Earlier this year, COVID took us all by surprise, forcing us to face unimaginable challenges and rearrange our lives. As the holiday season is upon us, we are once again faced with readjusting our traditions and expectations. For many, the holidays used to mean gathering with loved ones, traveling, and socially connecting to spread cheer…
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Pilgrims and native Americans coming together? Mountains of food at the table? Family football or naps on the couch? Or perhaps it’s even black Friday shopping! While all of these things are relatable, we often forget the true purpose behind this…
A few months ago, I noticed that I began to suffer from Zoom-Syndrome (I made up the name, but you know what I mean). Like many of you, I was spending most of my days staring at a glowing screen while missing the warmth of human proximity. I was feeling lethargic and uninspired while constantly…
Is it just me or does it feel like your house is shrinking too? As Covid-19 restrictions continue, I am hearing more and more that husbands and wives, parents, kids, and siblings are feeling stressed and compressed into spaces never meant to accommodate work, school, play, and family life all at once. For many, all…
How often have you noticed your child copying your action, words, or thoughts? Maybe you were driving and heard your child in the back seat repeating, “Come on, people! The light is green! Go, go, go!” Or when you were mowing the lawn and your child got his toy lawnmower and started doing it alongside…
I often encounter parents who are concerned because their child doesn’t talk about their feelings. Whether it’s in response to a separation or divorce, the death of a loved one, bullying at school, or any other number of issues, parents desire to help their children talk through their emotions. But therein lies the problem: Children…
One of my jobs as a therapist is to make sure that whoever walks into my office for the first time feels safe and comfortable. One way I often do this, is through humor. Here is a common exchange I engage in if they are new to therapy: Therapist: So… is this your first…
As I sit with parents before meeting their children for the first time, I often hear the same things over and over: “It’s a constant power struggle. I can’t trust them to do anything on their own, and I’m exhausted from always having to step in.” This repetitive topic doesn’t come up because the parent…
Parenting, itself, is a challenge. But when parents are trying to raise children who are blended from different families, it is an even bigger one. When blending a family, a biological parent may feel disillusion that they found a new partner to share their life with and yet still feel like a single parent! A…
As a classically-trained pianist, I went through many years of music theory instruction. On an introductory level, much time was spent learning notes and beats to perfect the art of reading and playing music. Rhythm is a word I have reflected on quite a bit lately. I believe there are many metaphors in life that…