Are routines and rituals both needed for a healthy family environment? As human beings we all begin and end things each and every day. Mealtime, chores, work, school, and many more activities. One of the most important endings of a day is mealtime and putting our kids to bed. Both are a time to reconnect…
How does trauma impact our relationships? Trauma alters the nervous system. The experience of threat and danger has changed the way that survivors interact with and perceive the world. They experience feelings of being hyper vigilant, anxious, confused, fearful, irritable, and emotionally detached. Their minds and bodies have been rewired by their traumatic experiences to…
During a recent session, a client and I explored the idea of our heart’s desires aligning with God’s plan for us. Specifically, we arrived at an important question: How can we guard our hearts in order to seek and maintain alignment with God? The Bible tells us in Proverbs 4:23 the importance of guarding our…
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…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
Society is constantly sending us messages that we must work hard, overwork or overexert ourselves to achieve what we want in life. But I challenge you to think about how much healthier, happier and whole we could be in life if we actually took time to rest. When I refer to rest, I don’t just…