When I am working with parents, I often hear how different and much more difficult it seems to be a teenager in today's age. I don't feel that parents are entirely in the wrong when they tell me this. Sure, being a teenager is a pretty challenging time in life, regardless of when you might have been one or might end up becoming one. Hormones are running rampant, your frontal cortex (where your ability to use logic happens) is still developing, and your amygdala (where your emotions happen) is dominating your reactions, and by design, you are just a little more...

Halloween is just around the corner bringing with it the joys of the holiday.  Creative costumes, delicious treats, parties and so much fun.  With so much excitement in the air, please keep in mind that there can be dangers associated with the fun.  Below are several links to helpful websites offering useful suggestions for keeping your family and pets safe on All Hallows’ Eve.

The links below:

Spooky...

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

-Albert Camus

There are no manuals for developing expertise in grand parenting. I offer my perspective, distilled and filtered through my professional and personal experience.  With the birth of my 6th grandchild and a few years under my belt, I offer my insights on the value of a grandparent as part of the “Village” that raises a child.

As I witness my children parent their own children, I see the ebb and flow of energy and exhaustion, patience...

Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable...the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street...by a gusty wind, and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese.

― Hal Borland

FEMA Photo by Jocelyn Augustino

Whether you are directly or indirectly impacted by a natural disaster, it is normal to feel a range of emotions. The destruction created by floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and fires may vary, but a common thread is how we experience strong emotions in the aftermath.

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In 1990, Screening for Mental Health (www.mentalhealthscreening.org) pioneered National Depression Screening Day as the first voluntary mental health screening initiative.  Screening for Mental Health states “We envision a world where mental health is viewed and treated with the same gravity as physical health, and the public’s participation in National Depression Screening Day helps make that vision a reality.”

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The crickets still sing in October. And lilly, she's trying to bloom. Tho she's resting her head on the shoulder of death, she still shines by the light of the moon.

― Kevin Dalton

Have you ever played your favorite band’s music after having a bad day and felt better afterward? Maybe dancing to the music helped too? Or, maybe you played your favorite song on your guitar? Perhaps, instead, you got some paper and pencils and doodled and felt your mood shift? Some people like to write and imagine stories and feel better after putting words on the page.

There are many reasons why engaging in creative hobbies...

Take a deep breath, get present in the moment and ask yourself, “What is important this very second.”

-Greg MeKewn