Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, authors of Safe People, address relational trust from three perspectives: unsafe people, attracting unsafe people, and safe people.
Common Challenges of Stepfamilies
In her book, “Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t,” Patricia Papernow, EdD, discusses the five common challenges that a stepfamily can face and offers some straightforward guidance to help address them.
Kids and Anxiety: How Parents Can Help
While it may be difficult for an adult to understand the fears of young children, those anxieties can seem very real and scary particularly to a child between the ages of three and six. As a parent, the best approach you can take in helping to soothe your child’s fears is to first model calmness and reassurance.
Cultivating Connection in Your Family
Take time to explore which family bonding activity works best for your family and notice how making space for family time can impact your feelings of connectedness.
Early Family Interactions and Your Listening Skills
We often intrinsically know whether we feel listened to and understood, ignored, dismissed, or misunderstood by another person. But how often do we intentionally think about our capacity to listen in relationships – whether that’s work, family, romantic, social, or spiritual – and how often do we reflect on the connection between our early family experiences and how they taught us to listen (or not)? Here are a few questions to help you explore how you have learned to listen (and what you expect from other listeners).
One Hour to Becoming a Better Spouse and Parent
We all know the importance of good habits. As we head back in to the school year, it’s not uncommon for parents to begin helping their children by establishing schedules that include things like regular homework time or a routine bedtime. However, the start of the school year can be a great time for parents to re-examine their own schedules and routines as well. One area that can be particularly helpful for many couples is to establish some routines or habits around spending time together.
Building a Better Brain
Therapy is a critical element in experiencing change. But we also believe that what our clients do with their time outside of therapy will either assist with or distract from their goals. In fact, studies are showing us that certain things we do and specific changes we make can literally change the “wiring” and composition of the brain.
Coping Skills vs Defense Mechanisms
Defense mechanisms are unconscious responses to overwhelming stress in our lives. Although they serve an important purpose, if left unchecked, protective instincts from defense mechanisms can inhibit the development of healthier coping skills. We are going to dive into two common defense mechanisms: denial and regression. Denial One of our … Read More
Forgiveness and Your Mental Health
The bottom line is that when people forgive, their thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and health become more positive. Deciding to forgive is a good first step. But, deeper forgiveness will have a greater positive impact on your mental and physical health.
Know Your Empathy Limits
A healthy form of empathy involves striking an emotional and intellectual balance between self and another person. One has the ability to pay attention to another’s needs without sacrificing one’s own.
