The Olive Branch

It’s hard to believe how often our past makes its way into our relationships, but you only need to listen to couples seeking help to find out how much our childhood determines our conflict-style and dynamics.

For so many years, we mental health professionals have empathized with clients who came from emotionally chaotic childhoods and homes. After all, it’s been shown that coming from a chaotic home can set you up for all sorts of problems later on (a pursuit of immediate gratification, etc.).

I’ve watched my children fall down quite a bit – both literally and figuratively. And, I’ve learned it’s not always easy to know what to say. Should I tell them, “You’re OK” and wait for them to get up? Or, should I fling myself onto them protectively and help them to their feet? (For the […]

As a Mom of three (and living in a community of kid-excellence, to say the least), it’s hard for me to NOT feel insecure about what my kids AREN’T doing. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t overhear another Mom talking about their child excelling at the best private school in town or see […]

Being a teenager can be confusing — it’s a time filled with significant changes, growth and uncertainty. It’s easy to forget what that felt like. And this can impact your ability to communicate with your teen. Your world view is so different. Here are a few tips that I found online that can perhaps help […]

When I counsel couples in my practice, I always try and get a “feel” for who gets what priority in the family. Are spouses each other’s priority? Or do the kids come first? Most importantly, what is the family structure, and are things a bit wonky?

These days, the word “role” can garner a pretty negative reaction – few of us like being defined by anything, much less a “role” we’re supposed to play in our relationships. But, the mental health community agrees – roles can actually be pretty useful, as long as they’re healthy.

How many of you have dealt with a cranky child who’s in the midst of a tantrum? If you have a child over the age of 2, I imagine all of you have experienced a meltdown or two (or three, or four…). 

When I work with families, the subject of parenting is definitely a hot topic! I’m often asked questions like, “Should both parents work outside the home?” “What’s better – quality time or more time in general?” “Should Dad be more involved in his childrens’ lives”

Did anyone else grow up hearing the phrase, “Do as I say – NOT as I do?” If so, we’re definitely not alone! That’s how parents used to justify their not-so-great behavior in front of children. Even today, we parents are tempted to take a “Do as I say…” approach when we’re doing a whole […]