School is back in session for districts across the country. The start of the academic school year sets a number of actions in motion for parents: clothes and school supply shopping, new routines, preparation for fall extracurricular activities, and readjusting bed times. There are several aspects involved in transitions from lazy summer days to busy […]

While growing up, my mother created poignant teachable moments using proverbs. One of my favorite sayings referred to an outlook on life. She often said, “the only constant in life is change”. This sage advice did not truly have meaning in my life until I reached adulthood. I am amazed at how quickly days and […]

When my mom became ill after my father died, I did not have a lot of options.  My husband and I decided to move her into our home. We could assist her with costs and care so she could help us with our young children while I went back to graduate school.  Although, as the […]

Many parents have reported that in order to reduce power struggles in the home, there needs to be some sort of solution focused perspective. Concentrating on solutions creates a very different family dynamic. If your own thinking and behavior will change, so will the thinking and behavior of your children.  The theme for focusing on […]

There are all types of factors to collect about the marital dyad. In my next blog of this series, I will go over the areas that the authors of The Evaluation and Treatment of Marital Conflict explain as key to assess when developing a treatment plan.  Emotional Climate To begin, the authors describe an emotional […]

This is a historic month with regard to a recent breakthrough in the world of Postpartum Depression (PPD). On Tuesday, March 19th, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug specifically designed to aid in the relief of PPD. This drug is the first of its kind. It is called, Brexanolone and will be […]

When couples come in for therapy, they are often reporting all sorts of conflicts they are currently experiencing. As tempting as it is to jump straight into problem solving, sometimes an evaluation of the marital dyad is a better starting point. Taking a closer look at a relationship and the working parts is sometimes needed […]

20 questions to ask our children instead of, “How was your day?” What response do you get when you ask your children how their day was?  Do you get eye rolls? Is a long, drawn out, and dramatic sigh let out? Maybe they just walk away and pretend they didn’t even hear you?  Or maybe […]

It almost seems inevitable that, as a parent, you feel as though you are failing your children. I am sure you often wonder where you fall on the proverbial scale of successful parenting. It is easy to fall into the trap of comparison and to attribute your child’s shortcomings onto yourself. I have personally spent […]