Many teens are struggling with high levels of anxiety without anyone knowing. You might wonder how this is possible. Teens are experts in hiding their true thoughts and feelings. Additionally, anxiety can be difficult to notice as there is no "one shoe fits all" definition. Anxiety does not discriminate. However, ...

I totally empathize. You noticed a while ago that your kid has been really struggling with some things, so you decided to start therapy for them. You met with the therapist, brought in your kid, dropped them off a few times. You started out feeling hopeful and excited for your ...

I love Jesus. And I also struggle. I am no stranger to fear and worry and anxiety. For years I was told things like “just trust God more” and “worry is a sin” and “you should pray more”.  And yet despite a love for the Lord that resonates to the ...

Conflict is inevitable.  As long as we have relationships, we will experience conflict.  Research even shows that conflict can be a vital part of strengthening relationships, as we work to rebuild the connection together relationships can go on to be stronger than they were initially.   For many of us, ...

For most of us, it has been more than six weeks of practicing social distancing.  Six weeks of learning a new normal, of experiencing the missed events and connections, and of coping with drastic, unexpected changes in our lives.   As we have learned to navigate our current reality as ...

In simple terms, mindfulness is being focused on the present moment and yes, kids can learn how to implement mindfulness into their daily lives.  Mindfulness is a learned skill that can be taught.  Parents can educate children on what mindfulness is and what it looks like by speaking about it ...

Years ago I heard an analogy that has stuck with me.  We are all buckets, containers in which water can be put into.  As we move through life, our buckets get little holes and the water begins to seep out.  This is normal as we experience the stressors of school, ...

Imagine taking a stroll down a beautiful green forest with wonderfully scented flowers, creatures of different types making their calls to each other, a calm stream of water to your right and on your left is a blank wooden sign pointing to nowhere. You see the path, but it is ...

I never realized how heavily I relied on “structure” until now.  I knew I liked it, I knew it was a part of our routine, but it has been over this past week that I have realized that structure not only regulated the things that I did during the day, ...

The COVID-19 outbreak has utterly changed day-to-day life as we know it. A simple trip to the grocery store is no longer an act to take for granted. Among these novel changes is the unequivocal loss of normalcy that many Americans feel. As schools and workplaces across the country shut ...