Anorexia is a silent battle that so many are fighting — a sweet young friend, Michelle Baker wrote this and posted it  on her Facebook page for others to know that if they too struggle with an eating disorder, they are not alone.

Every year, approximately 12 million people in the U.S. become victims of intimate partner violence. Though “survivor” is the preferred term, unfortunately, it’s estimated that 1,300 people will lose their lives to domestic violence each year.

Lately, we have had SO many referrals of teen clients. Teens in 2017 are dealing with many different issues that we couldn’t have even imagined back when we were teens. I asked them for some input to help parents navigate these years and here’s what was shared:

We are taught to have compassion for others – what about compassion for ourselves? So often we shame ourselves for our parenting (or what we perceive are “lack of parenting”) abilities. Cut yourself some slack – give yourself a break! Those little buggers didn’t come with instruction manuals and chances are you’ve never parented before either.

Dating after divorce is hard enough. But dating after divorce when you have children is especially tricky. So, you’ve managed to survive the division of property, custody arrangements with the visitation schedule, and the divorce itself, what’s next?

Young girls grow up and often spend days/years dreaming of being a wife and mom. They expect that they will be their child’s “only” mom! They get married, have children, and dream of raising their children with their husband … with no one to interfere. They look forward to having a close family with lots of fond memories

Blending families is HARD! Blending families usually leaves some in the family without a voice (most often it’s the children). Children want to share their “truth” about blended families.

Grief encompasses a broad range of emotions and behaviors that are common after experiencing a loss. There are similar patterns that are descriptors of “normal” grief:

The following examples are normal grief reactions and there is nothing pathological about any of them. However, feelings that persist for abnormally, long period of time and at excessive intensity may signal a complicated grief reaction.

There are many different thought patterns that mark the experience of grief. Certain thoughts are common in the early stages of grieving and usually disappear after a short time. Sometimes though, thoughts persist and trigger feelings that can lead to depression or anxiety.

Summertime. Family vacations. Swimming. Fishing. Sunshine. The summer months can be a lot of fun and something to look forward to … however, it can also be a troubling and complicated time for children of divorce and their mothers and fathers.