Any experience that is less than nurturing and causes you to change your perception of yourself, others and the world can be defined as trauma. The truth is we all have experiences in life that affect us negatively and cause us to suffer. The second truth is we are often … Read More
How to Negotiate Where to Spend the Holidays as a Newly Married Couple
Wondering where to spend the holidays as a newly married couple? As the song goes, “Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go.” The question this year is, “To which Grandmother’s house to go?” One discussion I encourage pre-marriage and newly married couples to have, especially this … Read More
Self-care is Not Selfish!
Self-care is not selfish or self-indulgent. We cannot nurture others from a dry well. We need to take care of our own needs first, then we can give from our surplus, our abundance. ~ Jennifer Louden I’ve found myself having the conversation about self-care with several clients lately. Many of … Read More
Conflict Tools You Can Use
While perusing Pinterest and looking for posts regarding conflict, I came across the following quote: 10% of conflict is due to difference of opinion and 90% is due to tone of voice and delivery. I was curious about the origin. While I was not able to find consensus as to … Read More
The College Experience – Conflict Resolution
Experience is a great teacher. We learn though successes, we learn through mistakes, and we even learn from the internet. This summer, we are helping our students learn before their college experience. We have pulled together our experience in working with some of the brightest students, experience from working on … Read More
Is Your Teen at Risk for Attempting Suicide
It’s the thought no parent wants to even consider, “Is my child at risk for attempting suicide?” The suicide rate for teenagers has quadrupled since the 60’s. Each day in our country, over 5000 attempts are made by young people in grades 7 – 12. Of those who attempted, research shows 4 out of 5 gave clear warning signs they were in distress. So, while it is an unbearable thought, the more you know, the better you will be able to intervene if your child is at risk.
How to talk to your teen about suicide
One national study found that almost 20% of high school students admitted to thinking about suicide. If your teen isn’t thinking about it, chances are they have a friend or classmate that is. You may be afraid if you talk about suicide, you’ll make the thoughts more real and the suicide more likely to happen. The truth is talking about suicide doesn’t increase the risk, but offers your teen a safe place to explore feelings, ask questions, and get help.
Improve your Relationships by Increasing Positive Interactions
Do you keep score in your relationships of all the times your loved one has disappointed you? This can create a negative atmosphere that is difficult to overcome. I often tell my clients, “Whatever you are looking for you will find.” What I mean is, if you expect someone to disappoint you, you will only focus on what he/she is doing wrong, to prove you are right. I know we do this to protect ourselves from getting our hopes up and being let down. The problem with this behavior is we miss-out on the good things our loved one is doing.
Conflict: should the goal be resolution?
Have you ever felt like you and your partner are having the same argument over and over and it never gets resolved? Do you ever think, couldn’t I just phone this one in? Are you worn out from the battles? Perhaps it’s time for a new approach to conflict.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
For some, the changing of the leaves and cooler temperature spark joy, for others it means shorter days, less sunlight and the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Unlike holiday blues, which many people experience during this time of year due to added stress of the season, SAD is a recurrent clinical depression linked to person’s predisposed biology. The exact cause has not been determined, but many studies suggest a correlation with reduced sunlight exposure. This is found to interfere with the body’s biological clock, which regulates mood, sleep, and hormones. Recent research, is also associating low vitamin D levels as a factor in those diagnosed.
