In the Internal Family Systems model of therapy, the main concept is that we have a core “Self,” in addition to many parts that develop to protect and manage our internal worlds. These parts are your various inner voices or “sides” of you that come out in different situations. We can recognize that symptoms come from parts of us that ...READ MORE »
There’s a movie clip that we joke about in our family about the ups and downs of parenting. Watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx2A5j2NjMw For me, this scene reminds me about the hard-earned rewards of parenting “AHA moments.” They don’t come easy, they aren’t always completely recognizable or blissful, and they often are enshrouded by many other feelings and complications. YET, ...READ MORE »
As a child/teen therapist for almost 25 years and a leading mental health consultant, I often have conversations with parents and educators about how to have difficult conversations with kids. These adults come to me knowing that I’ve spent countless hours talking with children and teens about their problems, which often are due to painful experiences. And having treated ...READ MORE »
Tomorrow, Americans will gather at backyards, stadiums, parks, and pools all around the country to bbq, celebrate, and set off fireworks in honor of Independence Day. For most, this is a fun time to gather with family and friends and watch or partake in some fun fireworks displays. But for so many people, fireworks can be very triggering and are ...READ MORE »
Over the past 15 years that I’ve been providing therapy to teens and families in the Washington, DC area, the topic of psychiatric medication has come up frequently. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I don’t prescribe medication and I always recommend discussing questions and concerns with your primary care doctor or psychiatrist; but often I find that I have ...READ MORE »
In a previous blog, I talked about how to recognize what we value as a way to reframe and manage stress. In this blog, I would like to talk about how I use my values to get motivated. In my work as a child/teen, and family therapist in Washington DC, I utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help my ...READ MORE »
In my work as a psychotherapist in Washington, DC I often use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with my clients. One of the major areas covered in ACT therapy is that of values. At first glance, we may all think we know what values are and that we have them, but we often can’t answer some basic questions about our ...READ MORE »
I am so grateful that I read Glennon Doyle’s book, Untamed, at the start of the pandemic and learned of her mantra, we can do hard things. I don’t think I could have appreciated all of what this means, until we experienced all that has unfolded these last 21 months. And I know I’m not alone in this. As a ...READ MORE »
Thanksgiving is upon us, the annual time of year at the end of November when we gather with friends and family, eat Turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes…you get the point. Turkey is actually my least favorite Thanksgiving food. Give me all the stuffing and in my best Ron Swanson impression, “Wait, wait, I worry ...READ MORE »
This blog serves as a summary of the last two blogs on how parents can self-assess their parenting needs as they transition out of the pandemic, and ways that they can attempt to recover from the demands of the past year and a half. By offering a sample Parent Development Plan that parents can complete and execute on their ...READ MORE »
