Relationships
Why Your Family Needs More Boredom
Why Your Family Needs More Boredom Last week, a mom in my practice confessed something she thought would shock me: “I left my kids alone in the backyard for an hour with nothing. No toys, no screens, no activities. Just… grass and time. I felt like the worst parent ever.” She paused, waiting for my […]
Why Your Family’s Arguments Follow the Same Pattern
You Are Not Alone Last week, a dad in my office laughed — not the joyful kind, but the exhausted, slightly defeated kind — and said, “Doc, we had the exact same fight we had three months ago. Same words. Same ending. It’s like we’re stuck in a sitcom rerun nobody asked for.” His wife […]
The Car Ride Conversation That Actually Connects
The Car Ride Conversation That Actually Connects Last week, a mom in my practice told me something that made us both laugh and cry at the same time. “I spend forty minutes a day driving my kids around,” she said, “and I know more about the Spotify algorithm than I do about what actually happened […]
Why Your Family’s ‘Normal’ Might Be Toxic
Why Your Family’s ‘Normal’ Might Be Toxic Last week, a mother sat in my office describing her household routine with an exhausted laugh. “Every dinner ends in someone crying—usually me,” she admitted. “But that’s just how families are, right? My parents yelled; I yell. It’s normal.” She paused, then added quietly, “So why does it […]
The Dinner Table Habit That Transformed Our Family
The Dinner Table Habit That Transformed Our Family There was a Tuesday evening—unremarkable in every way—when I found myself staring at four people silently shoveling pasta into their mouths while scrolling, texting, and zoning out. My husband was answering work emails between bites. My teenage daughter had her phone propped against the water pitcher, watching […]
The Invisible Load That’s Burning Out Modern Parents
The Invisible Load That’s Burning Out Modern Parents Last week, a mom in my office broke down crying—not because of anything dramatic, but because she’d forgotten to sign a field trip form. Again. “I remembered it,” she said through tears. “At 2 a.m. when I couldn’t sleep. Then at the grocery store. Then while I […]
The One Word That Changes Family Conflicts
The One Word That Changes Family Conflicts I watched a father and his 10-year-old daughter sit, arms crossed, staring in opposite directions. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The dad had just finished explaining (for the third time) why her screen time needed limits. She’d countered with why he “never listens” […]
Why Your Relationship Needs More ‘Fights’
Why Your Relationship Needs More ‘Fights’ (Yes, Really) A couple looking sheepish. “We never fight,” Sarah said, glancing at her husband Tom. “Everyone says that’s great, but… something feels off.” Tom nodded. “It’s like we’re roommates who really like each other. We’re polite. We coordinate schedules. But I can’t remember the last time we talked […]
What Your Family Photos Reveal About Your Dynamics
What Your Family Photos Reveal About Your Dynamics Last week, a mom in my practice pulled out her phone to show me a picture of her family at the beach. “We look so happy here,” she said, smiling. Then she paused. “But if you look closer… my husband and I are on opposite ends. The […]
The Weekend Tradition That Saved Our Sanity
The Weekend Tradition That Saved Our Sanity It was a Sunday evening, and I was staring at the wreckage of another chaotic weekend. The kitchen looked like a crime scene starring cereal boxes and juice spills. My kids had fought over screen time approximately seventeen times. My partner and I had barely exchanged more than […]