Communication

How to Listen to Teens
August 25, 2025

Teenagers often feel misunderstood by their parents, and parents feel like communicating with teenagers can be a mystery. When parents punish their teens, they may feel like it is the only consequence that makes sense. Based on the book,...

Wanting and Willing: Why Both Matter in Healthy Relationships
August 13, 2025

In every long-term relationship, there’s a subtle but important difference between wanting to do something for your partner and being willing to do it. Both play a crucial role in building trust, connection, and resilience over time. Wanting To...

Tips for Defiant Behavior
August 4, 2025

If your child is struggling with defiant, aggressive, impulsive, irritable behaviors and can be especially difficult with obeying rules and respecting authority these may be signs of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms. Raising kids can be challenging but it...

Hormones of Love and the “Three-Year Itch”
June 3, 2025

Research shows that people get a surge of pleasant hormones early in a new romantic relationship: dopamine (the reward hormone of excitement and pleasure), oxytocin (the trust and attachment hormone), and norepinephrine (similar to dopamine and increases the sense...

Catching Your Child Green-Handed
June 3, 2025

The Parent Trap “Once again, you didn’t do your chores like you were told!” “Hitting your brother when you are mad is not okay.” “What have I said about your dirty dishes? It is your responsibility to rinse and...

Multiculturalism in Counseling: Understanding and Supporting Latino Communities
November 18, 2024

Hola! Let’s Talk About Counseling and Culture Therapy can feel a little intimidating, right? Especially if you come from a culture where talking about feelings isn’t exactly a family tradition. But here’s the truth: everyone deserves to feel heard...

4 Practical (and Fun) Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship This Holiday Season
November 18, 2024

The holidays bring all the joyful chaos: crowded schedules, too much food, and family members giving unsolicited advice. With all this added pressure, it’s easy to feel like you and your partner are more “survival teammates” than “seasoned soulmates.”...

What Your “Bad” Emotions Can Do for You!
October 11, 2024

“It’s not a big deal, calm down!” “Don’t cry, it’s okay!” “Don’t get angry at me!” “You should be happy!” Sound familiar? Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably said something like this to a friend or family...

Size of the Problem: Helping Children Match Their Feelings and Reactions to a Problem
October 1, 2024

Size of the Problem (SotP) is a tool used to help individuals think critically about how their feelings and responses to a perceived problem impact themselves and the people around them. Simply put, it helps people understand how big...

How to Talk to Your Child About School Shootings
September 26, 2024

It grieves me to be writing this blog regarding a topic that so deeply affects our students, parents, school staff, and community today. The anxiety and confusion surrounding school shootings is prevalent for us all. This is made more...

Are You Being Selfish or Is This Good Self-stewardship?
September 26, 2024

“You’re so selfish; all you think about is yourself and what you want! You never think about me and what I might want!” “You’re so inconsiderate. Do you have any idea how that affected me?” “You’re so caught up...

Helping Your Student with Back to School Feelings
August 13, 2024

With summer quickly coming to an end, children and teens in your home may be experiencing familiar and competing feelings like excitement, dread, anticipation, and anxiety. Often, these feelings may not be expressly spoken, but there are clues your...

Trust and Commitment: The Cornerstones of a Satisfying Long-Term Relationship
July 9, 2024

In any long-term romantic relationship, trust and commitment are vital elements that contribute significantly to its success and satisfaction. These components create a stable and supportive environment where love can flourish. So, what makes these qualities so essential and...

Transform Your Relationship with the Gentle Start-Up
July 9, 2024

In any relationship, especially in a marriage, how we start a conversation can significantly impact its outcome. The Gentle Start-Up is a communication tool designed to help couples address issues without escalating conflict. Rooted in the research of Dr....

How to Support Emotional Regulation in Your Teens
July 9, 2024

What is emotional regulation you might ask? Emotional regulation is the “ability to exert control over one’s own emotional state.” It is quite common for teens to struggle with emotional dysregulation due to the flood of hormones rushing through...

Sober Curious Summer
July 2, 2024

Summer is officially upon us. The temperature is rising, kids are out of school, and we are spending more time outdoors. Whether it’s poolside snacks, barbeques, or picnics, people love any excuse to get together with friends for food...

The Importance of Community
July 2, 2024

One of the first things I ask a new client when we meet is “tell me about your support system”. Understanding how connected someone is to a community of support gives me a lot of information about their mental...

How to Build your Child’s Self-Esteem
May 21, 2024

A child’s self-esteem begins with a positive self-identity, which is critical for building a foundation for confidence, happiness, and emotional well-being. When children have a positive self-identity, they can navigate through life with a sense of purpose and feel...

Unlocking Discipline: The 5 Critical Components
May 21, 2024

Discipline is often misconstrued as a form of punishment and what comes to mind most is spanking. However, the essence of discipline is teaching and guiding. At its core discipline means providing structure, consistency, and setting limits. Schedules and...

What is Social Media Telling Me?
April 22, 2024

Keeping up with our teens and their social media use can be a challenge. There are so many platforms and apps that can be explored. It can be difficult to keep up with them all. One thing we can...