26Dec

Inside Out & Lost and Confused

Watching the Disney PIXAR movie Inside Out, I was reminded of my work with children. They experience the world in such different ways than adults. Children have feelings and emotions that they may not understand and cannot put into words. To them, these feelings have a life of their own, as they may take over […]

26Nov

Innocence Lost

Having a teen with a substance abuse problem may be one of the most difficult things that any parents could face while raising a child. They might ask themselves, where did we go wrong? Could we have done anything in our power to prevent our son or daughter from feeling lost and going to the dark side of addiction? As […]

21Jun

Summertime Fun…or Not?!

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ― Henry James The summer is upon us, and we have so much time on our hands… oh, what to do?! Adults/parents may still have to work, but what about the children? Being out of their routine, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

14Sep

Come Play with Me

One of the most important ways for parents to connect with their children is through play.  According to a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “free and unstructured play” is both “healthy” and “essential” for the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children. Play has been found to reduce stress and anxiety in […]

11Jun

Emotion Coaching Parenting

Think back to the last time your child threw a temper tantrum or had a complete emotional meltdown. What were you thinking about? What was your child thinking about? How were both of you feeling? Maybe you were feeling frustrated, confused, angry, or even sad? Your child probably could not eloquently explain to you exactly […]

20Jul

Self-Esteem and Adolescence

The teenage years. For some parents, this time period can evoke feelings of fear, frustration, and despair. Why did he/she say that? Why did he/she do that? What was he/she thinking?! These are some of the many questions one asks oneself when dealing with the seemingly strange and unwise decisions made by our youth. Most […]