Anxiety Sucks, But It Taught Me These 7 Important Things
“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” ~Soren Kierkegaard Let’s be clear: This isn’t an article about positive thinking. This isn’t an article about how silver linings make everything okay. This isn’t an article about how your perspective on anxiety is all wrong. The kids call those things “toxic positivity.” No toxic positivity here. This is an article […]
How Fear of Separation is Reshaping Latino…
Family separation has become embedded into the cultural fabric of Latinos in the United States and can manifest itself in different ways across time and space, according to many researchers. This dynamic becomes especially visible during periods of heightened immigration enforcement. Parents weigh whether it is safe to take their child to the doctor. Teenagers […]
Growth Mindset: Parenting for Possibility
Emotions Coaching and Growth Mindset Dr. John Gottman’s approach of emotion coaching dovetails nicely with the concept of growth mindset. Emotion coaching is about helping your child recognize their feeling, naming the emotion, showing empathy and limit setting. When your child is frustrated, overwhelmed, or upset, you might want to fix the problem quickly or […]
What Is a Superbill? And Can It Be Used for Therapy?
A superbill is a detailed receipt that a therapist provides to a client after a session. Unlike a simple invoice, it contains the specific information an insurance company needs to process an out-of-network reimbursement claim. For many clients — particularly those seeking specialized care like Gottman Method Couples Therapy, where trained therapists often practice outside […]
Parenting a Child With Pathological Demand Avoidance
I work with many parents who suspect their child might have pathological demand avoidance (PDA). They are overwhelmed and report difficulty finding health care professionals who understand their experiences. What Is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)? PDA is a pattern of behavior that occurs in some children and adults with neurodiverse presentations, such as autism, ADHD, […]
From People-Pleasing to Self-Trust: How to Come Back to Yourself
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ~Carl Jung Where did I want to go out to eat? The question was straightforward, and the answer should have been easy. But as my mind flipped through the options, my thoughts weren’t focused on what I wanted. Instead, I was preoccupied with […]
When Body Image and Menopause Mix
Spring is here. For me, spring sets off a series of events I like to call ‘I Must Clean All the Things,’ and the last item on that list is always the flower beds. I put it off. It’s an overwhelming and tangled mess, but I know it has to be done. But this year, […]
How to Actually Enjoy the Dating Process
I’m one of those freaks who genuinely enjoys dating. Not because I typically get what I want (believe me, I don’t), but because I see dating as a transformative and educational process—one that has the power to lead us into greater authenticity and intimacy with ourselves and others. The realization that dating can be a […]
Stolen Childhoods: Divorce and Emotional Parentification
So often, when we as family law attorneys caution newly separated or divorced parents to keep their children “out of it,” clients interpret this as a warning not to argue in front of their children. Or not to bring their kids into arguments for support in a he said, she said-type of discussion. They are […]
How to Not Mess Up Your Kid
Parenting is hard. For everyone. You will never be able to end all toddler tantrums or child misbehavior. However, research can point us in the right direction. It shows how to parent in ways that minimize child anxiety and depression (called “internalizing” problems), as well as behavior problems (called “externalizing” problems). Parenting Styles and Child […]