Seven Tips for Talking With Your Kids About Terminal…
Some of the most challenging moments in parenting occur when we need to provide comfort and guidance to our child during a time when we are also hurting. And one of the biggest challenges we may face is when we or a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. These situations may involve […]
How Social-Emotional Learning Can Foster LGBTQ…
In today’s polarized educational climate, many educators feel caught in a bind: They want to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students and foster inclusivity but fear pushback for engaging with topics some consider “controversial.” Yet what if we’re already holding the tools to bridge this divide—tools that are evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, and […]
Study Reveals That Pets Bring Us $87,500 Worth of Happiness
A recent study published in Social Indicators Research suggests that having a pet can increase life satisfaction by 3 to 4 points on a 7-point scale. Even more eye-catching, the researchers estimate this happiness boost is equivalent to an extra $87,500 in annual income. In other words, they’re putting a dollar value on the joy […]
How Are the Kids Recovering From the Pandemic?
Earlier this spring I got a desperate text from an 18 year old. She’s from one of the families I profiled in The Stolen Year, my 2022 book that documented the impact of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic on children. My young friend told me that she and her nine siblings were experiencing […]
DBT Wise Mind is the Best Skill for Highly Sensitive People
“Feelings come and go, like clouds in the sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh On the day my daughter Zoe turned seven weeks old, she burst into tears while I was changing her diaper. But why? What had I done? I remember panicking, confused, scared, and instantly guilty. Eventually, I noticed her […]
What If You’re Not Ready to Forgive?
One sibling steals the other’s favorite toy, or maybe they both committed their share of offenses. Their parents want them to apologize to each other. A spouse failed to finish their part of the chores. That can be hard to let go of. In more serious cases, perhaps, a family member betrayed your trust. As […]
When Fiction Feels Like Fact: How Stories Shape Beliefs
A few weeks ago, I shared research from the University of South Florida suggesting that smartphone use might not be the monster under the bed when it comes to teen well-being (Martin et al., 2025). The study findings showed that smartphone ownership actually had a positive correlation with kids’ Mental health. Many other factors were […]
Tips to Help Families Flourish in Troubled Times
Ask yourself of whatever you hear: Is it true? This fundamental teaching relates to mindfulness and to all of life. Be skeptical and think for yourself. Change only happens when you believe on a gut level that action is needed. The world is in crisis. It always has been, but it feels particularly intense lately. […]
Beyond Coping: How to Heal Generational Trauma with Breathwork
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” ~Akshay Dubey The realization came to me during a chaotic day at the Philadelphia public school where I worked as a counselor. A young student sat across from me, her body language mirroring anxiety patterns I knew all too […]
How to Change Your Bad Habits by Accepting Them
“If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” ~Mary Engelbreit “So, what do you think?” my husband asked, the dinner table lit by the soft glow of the overhead light. He’d been talking for a while, and I knew I should have been listening. […]