Coping with Grief During the Holidays
Stephen Walters , M.Div., M.A.
For some, the holidays are fun and exciting. For others, they can be painful. The holidays may be a reminder of loved ones we have lost, relationships that are hurting, or other struggles in life. This can lead to...
The Tyranny of “Shoulds”
Alice D. Hoag , Ed.D.
Shoulds abound in our lives. We hear them everywhere: from both outside of ourselves (family, friends, culture) and inside our own heads. “I really should do…” Or “I should have done…” or “you shouldn’t.…” “Should” is a tyrant, a...
The Impact of Separation and Divorce on Children
Separation and divorce is rarely easy for anyone involved, but it can be especially difficult for children regardless of age. Relationships end between couples all over the world, however, the United States has been labeled as the “leader” in...
Summer Slump
Alexis Durham , M.S.
We are halfway through summer break. Are you starting to notice that your child has gone from being happy to be out of school and loving life to becoming more of a bored zombie around the house? Structure may...
Why Your Kids Don’t Want to Talk to You
Alexis Durham , M.S.
In this line of work, we often hear frustrations from parents regarding what their kids are and are not doing. A common one is typically something along the lines of, “I can tell something is wrong, but they won’t...
Caring for Elderly Parents
By original design, parents are there to guide their children, to teach them, and to advise them through the various stages of life. Children look to their parents for wisdom to overcome the challenges of life. When parents age,...
12 Tips for Building Better Relationships with Your Children
Set aside time weekly to spend time engaging in an activity that your child enjoys. Praise positive behavior that your child exhibits. Research has shown that positive reinforcement can positively improve a child’s social skills and behaviors. Give compliments...
Preparing Your Child for Their First Therapy Session
You have decided to take your child to therapy. Awesome! However, there is a problem: Your child does not want to go. Some children may not want to go because they believe they do not need therapy. Some may...
Helping Your Child Managing Losing
Imagine this- you’ve planned a family game night and the kids have been looking forward to this all week. Pizza, M&M’s, soda! But only a few minutes in, you already have a kid who has stormed out after their...
Caring for an Elderly Parent – Caregiver Burnout
Janet Fluker , M.Ed., M.S.
For most adult children, being able to care for an elderly parent is a privilege. Knowing that you are giving back to someone who has given so much to you can be rewarding. However, if you have limited time...
How to Support Your LGBTQ+ Child
Having family support for your child identifying in the LGBTQ community can be beneficial to their overall mental health and physical health. Being accepted by your family can decrease mental health symptoms such as isolation, depression, anxiety, substance abuse,...
De-Escalating a Meltdown
On airplanes, we are taught to put on our masks first before helping others in a crisis. The same goes for managing a meltdown with little ones. This may mean stepping away first from the situation (assuming the child...
Strategies for Communicating with Your Teenage Daughter
There comes a time when every mother-daughter relationship has stress – which usually comes around the teenage years. Mothers are always trying to protect their daughters which can lead to confrontation around this age period. As mothers, you naturally...
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month: A Q&A with Summit Therapists
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. According to the National Institute of Justice, teen dating violence includes physical, psychological or sexual abuse; harassment; or stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 in the context of a past...
Can You Mourn Something You Never Had?
By Dr. Mollie Innocent-Cupid, Deputy Executive Director As a child therapist, I work with many children who have been abandoned by one or both of their biological parents. Some of these kids are unaffected by their abandonment and have...
What is Play Therapy, Exactly?
Allison Bates , M.S.
The subgenre of play therapy is one that has many sceptics due to the subjective nature of play. Many people (including therapists of other subgroups) struggle with feel like ‘playing’ is a valid and beneficial form of therapy; however,...
Helping Your Child Regulate Their Emotions
Aleisha Parker , M.Ed.
Children and adolescents learn so much about how to navigate obstacles simply by watching their parents. They are like little sponges that soak up a lot of what they observe from their own homes and people in their lives...
The Best Tip for Holiday Family Bonding
Christmas: it’s the most wonderful time of the year! But for so many of us, especially those of us with children, it can seem more stressful than wonderful. Just think, there’s buying, wrapping, cooking, getting dressed, traveling, socializing, and making sure everyone is on the same page and...
Keeping Routines Through the Holidays
Kate Smith , M.A.
Last school year, kids were constantly wondering if they would be in the school building or learning virtually. Teachers and parents spent the beginning of this school year fielding the questions of what will this year look like? With...