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 more
With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I have noticed an increase in clients dealing with issues involving their extended family members. The pressure of entertaining and providing for the entire family may seem insurmountable when it comes time to actually enjoy time together. When clients tell me that they are feeling overwhelmed or stressed by
Read more
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
Read more
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
Read more
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
Read more
Child Therapy Sterling VA The first day of school for many children is filled with excitement and hope, but for many others, the start of school brings with it anxious thoughts and feelings. For some children this may appear obvious with voiced worries, anxious habits, and loads of tears. For others, anxiety may manifest itself
Read more Couple Therapy Sterling VA Imagine this: at the end of a long and stressful day, your six-year-old stomps away from you in frustration and yells, “leave me alone!” A few seconds later you hear the slamming of her bedroom door. How do you respond? Now, imagine the same scenario with your partner instead of your
Read more
Family Therapy Sterling VA “I’m so bored!”, “Ew, what is that? I don’t like broccoli!”, “That’s not fair!” Ah, the sounds of summer break have begun in my house. Can you relate? A negative attitude can place a strain on any relationship. As a parent you may wonder if your generally sweet, thoughtful children have
Read more
This Sunday is Mother’s Day and for some it’s a happy time of celebrating their mom and the sacrifices of love that she has made. Some will be showered with love from their partner and kids. For some, this may be a first Mother’s Day. But for so many others, there is sadness, regret, and
Read more
Individual Therapy Sterling, VA As a busy mom, I find myself relying on letting my kids watch a quick episode of Jake and the Neverland Pirates to be able to wash the dishes, fold a load of laundry, or get myself pulled together before work — it’s an easy way to keep my them entertained and
Read more