As families experience difficult changes and experiences, children are also experiencing it in their own way. It is important to know that children can come through difficulties such as the death of a loved one, a significant change event , and even trauma in a healthy way if the adults caring for them guide them effectively. As a therapist in ...READ MORE »
I’m writing this blog as the 2nd in a 3-part series about how to assess, cope with and navigate a relationship where depression is present in you or your spouse. In my last blog, I shared how couples can discern if they are dealing with chronic, bigger issues of clinical depression versus less severe, more temporary periods of feeling ...READ MORE »
Have you ever been in a situation where someone was talking to you and in that process, they were making you feel like you either had to do something to fix the situation for them or that you had done something wrong? Perhaps they were complaining or perhaps they were being downright nasty towards you. Typically, when we find ourselves ...READ MORE »
As a child, adolescent, and family therapist in Washington, DC, I am constantly trying to perfect my craft and learn more about what I do. One of the ways I try to stay abreast of the latest trends and topics is by listening to podcasts. One of my favorite all-time podcast episodes is, “The Problem with the Solution” which is ...READ MORE »
As a child, adolescent, and family therapist in Washington, DC, one of the fundamental aspects of my work deals with relationships. Research has confirmed that in order for therapy to be successful, there needs to be a positive therapeutic relationship between the therapist and client regardless of modality. The importance of relationships does not stop once you exit the therapist’s ...READ MORE »
I’m writing this month about relaxation, which seems almost antithetical to what is going on right now in the life of a typical DC mom. First, September and October are probably the busiest months of the year for parents (in addition to the end of school in May or June). Second, every woman that I know well in my ...READ MORE »
I recently spent time on a trip with an old friend who introduced me to Animal Spirit cards, which are basically Tarot cards with animals. I must admit I was skeptical. I thought it might be a fun activity but wouldn’t be particularly meaningful to my life. She asked me to think of a challenge I had been dealing with recently ...READ MORE »
Many students are in their first few days or weeks of school in the Washington, DC metro area. As a family therapist who also works with couples and parents, I’m often meeting with parents this time of year and reminding them how they can support themselves as they help transition their children back into school routines. I’m also a ...READ MORE »
Dr. Sibley shares her personal reflections on grief in the second of this two-part series. I’m writing this blog as Part II to a previously posted blog, Clearly Grieving, in which I reflected on how doing my own emotional work prepared me for losing my father. I’m a therapist in Washington DC and nearby Bethesda, MD who believes in the ...READ MORE »
Dr. Sibley shares her personal reflections on grief in this two-part series. The first part, below, was written just a few days prior to her father passing away. I’m writing tonight to advocate for the power of grief work–or even more so, for the power of doing your emotional work before you grieve. As a family therapist in Washington DC, ...READ MORE »
