Like other holidays that have come and gone during COVID-19, Mother’s Day will be a lonely holiday for many this year. Quarantine has most people separated from their Mom, unable to celebrate with family and children the way they usually do. Some have lost their Mom this year, and for

I’m just going to say it, Mother’s Day sucks for some people. As this day approaches each year a familiar feeling creeps over me. It appears at first as irritability and fatigue but eventually reveals itself as my old friend “unresolved grief.” I lost my mom suddenly in 2005, and

This is the first poem I’ve ever published. It came to me one summer day last year while I was writing my children’s book, A Grandfamily for Sullivan. The words flowed out of me effortlessly. I’ve been hesitant to share it, because I am far from a poet, but this

I am a therapist who has to make an effort each day to manage my anxiety and negative emotions. Therapists are not usually open about their mental health in our culture; we are looked to as the expert and someone who has it “all together.” But I became a therapist

In the U.S., we have a unique family constellation on the rise known as “grandfamilies”. A grandfamily is any household led by a grandparent or relative out of necessity instead of choice. Grandfamilies are a by-product of childhood neglect, abuse, the opioid epidemic, incarceration, untreated mental health issues, and parental

As a mother, I thank my lucky stars every day that young children are the least at risk when it comes to the Corona Virus. However, our physical health is not the only form of health that is in jeopardy right now. The emotional health of our families is also

With the headlines about Covid-19 shouting, “it’s the end of the world”, I’m sure you are all feeling *slightly panicked right along with me. This is a scary time for America and the world. There is a lot of uncertainty, and it is entirely reasonable to feel anxious and afraid.

Are you struggling to help a child who has been through hard times? Does the child seem unreachable, unmanageable, or unwilling to talk? Are you at your at the end of your rope with explosive behavior? If so, I have a concept to share with you that might help increase

On a recent walk through my neighborhood, I came across a cut-down tree (above). It was an ordinary tree, but the sight of it grabbed my attention in an unusual way. Perhaps it was the burnt orange color of its exposed, inner flesh contrasted against a bleak northeastern winter backdrop,

We all need help when we are going through a difficult time. It’s best to be preventative instead of reactive when you find yourself unexpectedly raising a family member’s child – which we refer to as a “grandfamily”. If you are a new to kinship care or have just received