Why All This Talking and Processing Isn’t Helping Your Child

Why All This Talking and Processing Isn’t Helping Your Child

The Patterns of Attention That Quietly Reinforce Struggle Spend enough time around many households, or therapy offices, and you will hear a familiar and well-intentioned phrase: “Let’s talk about how you’re feeling. Or how do you feel about that?” At times, this is...
The Cost of a Relentlessly Easier Childhood

The Cost of a Relentlessly Easier Childhood

When Good Intentions Create Painful Outcomes As a psychologist who has worked with families for decades, I am seeing a pattern that is difficult to ignore. We are raising children in a time of unprecedented comfort, safety, and opportunity—yet many are struggling...
Best Effort: One Key to Your Child’s Happiness

Best Effort: One Key to Your Child’s Happiness

Loading Video... Spring is a season of renewal. The days grow longer, energy returns, and many families begin thinking about new activities, sports, and opportunities for their children. It is also a time when an important parenting question quietly appears: Will our...
Your Teen is Not Broken, But Your Strategy Might Be

Your Teen is Not Broken, But Your Strategy Might Be

If you are living with a defiant teenager, you know the drill. You ask them to take out the trash, and they roll their eyes. You mention homework, and a door slams. You try to set a limit on screen time, and World War III erupts in your living room. Exhausted parents...
The Sensitive Child: A Costly Misunderstanding

The Sensitive Child: A Costly Misunderstanding

Parents often describe their child as “sensitive” with a kind of hopeful pride, as if this trait grants access to some emotional superpower. They imagine a child who is unusually compassionate, deeply connected to others, and tuned in to the subtler layers...