Betrayal is a big word so sometimes we worry it's just too much. However, when you lose your trust in your relationship that's how you end up feeling--betrayed. Some betrayals are bigger than others, of course, like infidelity. Other times there is a build up of disloyalty that can feel like ...read more
Giving the Benefit of the Doubt
When a good friend tells you something came up and she has to cancel plans, what do you do? Do you make the worst case assumptions about the "real" reasons or are you good at giving the benefit of the doubt? Often, in friendship and in early dating, we are all better at giving the benefit of the ...read more
Put Your Oxygen Mask on Yourself First.
Have you ever listened to the security instruction on airplanes about what to do if the oxygen mask drops and you are traveling with children? They tell you to put them on yourself before you assist your children. That's because if you don't take care of yourself first, you can't actually help ...read more
Is it screen time? Parenting the digital child.
Facebook. Snapchat. Instagram. Kik. Yik Yak. Tumblr. Twitter. Vine. Google+. What's App?. Whew! How in the world to keep up with parenting the digital child today? Every day it seems that there are more and more social media sites parents need to be aware of and understand. A recent Pew ...read more
Free Play is Important to Success
How many times have you heard that the best way for kids to learn life skills is through involvement in a team sport? While it is true that playing organized sports does have benefit, the way in which society in the United States now approaches youth sports often means kids have very little, if ...read more
Are You the Default Parent?
Some people are probably wondering "What in the world is a default parent?" but I'm guessing most households have one. In talking to people, both clinically and personally, over the years, most often the default parent is a mom. This is not to say that dads aren't good parents because they usually ...read more
“Home” for the Holidays!
Here it is, the thick of the holiday season. Between the just past Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and New Years we have so many opportunities to gather in groups and families to celebrate things. Funny how the very celebrations we look forward to all year also bring so much stress and ...read more
Responding to Tragedy
Last week's terrorist attacks in Paris gave the world another unfortunate opportunity to try to figure out how to respond to tragedy. These broad scale tragedies can leave us all feeling off kilter, a bit insecure in life. Questions may arise all over the place. How should I talk to my kids (if ...read more
The Unique Stress of Infertility
You have found the person with whom you want to create a family. All your ducks are in a row and you are ready both emotionally and financially to be parents. The trying part is fun, right? Then so it goes, month after month being disappointed that there isn't going to be a baby. Infertility is ...read more
Parenting From Inside Out
By now, if you are a parent of small children, you have likely either seen or heard of the Pixar movie "Inside Out". This delightful movie gives children, and parents, a wonderful way to talk more about feelings and to understand how they all have a role to play. Each of the portrayed emotions ...read more