How to Haul Ourselves Out of Thinking Traps One of the major principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is that so-called cognitive distortions bring us a lot of unnecessary misery. Cognitive distortions are also known as thinking errors, thinking traps, or as therapist David Pratt has nicknamed them, “stinking thinking.” Thinking traps are misperceptions and … Read more
Finding Delight in your Children Building a secure attachment with our children is critically important for their development. Spending quality time with our children, being a consistent safe space, and reliably showing up to meet their needs help build secure attachments. Another aspect of parenting that helps build secure attachments involves delighting in our kids. … Read more
Save the World by Joining a Club? I recently attended a screening of a documentary with the rather ominous title, “Join or Die.” The film follows the work of political scientist Robert Putnam, perhaps best known as the author of the 2000 book Bowling Alone. Putnam’s work centers on the idea of social capital, or … Read more
Cultivating Hope, Even in Hard Times One dictionary definition of “hope” is: “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.” Despite the fact that we all feel like we know what hope is, often times hope is associated with naiveté. Those that are hopeful are sometimes seen as engaging in … Read more
Magical Thinking At the time of this writing, the Washington Commanders are just a couple days away from playing in the NFC championship game. A family member suggested that we watch the game at his house for “good vibes,” indicating that since our team won the last time that we watched at his house, we … Read more
How To Help Your Indecisive Child Many families I work with share that their child has difficulty making decisions which can sometimes lead to meltdowns and/or excessive time in doing so. Many factors can contribute to indecisiveness in children. These include, but are not limited to, fear of making a “wrong choice”, feeling overwhelmed by … Read more
How To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick The start of a new year often brings a sense of renewal and the desire to make positive changes. Each year, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions with the intention of improving their lives. However, by February, many people find their resolutions fading into the background. … Read more
New Group for Parents of Tweens/Teens: Register Today! Are you navigating the challenges of parenting a tween or teen? Whether it’s handling tough conversations, setting boundaries, or understanding the pressures of social media or technology use, raising adolescents can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new 8-week parent group, designed to provide you … Read more
Challenging Myths about Hair-Pulling and Skin-Picking Hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, cheek biting–these common human behaviors are known collectively as Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, or BFRBs. BFRBs have been poorly understood for decades, allowing several myths to spring up that remain commonly espoused today. Read on to learn how more recent scientific inquiry into BFRBs … Read more
The word ‘attachment’ refers to the significant emotional connection between a primary caregiver/parent and child. Across all cultures, races, genders, and communities, healthy attachments between young children and their caregivers impact the development of children in a profoundly meaningful way.
