When I was around 9 or 10 old, my Dad took me and my older brother, Danny, to the Cabarrus Creamery. Although connected to a large ice cream factory, it was a simple store front that served excellent frozen treats directly to the public. I vividly remember the details of my banana milkshake that day. …
The past few months, I have been on a big “minimalism” kick. If you haven’t heard this term before, it refers to the concept of only owning what you need, use, and love – and letting go of the rest. The more stuff we hold on to, the more stuff we are responsible to clean,…
The new year is upon us, and it is no longer “The Year 2020.” However, as we are still in the midst of a pandemic, we may find ourselves asking, “How much change can a new year really bring?” It is a common tradition to make New Year’s resolutions to work toward the goal of…
What is distance counseling? Distance counseling, or teletherapy, is counseling that takes place via phone or video conference because the counselor and the client are in separate locations. Clients and counselors may not be able to meet face to face for various reasons: the client is traveling for work or is on vacation the client…
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, one criteria for PTSD is “having a near death experience.” As a therapist, I’m not the judge of what is truly diagnosable as “trauma.” I personally believe the true judge of something being traumatic is how our bodies respond to it. Our bodies communicate many messages…
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…
What if you could gift your child more than just a physical toy for Christmas this year? What if you could inspire them, build confidence, and encourage growth with the simple joy of a toy? The truth is, the kinds of toys we choose for our children can either inspire or stunt imagination, learning, confidence,…
Every autumn my friends and I return to familiar conversations as one-by-one we become empty nesters. We often lament the loss of our roles as parents and the day-to-day interactions we had with our children. We wonder in what new ways we should invest the time and energy we now have at our disposal. But…
We all get off course sometimes. We face hardship and challenges that derail our plans and cause us to question what we’re doing and where we’re headed. We make poor choices that take us down dark alleys that seem to have no way out. Sometimes we’re left spinning out of control, and sometimes we’re stopped…
My Junior year of college I was not only a student, but also a teaching assistant and residential advisor. As finals were approaching, I was overwhelmed with the demands on my time – especially with homesick freshmen girls knocking on my door at all hours. I was trying to figure out how I could find…