Loving Your Kids in Their Language

Valentine’s day; think about what that day means to you. For some, it’s flowers, chocolate and a romantic date night. For others, its new valentine’s pajamas for your kids, buying cards and treats for their classrooms, and making heart shaped food. For some, you experience both of these on February 14th. Valentine’s Day is a…

Gratitude: Motivation & Practice

Hope for Humility & The Good Life As we gear up for a season with seemingly endless opportunities to receive gifts, I contend that one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is developing a more robust practice of gratitude. Even though we like to believe that we do things altruistically for others most…

Do Therapists go to therapy?

Have you ever wondered if your therapist has found themselves sitting on a couch across from another therapist having the same hard and beautiful experience that you are as a client?  If you have, then good news, you are not alone in asking that question.  And the answer is, yes.  Most therapists probably have or…

Parenting in God

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” (Psalms 127:3) If children are a gift from God, then why is parenting so difficult? Surely God wouldn’t just drop a blessing in our lives and then say, “Here you go, now figure it out.” There are numerous parenting books available to…

How to Ask Your Partner for What You Want

Have you ever been in the presence of your partner, longingly looking at them and hoping they will notice your desire for touch and connection? Have you ever heard your friends complain about how their partner never plans anything romantic for them? Why does it feel so hard to ask for what we want and…

Self-Care in Many Forms

If you have found yourself in a therapist’s office in the past year, chances are that you have heard the phrase “self care.”  It is a topic that we hold near and dear to our hearts.  So much so that it has probably shown up more than any other topic in the blog you are…

The Value of Being Present

When I was around 9 or 10 old, my Dad took me and my older brother, Danny, to the Cabarrus Creamery.  Although connected to a large ice cream factory, it was a simple store front that served excellent frozen treats directly to the public. I vividly remember the details of my banana milkshake that day. …

Mental Minimalism

The past few months, I have been on a big “minimalism” kick. If you haven’t heard this term before, it refers to the concept of only owning what you need, use, and love – and letting go of the rest. The more stuff we hold on to, the more stuff we are responsible to clean,…