Psych Central published my latest article on trauma and it’s one you don’t want to miss! Through my work with children coping with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) the historical trajectory became very clear to me. Often childhood trauma doesn’t start with the child who was traumatized, but it starts with the

I know, I know – I can’t stand the “just think positive” messaging we receive day in and day out either. Based on my experience as a therapist and a regular human, it just doesn’t work. If we are not feeling good, denying our reality can make things worse, and

Is your relationship with a child filled with frustration and explosive emotions? Do you want to find a healthier way to connect, but nothing seems to work? It could be because the child’s behavior is the symptom, not the problem! If we want to solve the problems we must first

All parents are flawed. We all fall short of being the parents our child needs and wants us to be. Our parents weren’t perfect either. As a result, many of us carry around childhood wounds that weigh us down and hold us back from our full potential. Thankfully, there is

Have you ever lost a loved one who was still a part of your life in some way? Did it leave you feeling confused or frozen about how to continue with life? If you have, you might find it comforting to know there is language to describe this experience. It’s

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