Families

You can love your family and still decide that some family traditions need to change. Breaking Generational Cycles: Creating New Holiday Traditions The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, connection, and making memories. But for some people, the holiday season brings more stress than excitement. Maybe you grew up feeling anxious about family gatherings. Maybe disagreements were swept under the rug, certain topics were off-limits, or you learned that keeping everyone el

Things You Don't Owe Anyone at Thanksgiving Dinner: A Mental Health Guide to Holiday Boundaries Thanksgiving is supposed to be about gratitude, connection, and spending time with the people we love. But let's be honest: sometimes, family gatherings come with a side of unsolicited advice, uncomfortable questions, and enough emotional tension to rival the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Maybe someone wants to know when you're getting married. Maybe a relative has opinions about

Thanksgiving is supposed to be about gratitude, family, good food, and togetherness. So why does it sometimes feel more like an emotional obstacle course? Maybe it's the relative who always asks when you're getting married. The family member who comments on your parenting. The person who brings up politics at dinner. The relative who doesn't understand why you don't want to talk about your divorce, your job, your weight, your children, or approximately 47 other personal topic

Thanksgiving Anxiety: Why You’re Dreading a Day Everyone Says Should Be Happy Everyone keeps talking about Thanksgiving. The food. The family. The traditions. The football. The gratitude. And you're thinking: “Honestly? I kind of want to hide in my bedroom.” If Thanksgiving makes you feel anxious, overwhelmed, irritable, or even sad, you're not alone. There can be a lot of pressure surrounding the holidays to feel happy and grateful. But the reality is that Thanksgiving can b

Every good parent knows that providing an enriching environment lays the foundation for future success. ...Or does it? From summer camp,art class, to music lessons, and sports, library programs, how many extracurricular activities are too many and where do parents good intentions bleed into something less helpful and even have the unintentional consequence of creating a stressful and anxiety ridden environment for children? Extensive research shows that kid extracurricular

When couples begin the painful journey of affair recovery, they often ask the same question: What actually helps a marriage heal after infidelity? Many people assume the answer is time. Others believe it is a heartfelt apology, couples therapy, or simply deciding to stay together. But the single greatest predictor of healing after an affair is much simpler and much deeper than that. Healing begins when the unfaithful partner consistently shows that they are choosing their spo

What is Parentification? Parentification is best defined by roles in the family system being reversed, where we see children, most often the oldest, sacrifice their own needs to ensure everyone else’s in the system are met. It can be common for children to care about the emotional well-being of their parents and siblings. However, parentification takes this notion much further, where these children feel responsible for caretaking their parents and siblings. Parentification is

Little Monsters, Big Feelings: Helping Kids Manage Big Emotions Big feelings. Little bodies. Still-developing brains.Parenting can be a little scary sometimes, and not just because it's Halloween! One minute, your child is happily playing. The next, they're screaming because their sibling touched their toy, crying because their costume feels wrong, or melting down because you gave them the *wrong* cup. If you've ever wondered how something so small could lead to such a big re

Ah, the holidays. A time for gratitude, togetherness, traditions, good food… …and negotiating which family gets you for Thanksgiving. If you're married or in a long-term relationship, you may know the conversation well: “What are we doing for Thanksgiving?” “I thought we were going to my family's house.” “But we went to your family's house last year.” “Well, my mom already bought the turkey.” And suddenly, what started as a conversation about mashed potatoes has become a full

When I was pregnant with my first child, I thought I was doing everything right. I read the books, made the lists, packed the hospital bag, and decorated the nursery. I organized the clothes, washed them in Dreft, and researched all the best and in carseat and crib safety. I truly believed that labor and delivery would be the hardest part, and that once baby arrived, she would assimilate perfectly into our lives. What no one really prepared me for was the emotional toll of t

Have you seen this tik tok trend? Parents lure or leave young children—often inside small, enclosed spaces like bathrooms—while showing them a phone screen. A hyper-realistic, grotesque ghost or demon filter suddenly appears on the display or looms behind the child. Kids are filmed screaming, crying, panicking, or trying to escape. In some videos, parents lock or hold the door shut briefly while the child struggles to get out. Rightfully so, the trend has sparked major backla

Raising Kids Who Aren't Bullies: How Parents Can Teach Kindness, Empathy, and Respect No parent wants to think their child could be the one picking on someone else. We spend so much time teaching our children to stand up for themselves, make friends, and feel confident. But how do we teach them to make sure other children feel safe, included, and respected, too? Raising kids who aren't bullies starts long before bullying becomes a problem. It begins with the everyday conversa

Few things are harder for a parent than learning that their child is being hurt, excluded, or targeted by other children. As a parent myself, it's truly a challenge to think of anything worse. Whether it's happening on the playground, in the classroom, on the bus, or through social media, discovering that your child is being bullied can leave you feeling angry, heartbroken, and unsure of what to do next. You want to protect your child. You want the behavior to stop. And you

Divorce changes a family structure, but it does not have to destroy a child’s sense of security.

Please note, this blog is researched, written, and maintained by non-clinical staff. Therefore, it should be taken for psychoeducational purposes only, and not as a substitute for medical or therapeutic advice. If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency call 911. For non life threatening mental health crises, call 988. For better or worse, AI is here to stay. It's crucial for parents to learn how AI can impact their children's mental health. Artificial intelligence

Please note, as always, that this blog is not written by a licensed therapist. Therefore, the contents of this blog should be taken as educational and not as therapeutic or medical advice. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call 988 or 911 for immediate assistance. The holidays don't have to interrupt your connection with your partner! It's the most wonderful time of the year! Thanksgiving has passed, and the holidays are next up. Butt the "most wonderf

Happy Thanksgiving! Today can feel really heavy, complicated, joyful, or any number of other (sometimes conflicting) emotions. There's no set way to "do" gratitude - what you feel grateful for, may feel too heavy for someone else. But, sometimes having something, even a small thing, to be grateful for can increase resilience, boost mood, and support overall well-being. So if you're struggling today, here are 50 things to be thankful for: Strength you didn't know you had Some