challenging experiences for a parent is learning how to help a child in emotional distress.  A parent can feel overwhelmed and inadequate, when faced with the acute emotional distress of their child; especially when they try to respond by attempting to calm the child down or with problem solving…and it doesn’t work. Panic can […]

06Nov

Care for the Caregiver — The Personal Side

For the personal piece on caregiving, I wanted to share some advice from a dear friend. My friend of many years—let’s call her Lily—is caregiver to a young son who is currently struggling with two different types of mental illness.

01Nov

Care for the Caregiver — The Practical Side

Do you live with someone struggling with a mental illness? Are you a caregiver for an aging parent or seriously ill spouse? Do you have an active relationship with a close friend battling depression? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are caring for someone with special needs and are a “caregiver,” […]

26Oct

Thinking Makes It So

As a therapist I am constantly seeking to help my clients envision a multitude of possibilities when processing troubling life events. As humans we often tend to explain situations in rigid terms of right and wrong, good or bad, or black and white. When something happens to us, we immediately begin to create a story […]

19Oct

Finding a Forever Home

Adoption can be a wonderful gift to all those involved. However, creating a new forever home for a child, may also come with some unexpected stressors. Many people do not consider the negative aspects of adoptions when they are hoping to grow their family. There are 7 core issues of adoptions that all families should […]