Self-Differentiation: Where Do I End and They Begin?

Where do I end and they begin? A major milestone in every independent adult’s life is establishing self-differentiation. What is differentiation of self, you ask? Well, it’s the beginning of adulthood. Self-differentiation describes a few processes but begins with a separation from a person’s family of origin (we, in the industry call this the FOO) …

Parenting Your Teen Through Mental Health Struggles

Raising my four girls has been the hardest, yet most rewarding job. Although I do not view it as a job, but my biggest priority. Somehow (and without a guidebook) parents must take these tiny human beings and mold them into productive members of society. Gulp, that’s a big responsibility to swallow. We also need …

How Our Bodies Store Trauma

We now have more scientific evidence than ever showing the relationship between the mind and body. Most of us understand how diet can influence mental health (example: giving a child a sugary snack before bedtime). However, we also need to understand the very real physical effects of psychological stress and trauma on the body, particularly with trauma …

Healing Trauma- Part 2

If you recall, in my last blog I talked through the definition of trauma and how trauma can get stored in the body.  Trauma leaves an impact long after it’s over.  Chronically freezing, trying to escape, fighting, or collapsing.  But why? Why do our bodies get caught like this? How We Get Stuck Well, there …

Keep an Open Mind and Try Again- A Teen’s Experience with Therapy

I started therapy about a year and a half ago, when I was 16. When I came into therapy, I was very nervous and I didn’t know what to expect. I had discussed going to therapy several times with my parents. I had anxiety. I definitively decided to at the beginning of my junior year, …

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 …

Every First Responder Deserves Solace

“The experience I have had is that once you start talking about [experiencing a mental health struggle], you realize that actually you’re part of quite a big club.” — Prince Harry             I’m currently a 23-year veteran of a law enforcement agency.  My career started as a patrol deputy for approximately 5 years.  As a …

The Mask We Wear

Have you ever thought about the masks we wear to gain acceptance or use to hide because of the constant thought of how you might look to others in the workplace, grocery store, or school?  With Halloween around the corner, I thought this the perfect time to talk about the mask that we all wear …

Dear Evan Hansen: Asking For Help

“Dear Evan Hansen” premiered Friday, the movie version of one of Broadway’s biggest hits in recent memory. This movie has a powerful and fundamental honesty that resonates with teens (and really anyone) suffering from things like anxiety and depression. Personally, I related to this movie on many levels. As a teen, I definitely experienced my …