If there is one solid truth to parenting, it’s that there is no definitive handbook. Don’t you wish that when your child was in the womb, there was some sort of automatic download to your brain to give you all of the parenting knowledge in the world? If only I could invent that, I’d be a millionaire. Sadly, there’s no way to know all of the answers. Even truer is the fact that every child is different, so that download would have to be specific to your child’s personality and temperament to be ...read more

This past year has been a tough one. We suffered many natural disasters, school shootings almost every day, and not to mention the constant barrage of politics and opinions coming from your family and friends (whether at the dinner table or on social media). Compounding this are our everyday stressors: job stress, family conflict, illness, financial worries, school, mental illness—you name it. All of these problems have been present before, but why does it feel so much more distressing and why ...read more

Have you ever felt like someone isn’t actually listening to you? You know when it’s happening. You’re needing to talk about something important or just vent about your frustrations. But you can tell that the person you’re talking to just isn’t there with you. They interrupt to tell a similar story, they aren’t making eye contact, they may give unsolicited advice, or something just tells you they are waiting for you to stop talking so they can respond. If you’ve experienced this—and I think ...read more

As we navigate through our world, there are times of smooth sailing and times of choppy waters that make it difficult to stay on course. It’s important however to build certain routines into your daily living. The healthier we are, the more it’ll take to knock us down. In this blog, I’d like to discuss the healthy routines I use. Meditation My favorite is meditation. For some this will be prayer. The core of both is to take the time, twice a day, to still the mind, to let go of the ‘monkey ...read more

Molly Terry Over the years I have witnessed many individuals finding their courage and strength in a place where little was to be found. I have heard stories of violence, oppression and sexual assaults that have wreaked havoc on lives and also that have inspired a rebirth into a stronger stance as a survivor. I believe that many give up and, over time, let their power be dwindled down. And then at some point are awakened. Something comes along that inspires them to make a change. I know that ...read more

You’re hurting and need help. You are starting to run out of options on ways to help yourself. The gym isn’t helping anymore. That nice bath bomb you bought doesn’t bring you comfort in the tub. Your friends and family are biased and cannot provide you with the type of support that you need. You have heard about therapy. You’ve that it may help provide some relief to you. Now, you’re weighing your options.   Is it really for me? Yes, therapy is for all ages. I see people who come ...read more

Are you human? Do you interact with other people? Do you sometimes feel stressed out or irritated?  Do you sometimes not know what to do?   If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then therapy is right for you!   It can be a bit disarming to realize that one does not have to be in crisis in order to benefit from mental health treatment.  Although we have entered a (mostly) more progressive and open minded age, some stigma still remains around the decision to seek ...read more

Have you found yourself lately comparing your life to what you see on social media? Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. make it easy for us to portray the type of life we want others to see. We show off when we graduate, get engaged, get pregnant, all exciting transitions and experiences in our lives. I can think of many times I am scrolling through my phone and then suddenly feel down. I feel like I’m not doing enough with my life and aren’t matching up to my peers in their milestones. We see ...read more

As a counselor who works with children and teens, I frequently see clients who struggle with expressing themselves. Some children become frustrated and angry more easily than others and their parents have no idea what to do with them. I see teens who have trouble being vulnerable with others and have requested counseling to get some support. Parents often describe their teens as “closed off” or “they keep to themselves”—and yes, most teens do this at some point or another. We all remember that ...read more