Tag Archive for: family therapy

Attachment and Teens: Staying Connected to Your Child During Adolescence

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Adolescence is a challenging time for most parents. Often in our therapy offices at Creative Family Counseling we hear from parents that they knew how to care for their children when they were small, but that they feel like estrangement or conflict are inevitable as their child navigates adolescence. While it is understandable that many parents feel this way, it is the cultural stereotype of teenager/parent relationships. The loss of connection between you and your child does not have to be inevitable. Learn More...

“Hello…I’m looking for a Feelings Teacher for my children.”

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A parent recently called and said she was looking for a “Feelings Teacher” for her two children.  I explained that this was not necessarily a title I’d been given before, but that perhaps I could help.  While discussing what exactly her goals would be for bringing her children in to see a “Feelings Teacher,” she identified what I would call typical treatment goals for counseling with children: Learn More...

Archer provides Animal-Assisted Therapy at Creative Family Counseling

A Chat with Archer: Being a Therapy Dog at Creative Family Counseling

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A Chat with Archer: Being a Therapy Dog at Creative Family Counseling

Creative Family Counseling is known for offering creative interventions to help clients and their families experience change and healing.  Animal-Assisted Therapy is one of the unique modalities of therapy available for clients of our practice.  Rebecca Street, LMFT and a sweet Doberman Pinscher named Archer are one of the two animal-assisted therapy teams at Creative Family Counseling.  I sat down with them for a quick interview about the amazing work they offer to their clients. Learn More...

Problematic Behaviors in children are the warning signals to adults that they need support.

The Red Flags of Challenging Childhood Behaviors

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Seeing Behaviors as Red Flags

When children demonstrate behavioral problems, it’s a signal to the grownups in charge that they need support in some way.  Children communicate to adults how they are doing primarily through their behavior.  This is due to normal brain development.  Because the areas of the brain that are responsible for expression through language (verbally communicating, “I’m not ok.”) are still developing, children show us how they are feeling through their behavior. Learn More...

research proves spanking ineffective and harmful

On the Topic of Spanking…

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For more than 10 years, I’ve worked with families who come in to see me while (because of) experiencing childhood behavioral challenges. Over the years, I’ve handled parents’ questions about spanking in different ways as a Therapist. As my experience and expertise in this field have grown, my opinions and recommendations about corporal punishment have become more and more bold.

Corporal punishment has never “set well” with me, from a theoretical standpoint. And it just feels wrong, from a person standpoint.  Let’s stop and think about it for a minute.  An adult, with a fully developed brain, who is much bigger and stronger than a child is intentionally physically hurting a child, who has a developing brain not yet capable of rational thinking, to correct a behavior with which the adult is dissatisfied about. What?! That doesn’t make sense to me. If an adult physically harmed another adult, this would warrant an assault charge.  Children are people too, and it’s about time our parenting approaches reflected that. Learn More...

Toddler Meltdowns

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As a parent of a toddler, this article titled “Toddlers, Meltdowns and Brain Development: why parents need to ditch traditional discipline” on www.RaisedGood.com really struck me.  Here’s an excerpt:

“…remember a tantrum is not a reflection on you. Let’s repeat that; your child’s tantrum is not a reflection on you or your parenting. What is a reflection on you is your response to the tantrum. Can you find the courage to disable generational imprinting and cultural expectations and be the calm in your child’s storm? You cannot control another person, but you can choose your response.” Learn More...