Have you ever wondered what your child is really trying to communicate to you? Sometime it seems as if kids have their own secret language. I was talking on the phone the other day to a good friend of mine, and her young daughter was trying to tell her something. My friend kept repeating what
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The “most wonderful time of the year” isn’t always stress free. Many of us feel overwhelmed by extra activities in an already busy schedule, finishing up end of the year work tasks, and the financial strain of extra expenses. Add to that extended time with difficult family relationships and you have a recipe for a
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Co-parenting for separated or divorced couples can be challenging any time of year, but the emotion and stress that surrounds the holidays can make this task even tougher. Figuring out how to share time, coordinate travel, collaborate (or not) on gifts, and manage kids’ expectations during the holidays is no easy task, but it is
Read moreOne of the things I have the privilege to do is to meet with parents who are looking for support in connecting with and disciplining their children. Many of these parents have sought out counseling because they or their partner are unhappy with their approach to discipline or with the reactions they are getting from
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When my first child was born and we were being discharged from the hospital, I remember having this overwhelming sense of responsibility and a healthy dose of fear. I remember asking the nurses if they were sure we were ok to go and didn’t they need to check to make sure we at least installed
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We talk quite a bit about anxiety in our house. My kids have names for their worry monsters. My daughter chose the name Alfred when she was around 4 years old. My son, more recently, when he was about 4 years old, named his Pooter Fart. As you can imagine it brings a lot of
Read moreWith the start of school, I’ve noticed an increase in parents looking for support in parenting their anxious children and bringing their children in to see me for counseling. There are stressors throughout the year but the transition of back to school can be one that elevates the anxiety level beyond the capacity of their coping skills. Parents may
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Family Therapy Sterling, VA In my work as a therapist, I have had the privilege to work with and know many fathers who are engaged in their children’s lives and in nurturing them to become emotionally healthy individuals. In a culture that often portrays dads as either insensitive, bumbling fools or angry, vigilante protectors, it can
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Family counseling Great Falls VA Are you dreading the day your child asks you how babies are made? Does your vision of “The Talk” involve throwing a book about reproduction at your teenager and running as fast you can in the opposite direction? Is the mere thought of using the words penis and vagina with
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Child Therapy Sterling, VA “No on ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed Grief is a very natural response to loss. It is a loss of someone or something important to us. We usually think of grief when there is a death but it may also come at
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