Separation and divorce are big events in anyone’s life, no matter how old you are. Even though we are all unique, there are life stages that influence how we will react and handle changes. Here is how children, from infants through to teenagers, may experience divorce. [Read more…]
Top Three Ways to Fix your Child’s Sleep Problems
The importance of sleep for good health cannot be ignored. As human beings, we need to learn how to fall asleep and how to have a good night’s sleep so we wake up well rested and ready to tackle whatever comes our way throughout the day.
Sleep deprivation leads to many health and behavioural problems. Oftentimes children have difficulty knowing that they are tired or sleep deprived. It is up to the adults in their life to watch for the signs. [Read more…]
An Interview with Sue Cook
Sue Cook is the owner and operator of Family TLC – Family Therapy and Life Coaching Group. Sue started working in this profession in the early 1980’s and has had the opportunity and privilege of assisting thousands of people. Learn more about Sue in the following interview:
Q: Which three adjectives describe your success?
Intuition, growth and belief. I have great intuition and I have learned to listen to it. When I am doing what I am meant to do, following my intuition everything soars. Growth is always a focus for me, I am constantly asking myself how can we grow, how can I grow? This does not necessarily mean bigger but it always means better. Belief is something you must keep at the forefront, belief to me is a positive attitude combined with the trust that all will work out.
Q: What would you do with unlimited resources?
I would expand my team of experts, surround myself with people who know more than I do in their specialized area. With a well-paid diversified team I know we could build the Family TLC vision sooner. That way we can reach so many more Canadian Families and help so many more people. [Read more…]
Grief and the Ghosts of Christmas Past
Coping with feelings of grief is difficult and complicated at any time, but during the Christmas season it is even harder. We think about those who have died, memories of previous celebrations surface, and our hearts ache. Our ghosts walk with us and make our steps heavy.
Over the years, Family TLC has helped many people turn their sorrow into a celebration and even into laughter. I invite you to read on and share in the stories of some of our ghosts of Christmas past. You may be surprised to find that they may help you celebrate with your own ghosts. The names of our clients have been changed to protect their privacy. [Read more…]
The M-SPOT – Is Money Affecting Your Marriage?
At Family TLC, we’ve noticed that conflict around finances is the largest contributing factor of separation. We believe that fighting about money or avoiding money discussions predict separation and divorce more than any other relationship problems. If couples can learn to talk constructively about money issues, many relationships could be saved.
Our clients have told us that discussions about debt, budgeting, money secrets, spending, financial emergencies and investing often turn into arguments. These arguments can then turn into full blown fights with damaging and angry words. While we can all agree that this is not an effective way to communicate with your partner, many couples are unable to change the course of this dialogue once it starts. [Read more…]
Painkiller Addiction
People often assume that if a doctor prescribed a drug, it can’t possibly be harmful, yet many painkillers such as opiates are highly addictive. Without careful, extensive monitoring by a doctor, a user can easily get into trouble.
Most people who must take pain medication do not intend to become dependent. They do not use the drug to get high, but after a period of prolonged use they can become consumed by the drug until they cannot function without it.
Many of these issues arise when the user misinterprets or simply ignores the doctor’s instructions. A person may take more than the prescribed dosage and may also continue to take the painkiller for many months beyond what the doctor advised.
[Read more…]
Youth and Addictions
Teen addiction is becoming more and more prevalent in our society today. Young people face pressures in all areas of their lives. Their parents pressure them to get good grades. They pressure themselves to do well enough to get into their college or university of choice. Friends pressure them to do things they might not have done otherwise.
They feel all of this pressure while balancing school and work, along with extra-curricular activities like basketball, competitive dance, music, skating, swimming or other thing they enjoy.
Escaping the pressure
Sometimes all of this pressure breaks a young person down and they turn to drugs, alcohol, or video games – anything that can help them escape the turmoil. Teens are often unsure who can they can talk to about these feelings so they try to ignore or suppress the feelings in hopes they will go away on their own.
[Read more…]
How Do I Tell My Kids I Have An Addiction?
Parents often wonder how they can tell their children they have an addiction. Truth is, the children probably already know.
When is drinking an addiction?
Imagine this scenario: A single mom arrives home from a 12-hour shift at work after picking up her two children at school. She empties lunch bags, cooks dinner, helps with homework, supervises showers, reads to the kids before bed, tucks them in, closes their door and then she lets out a sigh.
It’s not so much a sigh of relief as a sigh of being exhausted and knowing that she still has chores to do before she can even sit down for the first time that day. She goes downstairs, cleans up the dishes from dinner, makes lunches for the next day, signs permission forms and finally, she is done. She can now relax. She can sit down. Why not have a glass of wine? Wine helps her to calm down and helps her unwind from her day.
There is nothing wrong with having a glass of wine or two when you’ve had a rough day, when you’re having a dinner party, or when you just want to relax. A problem arises when you find yourself thinking about this glass or two or three while you’re at work during the day. So you figure what’s the harm in having a glass while I’m out for lunch at work? Then you come home and instead of a glass or two, you find yourself drinking a whole bottle or two, or more.
[Read more…]
Understanding Depression
Whether it’s happening to you or someone you love, depression can be upsetting. Understanding the different types of depression, as well as available treatment, is an important step towards returning to balance.
The six types of depression
1. Situational depression – This is when a person has something going on in their environment that’s causing them to have symptoms of depression, such as death, the end of a marriage, or something else that’s happening in their life.
2. Dysthymia – With dysthymia, over time someone’s typical way of feeling and being is lowered. There’s more sadness and discontentment, and even when they are happy they appear more subdued or flatter than what most people would consider happy. They become content with this lower level and don’t recognize that anything is wrong. This becomes their “normal.” [Read more…]
How Teens Can Help a Friend With an Eating Disorder
Recently I was asked for advice about a teen who suspected that her friend has an eating disorder. What should she do?
An important thing to realize is that people are very effective at hiding their eating disorders. That means they will often be far along and deep into the patterns and problems by the time you start noticing. At that point it’s much harder to help someone.
As good of a friend as you are, this person needs more than a friend right now. She needs serious, professional help. Talk to a school counselor, your own parent, or your friend’s parent, so that they can get your friend the help she needs. [Read more…]
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