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Communication Skills

Social Skills
Effective Communication Style: Listening Skills
January 6, 2022

In the previous blog, points were shared about ways we can practice responding in conversation versus reacting to others based on heightened emotions. A precursor to responding in healthy ways to de-escalate emotional settings is cultivating effective listening skills....

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Parents & Parenting
Helping Your Child Regulate Their Emotions
December 13, 2021

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...

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Megan Barfield
Setting Boundaries & Self-Care
October 19, 2021

“Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.” – Prentis Hemphill In a world becoming more focused on mental health, we often hear the terms “boundaries” and “self-care” without much context into what these...

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Teen Issues
How to Support Your Teenager with Anxiety
October 1, 2021

Most of the teenagers I work with experience anxiety in some form. Over my years working with this population, I have found that I often am supporting the parents and family as well. I do not often hear people...

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Social Skills
Effective Communication Style: Learning to Respond versus React
October 1, 2021

One of the best effective communication skills that I have learned in relationship with others is how to practice responding versus reacting. When we begin to understand the difference between responding and reacting, our self-awareness and ability to self-regulate...

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Families
Improving Communication with Your Teen
September 24, 2021

The parent/teenager relationship is one of the most important relationships a teenager will have in the emotionally charged teenage time of their lives; however, oftentimes the opposite occurs, with the teenager pushing the parent away. This can, in turn,...

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Helpful Articles
How to Prepare for Counseling
July 20, 2021

Going to counseling may bring up all different kinds of emotions for you. You may be anxious, excited, nervous, or scared. Whatever you may or may not be feeling… it is completely alright! You are welcome to counseling! In...

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Couples & Relationships
Myths of Marriage
July 20, 2021

The music swells as the couple finds each other on the street. The credits roll with the lovers in one another’s arms, vowing to never be apart again. The camera zooms out and the audience is left to imagine...

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Couples & Relationships
What is Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy?
June 29, 2021

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) focuses on the connection between partners in a relationship. It was developed by Sue Johnson and based on attachment research done by John Bowlby 50 years ago. The premise of what is known as...

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Jordan R. Yates
COVID-19 Reentering Reminders Regarding Relationships
June 23, 2021

As COVID cases go down and vaccination shots go up, so many of us have already experienced the joys of re-experiencing social interactions. But, in the same vein, others have been reminded of the not-so-good side of social engagement...

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Children
Dealing With Acts of Aggression from Your Child
June 10, 2021

One issue I have a lot of my child clients working on is their anger (including tantrums). Some tantrums or outbursts are normal for children under the age of 5, while they are making sense of boundaries and the world around them....

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Mental Health
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Receiving & Giving Validation
April 13, 2021

When we are running our DBT classes, a lot of clients will ask me what to expect with each specific group. One of the groups that we run is called Interpersonal Effectiveness. In this group, we focus on learning...

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Families
Healthy Relationships Between Parents and Teens
April 9, 2021

Healthy Relationships between Parents & Teens require good communication. A healthy relationship is one that is based on respect, honesty, trust, communication, individuality, safety, support, and acceptance. Here are some tips for communication that will help foster a healthy...

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Parents & Parenting
Respectful Parenting – Part 1
March 19, 2021

I am privileged to be the mother of 3 young men ages 24, 22, and 19. The blessing came only after a 4-year struggle with infertility wherein I went through almost every fertility procedure known at the time to...

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Couples & Relationships
How Conflict Can Create Connection
January 20, 2021

Conflict is inevitable in relationships. This has been especially true over the past year as couples have tried to navigate a national pandemic, sheltering at home, working remotely while guiding children through virtual learning, job losses and financial strain,...

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Couples & Relationships
3 Tips to Listen to Your Spouse Better
January 20, 2021

You never listen to me! Have you ever heard that statement from your spouse in the middle of a heated argument? Are the two of you constantly arguing about the same things all the time? Want to know how...

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Couples & Relationships
Qualities in a Healthy Relationship
October 2, 2020

We all have different experiences with relationships throughout our lives. They can range from healthy to unhealthy to even abusive in some cases. Sometimes when our relationship history has more unhealthy and abusive moments rather than healthy, it can...

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Blog
Mom Just Listen to Me!
June 15, 2020

Sometimes we don’t feel like our parents listen to what we’re trying to say. That can be extremely frustrating and often leaves us feeling misunderstood. Here are a few tips to getting your parent to listen to what you’re...

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Blog
Stonewalling
June 3, 2020

We have all been there when arguing with our partner, it typically occurs at the end of the whole fiasco… Blank facial expressions, silent stares, or walking out of the room are all examples of stonewalling. The term stonewalling...

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Mental Health
DBT Explained
March 30, 2020

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy originally developed by Marsha Linehan to treat those who suffer with repeated suicidal thoughts and urges. According to an article by the New York Times, during an...

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