Relationships
The Bedtime Resistance That’s Actually a Cry for Connection
When “Five More Minutes” Really Means “I Need You” It’s 8:47 PM. You’ve read three stories, sung two songs, refilled the water cup twice, and escorted your child back to bed four times. You’re standing in the hallway, exhausted, wondering if you’re raising a future attorney given their negotiation skills. “Just one more hug.” “My […]
The Comparison Spiral Social Media Created
The Comparison Spiral Social Media Created Last Tuesday, I watched a mother scroll through her phone during our session, tears pooling in her eyes. “Look at this,” she whispered, showing me a perfectly curated photo of another family’s holiday card — matching pajamas, gleaming smiles, a spotless living room. “Why can’t I get my kids […]
The Childhood Memory Your Kids Will Never Forget
The Childhood Memory Your Kids Will Never Forget Last week, a father in my practice broke down during our session — not from anger or frustration, but from a memory that caught him completely off guard. His daughter had just turned eighteen, and as she packed for college, she pulled out a crumpled envelope. Inside […]
The Silence That’s Louder Than Any Argument
The Silence That’s Louder Than Any Argument Last week, a couple sat in my office for their third session. Sarah stared at her phone. Mark studied the ceiling tiles like they held the secrets of the universe. When I asked how their week had been, Sarah said “Fine” in a voice that could freeze lava. […]
What Our Grandparents Knew About Family That We’ve Forgotten
# What Our Grandparents Knew About Family That We’ve Forgotten Last Tuesday, I watched a young mother in my office pull out her phone for the third time in ten minutes—not to scroll social media, but to check a parenting app about whether her toddler’s tantrum was “developmentally appropriate.” She looked exhausted. “My grandmother raised […]
The Family Mission Statement That Changed Everything
The Family Mission Statement That Changed Everything Last Tuesday, I sat across from a mother who looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks. “We’re all just…running,” she said, her voice cracking. “Soccer, homework, my job, my husband’s job, dinner from a drive-thru. We live in the same house, but I feel like we barely know […]
The Saturday Ritual That Built Our Family Culture
The Saturday Ritual That Built Our Family Culture I’ll never forget the Tuesday morning my youngest daughter asked me, “Mom, what day do we love each other?” My heart sank. Not because she doubted our love, but because I realized something heartbreaking: our family had become so busy shuffling between soccer practices, work deadlines, and […]
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 […]