Hide-and-go-seek. It is a classic children’s game that most kids play at some point in their lives. Is it tradition to play the game, or is it something more? Is it just for friends and family, or can it be therapeutic? And is hide-and-go seek always an appropriate game? The …
Words. We say a lot of them every single day. They matter. We might realize that as a whole, but do we ever think about individual words and ways we talk about things? Sometimes the minutiae matters, as it does with words. There are probably an infinite number of examples, …
As an EMDR therapist, I get lots of questions about what EMDR is, and what EMDR does. In answering these questions, I sometimes have clients ask me if EMDR can help them do specific things with memory, like uncover repressed memories, or even erase memories. On the flip, side I …
Naming emotions can be hard, especially if a person has experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma. In traumatic situations, there is not room for emotions, only room for fight-flight-freeze survival responses. Acknowledging emotions is vulnerable, too, as emotions can be exploited. Emotions are a pathway for connection with other humans, though. …
Some problems just aren’t solvable. They might seem like they are: the laundry on the floor, the noisy blowing of the nose, the dirty kitchen, the humming, the forgetfulness. They are the type of problems that parents and spouses try to resolve over and over and just find they can’t. …
Movement is important for everyone because all people have bodies in some shape or form. Movement is especially important for kids from hard places, however, and specifically those in the foster care and adoptive systems. Incorporating movement everyday activities is not that hard, either. It simply takes some intentional effort, …
Couples can experience a push-pull dynamic, or any variety of other patterns not understood. Does it feel like you are just living together going through the motions but not connected? Maybe you want to be more intimate with your partner, but they don’t seem interested. Maybe your partner takes differences in …
The word “Trauma” has become a bit of a buzzword with hallmark books about trauma becoming popularized such as “The Body Keeps the Score” (Van der Kolk, 2014) and “What Happened to You?” (Perry, M.D., & Winfrey, 2021). As a licensed clinical counselor my job is to help shape the …
Adoption is part of the identity of many children. Some kids know they are adopted from day one. Their appearance differs from their parents in such a way that their parents have always told them about how they entered the family. Maybe the children were adopted at an older age …
Protective instincts are good. They are God-given. They keep human beings alive. Protective impulses can go into overdrive, though, and when that happens, non-productive behaviors can occur. When others see these behaviors, they may judge them as maladaptive, bad, or even morally wrong. Upon further examination, however, it becomes apparent …