How do you manage holiday stress? Holidays signify family togetherness. We envision warm, loving, happy people connecting in special ways…except when it is not so warm and fuzzy. What goes wrong? What are your expectations? If you expect everything and everybody to flow perfectly, this may [...]
What kind of parent are you? When you hold a baby in your arms for the first time, isn’t it an amazing, overwhelming feeling? Are you bursting with love? You wonder how this tiny miracle of life is going to grow up. You consider your [...]
What are defense mechanisms? Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that people tend to use unconsciously to protect themselves from anxiety rising from thoughts or feelings. This type of anxiety is generally unwanted or feels unacceptable. On the other hand, some anxiety is actually helpful. It [...]
1. START WITH YOURSELF The best way to learn how to be compassionate toward others is through self-acceptance. As they say: you can’t learn to truly love others until you learn to love yourself. Praise yourself for your successes (even with small things) and forgive yourself [...]
The 4th of July conjures up thoughts of celebration, barbecues, fireworks, freedom, and independence. These modern-day festivities have persisted since 1776 when our founding father, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife in which he detailed his belief that July 4th… will be celebrated, [...]
As this love poem reveals, lasting love requires a long list of ingredients. It requires effort, concentration, and time. I am reminded of a quote by Thomas Keller, American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer, “A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul [...]
Imagine looking into a baby’s eyes. You smile, the baby smiles. You laugh, the baby laughs. But what if you just look expressionless with a blank stare? Do you know what the baby does? The baby cries from a feeling of detachment and lack of emotional [...]
“Thank you” One of the earliest phrases children learn to say is “thank you”. That is when we are introduced to good manners. It is a way we learn to express our appreciation and convey our gratitude. It is a demonstration of respect to someone who [...]
Published in the Desert Health News: May-June Do you struggle to be understood, yet often feel misunderstood? Communication is a basic skill, yet there are some subtle nuances that can raise your odds for success. There are three basic concepts to regard for effective communication: What [...]
On Friday May 20, I attended the 2016 Southern California Regional Play Therapy Conference held in Rancho Cucamonga and sponsored by the California Association for Play Therapy. Holly Willard, LCSW, RPT-S, presented a workshop entitled: Not Just Child’s Play: Using Play therapy with Teens. The concept [...]
