I often find that when people hear about Play Therapy they think about playing and then the thought goes to children playing. We have many transitions in our lives. More specifically, going from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. As we get older we either say or hear people comment “that’s childish,” or “I don’t do …
The Hand We Are Dealt
I once heard Amy Morin, LCSW, being interviewed on a podcast. She posed the following question: How do I live my life based on the hand I was dealt? Something to think about! Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com With social comparison, social media and advertising efforts, many people are led to believe they are …
I decided
Ever so often I hear my clients or friends say this phrase, “I don’t have a choice." I’m always stumped by the statement because it seems as though people don’t realize that they always have a choice. When you are faced with adversity, you might not always recognize all the options in front of you …
What about today?
They say that when you focus on the past you may become sad. When you focus on the future you can create angst. Focusing on either prevents us from the things that are in the present moment. There is so much that goes on around us, can you take time to observe what’s going on …
What I’ve learned in Life Coaching
A letter from a life leader from Learning Leaders Life Coaching. “I realized not too long ago that when I was alone, I was at my best. When I was around him, I would second guess. Wow!! I would shrink, not shine but make myself smaller when in his presence. Like who I was, could …
Soul and Self Care
After practicing yoga for over 18 years, I truly know the benefit of asanas (yoga poses) and meditation. I didn’t realize how natural it was to bring my yoga practice with me everywhere. For example, I hate going to the dentist, primarily because I personally do not like teeth. But I find myself relaxing my …
That’s life!
I hear this phrase often from parents of teens in my office and even outside of work with friends with teen-aged children. It’s what is said when the teen is complaining about how hard it is to manage their responsibilities. It's sometimes hard to hear because I personally feel as though the teen's emotions are …
Leading as a Parent
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com As a parent, there is high level of leadership in a family as we have little ones paying attention to everything we are doing. As they get older, teens notice more of what we do as parents and will point out things they see that may be contrary to what …
Jada’s Story
I have the opportunity to work with some pretty strong children who have been challenged with some tough situations early on in their lives. This is a story about a resilient girl who started life a little rough. She found out that I write about families and children on my blog and wanted me to tell her story.
Jada* first came into my office when she was 5 years old. She initially came because she was having difficulty with her feelings related to her relationship with her mother. Over time feelings were processed and she was doing well. She stopped counseling and resumed living a typically “normal” life. Most recently she returned to counseling at a different stage of her life where she again had difficulty with the lack of having a relationship with her mother. With her permission, the story is spoken in her words but paraphrased and written…
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Keeping My Balance
My blog began as a way for me to connect to parents. As I've been working with youth and their families for decades, I wanted to write about some of the experiences and give some insight into how children see the world and how we as adults could better connect with them. I rarely write …
Replay Counseling and Consulting 