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…
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to do or what to say when someone you care about is mourning a loss. The Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15), but we often don’t know exactly how to do just that. I hear a lot of shared experiences from clients…
We often hear the words “guilt” and “shame” used synonymously. But when we look at the underlying meanings, there are some important differences to notice. Guilt is defined as a feeling that often follows when we have done something against our moral conviction, usually in the form of “I did something bad.” It often serves…
I’m sure we all remember being kids once, desperately plucking petals off a daisy and wondering if that special someone loves you or loves you not, daydreaming if you are enough to deserve their attention. Now as adults, have you ever wondered why we as a society struggle to “be enough” or “have enough” for…
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…
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,…
With everyone’s favorite turkey-eating and cornucopia-decorating holiday just around the corner, I thought it the best time to share a thought about thankfulness versus gratitude. Although the two ideas are often synonymous, there’s an important distinction between the two. Thankfulness is traditionally defined as an expression of appreciation for things received. Being thankful often involves…
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…
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…