Telling Healthy Relationships from Unhealthy Ones

No relationship is perfect… a relationship is two people, with two different experiences, and two different ways of thinking. A relationship can be with family, friends, or intimate partners. So naturally, there are going to be differences. Our history, previous interactions, and relationships influence how we interact in our current relationships. Just because someone did …

Enjoying the Holidays

“Enjoying the holidays.” As a kid, you probably got super excited about them with thoughts of eating too much candy on Halloween, dozing off into a turkey coma while watching football or a parade, or counting down the days to Christmas. As an adult, you may identify with the common, collective groan surrounding the upcoming …

Why I Love Boundaries

I’m going to nerd out a bit and talk about my favorite topic: boundaries! I know that sounds ridiculous, but I had never heard of boundaries prior to becoming a therapist. I’ve come to love boundaries and, as something that has helped me so much, boundaries happen to be my fave discussion! My Story I …

How to Navigate Bullying with Your Children

Navigating bullying starts as early as pre-school and early elementary school. Kiddos and teens have to consistently deal with bullying not just in-person but through social media. So how do we parents help our children navigate through this dilemma, especially when bullying starts so young? How do we even know bullying is happening when our …

How To Enforce Boundaries

Hi, parents of teenagers! How are you holding up? Seriously… you okay? I know it’s rough. On top of navigating their moodiness, you’re trying to keep them safe and give them more independence. You hope that they’re making good choices. Because you don’t want them to make the same mistakes you did, and you try …

Partnering With Teachers

As a new school year begins and parents and caregivers are beginning to meet teachers, let’s ask, “What does effective partnering with teachers look like?” On my first day as a caregiver to a school-age child, I had no idea how to answer that question. I was a new foster mom and I was pretty …

Boundaries and Your Teen

Hey, parents! Do you sometimes have a hard time telling friends, coworkers, or family members “no”? Or, alternatively, have you been accused of keeping everyone at arm’s length? These are hallmark signs of having poor boundaries. Of course, boundaries are challenging and an expansive topic, but today we are focusing on boundaries with your teen …

The Good Enough Parent

Do you ever feel like a terrible parent? Do you have moments when you lost your patience or “blew up” that you look back on with shame and guilt and think, “I’m totally messing my kid up!”? You are not alone. Parenting is hard and, as fully-human beings, none of us do it perfectly. We …

My Partner Won’t Go with Me to Couples Therapy

What do you do if your partner doesn’t believe in couples therapy or doesn’t think it is needed?  You can’t force someone to go to therapy, but you can see if they are willing to try. Try A Different Approach This problem is super common and there are many factors that can play a role …

Behavior is Communication

As I prepare for our upcoming training “The Handbook You Wish Your Child Came With,” I can’t help but feel the excitement to share with you the lessons I have learned about children over the past nine years as a therapist.  It seems to be an innumerable number of times I have heard parents say: …