What do you think of when you think of courage? I used to think about the main characters in my favorite stories as a kid; Jackie Robinson, Doc Holliday (the Val Kilmer version) and Batman. To 7-year old me, these guys seemed absolutely fearless, and that’s what courage meant to … Read More
Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 2
One of the most frequent challenges I see with the step-couples that I work with is that one of them is struggling with feeling like an outsider in their own family. According to Dr. Patricia Papernow (2013), stuck insider/outsider positioning is a core challenge for the stepfamily. And for those … Read More
Relationship Navigation for Parents and Adult Children
When kids become adults, the dynamic between the parent and child relationship changes. You will be dealing with different issues than when your children were younger and living under the same roof. For example, it can be difficult to figure out when to give advice and when to stay quiet. … Read More
Marriage Love Styles and How to Demystify Them
Over the last several blog posts I discussed how early experiences imprint intimacy patterns and influence the quality of our relationships. This is particularly so in marriage. Milan and Kay Yerkovich refer to these intimacy imprints as love styles, which impact how we receive and give love. The idea is … Read More
The Best School Year Ever: Saying No
With the new school year about to begin, you are going to be faced with a lot of new opportunities. There will be new sports to join, new hobbies to try out, and new volunteer opportunities. It is so tempting to jump into everything and take on every possible fun … Read More
Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 1
In her book, “Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t,” Patricia Papernow, EdD, discusses the five common challenges that a stepfamily can face and offers some straightforward guidance to help address them. In my work with stepfamilies and in my own stepfamily experiences, I have witnessed … Read More
Words: Beyond Sticks and Stones
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” I appreciate the spirit of the maxim, the refusal to give credence to critical, spiteful, thoughtless speech. The problem is, it’s not true. Scientific studies, legislation regarding hate speech and even … Read More
Children and the Financial Impact of Divorce: Part 2
Recently, I was asked to be an expert on a podcast with IRC Wealth discussing divorce, finances, and children. I wanted to write a blog series as well discussing the tips that I gave to help ensure that the financial impacts of divorce will have the least impact on your … Read More
Dangers of Victim Blaming
Victim blaming is a phenomenon that occurs when the victim of an illegal or unjust act is wholly or partially held responsible for what happened to them. This phenomenon occurs all the time, and it is very damaging not just to the victim but to our society. So why is … Read More
Ease the Back to School Butterflies
As summer comes to an end, you may notice your kids are asking more questions about going back to school and may even have some butterflies about all the upcoming changes. Kids may feel worried about having a new teacher, finding friends to sit with at lunch, or even if … Read More
