Relationships where one can experience the freedom to explore and discover oneself through hope, love and acceptance provide security and space to grow. However, relationships where abuse is present can confuse the very core of one’s understanding and expectations of what makes a relationship healthy, and of who one is as well.
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” — T.S. Eliot I sit here thinking about how the holidays are soon coming to an end, and the New Year is around the corner. With a new year comes a better me… or so I like to think […]
“Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.” -Sarah Bernhardt I have this beautiful handwritten letter from my Great Aunt Bea, written several Christmases ago, probably as an insert in some long lost holiday card. The paper is old and worn from many readings, so now I keep it framed behind glass. It’s […]
Tomorrow morning if you wake up And the future is unclear I… I will be here -Steven Curtis Chapman, I Will Be Here The holiday season can be a time of connection where friends and family get together for parties, dinners and other gatherings. Everywhere one goes there are reminders of the season…
“I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland In Alice in Wonderland the caterpillar asks Alice a very important question. As whirling smoke billows from his pipe he says, “Who are you?” Alice says she does not know. Since entering Wonderland she has changed so much, and […]
When I was in high school, one of my friends (let’s call her Laura) dated a guy who often abused her both physically and emotionally. She was tragically affected by domestic violence, but at the time I had no idea. All I knew was that her boyfriend (let’s call him Rob) did not seem very […]
Whether you watch football or just follow the news, you may by now have heard that the NFL has put new policy in place to crack down on players who commit acts of domestic violence. This policy comes on the heels of a domestic violence case involving Ravens running back Ray Rice. Rice has been […]
Members of the LGBT community are faced with a variety of challenges that can lead them to seek counseling. Although, as a nation, our acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has steadily grown (especially within the last ten years); discrimination, marginalization and even oppression persist. Additionally, coming out to family, friends, and at […]
We all overeat from time to time. This can include indulging in a decadent dessert when you’re already full, or taking that extra helping at a family gathering. For binge eaters, however, this is a regular event that generally happens in secret and is accompanied with a feeling of disgust and a complete loss of […]
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 […]
