No You’re NOT a Bad Mom
by: Katelynn Jones, LPC. When I was training to become a therapist, I knew that I did not want to work with children. I had a heart for the elderly and hurting adults, but I was afraid to work with children because I knew they would break my heart; I knew I would shed tears […]
Don’t Fall for the Quick and Easy Solution
by: Jim Urban, LPC. Back in the days of the “Wild Wild West” the snake oil industry was booming. The promise of a cure for headaches, kidney stones, melancholy, even “female problems” as one salesman labeled it, was very tempting to a lot of people. The extensive list of ailments it claimed it could cure […]
3 Responses to Infertility
by: Claudia Fletcher. Infertility is not something that we talk about publicly … we don’t bring it up at a work gatherings or talk about it at parties. It is often a lonely, scary, emotionally horrific journey that is only understood by those who have experienced it. Over the years I have gotten to know […]
Parents of Teenagers: Change Yourself and Your Teen Will Follow
by: Claudia Fletcher, Chief Program Officer at Patrick Henry Family Services. I wrote a status update on Facebook several years ago that said “In case there are people out there who have not yet learned this, if a child is too big to physically move you really can’t MAKE them do anything.” I had […]
6 Ways to Build Resilience
by: Claudia Fletcher, M.Ed. My husband Bart and I are the adoptive parents of twelve children who are now ages 18-30. Back in the day we had no idea how deep into ourselves we were going to have to reach to find the strength we would need. Back then we had no idea what an […]
Caring for the Disappointed Child
by: Jane Snider, LPC. Most of us have experienced disappointment in our lives from time to time. That’s normal, and it helps us learn patience, develop character, and learn how to self-soothe in a healthy way. It is part of learning to cope, believing in tomorrow, and relying on prayer to get us through. There […]
Want to Be a Great Dad? You Need a Map!
by: Jim Urban, LPC. How many of you enjoy sitcoms about family life? I know I do; I enjoy laughing at them and find them to be very relatable. The other night, though, while watching a family sitcom, I was struck by how the father was so poorly portrayed. In this episode he epitomized the […]
3 Reasons a Little “Selfishness” Makes You a Better Parent
by: Jim Urban, LPC. Admit it, you’ve been there (and by the way, so have I). You love your children and want the best for them. You run yourself ragged trying to give them everything they need to succeed. Their birthday parties are the talk of the town, the affirmations you give them are constant, […]