This summer has been the season for sex positivity with my clients. Several teen clients are having their first romantic dating experiences, while some of the young adults I see are exploring different ways of intimacy with their partners. Such fun and light hearted conversations, and so important. It brings me joy to be able to […]
My partner and I take time to connect and check in regularly. It’s how we nurture ourselves and each other. Last week he shared that it wasn’t until he experienced deep stillness during yoga training that he realized how deeply it nourishes and refills him. What he longs for most in the midst of the
Appreciation has been coming up as a theme in my sessions with families. Each family member wants to be seen and validated. Who doesn’t? In busy family life, it’s easy to get caught up in all that needs to get done and forget to show our appreciation. Parents do a lot, and they do it
My daughter’s most frequent request these days is, “sing.” Followed repeatedly by, “more.” Anytime we are nursing, walking, cuddling, driving – basically anytime we are not engaged in active play – she wants me to sing. And she revels in telling me “no,” sometimes 15 times in a row, until I hit on a song
One of the things I love about my office is the beautiful garden that surrounds it. My landlord and fellow counselor is also an avid gardener. Each week when I arrive, I look forward to seeing the arrangements she has scattered throughout the space. This month, she is out adventuring and refilling her cup. Which
The title of a very sweet board book my aunt gifted us with last summer. I remember when she gave it to us, she said it caught her eye because every child needs plenty of nonsense in their lives. True that. The more I read this book, the more I fall in love with it.
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Juggling life as a parent and a partner is challenging. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness and routine. After all, there is so much to be done and only so much time. In a desire to make time to connect in a heart-centered way, my partner recently suggested a weekly ritual
As children we find ways to protect ourselves from our vulnerability, from being hurt, diminished, and disappointed. We put on armor; we used our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as weapons; and we learned how to make ourselves scarce, even to disappear. Now as adults we realize that to live with courage, purpose, and connection –
I’ve been reading more by Brené Brown. I love her research and the stories she shares. The chapter I just finished talks about shame, and the differences in how it is experienced for men and women. She writes that in her research she’s found for women it’s mostly about physical appearance and for men it’s
In my work with teenagers, I am struck by how often scarcity thinking comes up – the fear of not being enough. Not pretty enough, not smart enough, not caring enough, not not not. It saddens my heart to see these young adults carrying the weight of trying to “be enough” to keep their families