Do you feel self-conscious about what you have compared to your friends, family or neighbors?
Are you worried about your growing debt but can’t seem to manage your spending?
Do you feel like your kids are always asking for more stuff?
Solastalagia & Ecological Grief
Perhaps during a moment on the lake when you notice more algae blooms, fewer fish, or a shorter ice-season.
Maybe it’s when you realize you just don’t see the birds, turtles, or caribou you used to see as a child.
Or on a hot summer day, when you have to reconsider your plans due to the smog advisory.
Or maybe it’s more blatant – the way your home will never be the same after a flood or a wildfire. [Read more…]
Suffering from Eco anxiety and climate guilt?
Children’s Needs While Going Through a Divorce
If parents are consciously focused on and sensitive to their child’s essential needs during and after the divorce, they will do a better job of meeting them. [Read more…]
Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Children – What to Look For
However, sometimes there is something else going on and further intervention may be required. Oppositional defiant disorder often goes undiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to those of a strong-willed child or those exhibited by children who are diagnosed with ADHD.
Other parents are simply told their child’s symptoms are a natural part of development. [Read more…]
How to Find a Therapist
Once you’re ready to seek that help, your next step is to find the right therapist for you. Here are some suggestions to help with that process:
- Ask family and friends: Ask those who are in therapy how they were able to find a therapist and if they like their therapist. If they do, find out what exactly it is they like about them and see if their therapist would be willing to give you a list of referrals. If none of your friends are in therapy then you can always get referrals by calling institutes (e.g., Jungian/Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic) to find therapists in your area. Many of these institutes provide an intake to match you with a therapist in your area who can help you overcome the obstacles you are facing.
My Parents’ Divorce – A Personal Story
My parents’ divorce happened when I was 16 and going through the ups and downs of being a teenager, dealing with the drama of friends and boys, and loving it one minute and hating it the next.
My dad traveled a lot for work so he would be gone across the world one month and then back home the next month. On this particular month he was gone.
I almost preferred our relationship when it was long distance because when he was home my parents fought a lot. It was clear that neither of them were very happy being around each other, and without them intending too, their resentment had an impact on my life. Dinnertime became a stressful event because they were forced to face each other and that meant an argument was sure to ensue. They would talk often about divorce so maybe that’s why I wasn’t so shocked when my mother eventually told me they were getting one. [Read more…]
Keep Your Sex Life Alive Post-Kids
When a new baby enters your world it brings much joy, along with fatigue, stress, and general chaos. On average, parents with kids spend just 20 minutes a week being intimate, according to Anne Semans and Cathy Winks, co-authors of The Mother’s Guide to Sex. But there is hope! Here are some tips on how to keep the intimacy alive in your relationship:
How to Have Less Divorce Stress
What is the difference between those that handle this situation well and those that do not? According to a 2012 study by David A. Sbarra, Hillary L. Smith, and Matthias R. Mehl of the University of Arizona, it is self-compassion.
Divorce Prevention
Pleasing – Both spouses feel happy, hopeful and content. They forgive each other and are able to forget.
Familiar – Spouses feel relaxed with each other, but as the normal stressors happen in life they start to build resentment and take each other for granted.
Uncomfortable – Unhappiness starts to set in. Most couples do not know how to communicate their needs directly so they ask indirectly. Do this, do that. They cannot express their real needs and therefore cannot meet each other’s needs.
Inclusive of all cultures, faiths, gender identities and sexual orientations.