Hello. Today a mother asked me about support groups for girls. This parent is a very aware, caring, sensitive and amazing mom of two children, a 9-year-old daughter and a younger son. The family has undergone some big transitions this past year and her daughter is expressing emotional outbursts that are energetically extreme, emotionally toxic…

I got an important question from a concerned friend today. In my own words, the question was  essentially “What holistic options are available for dealing with feelings of guilt and self-blame?” In this situation, a parent discovered that her daughter had been sexually abused by a female babysitter years ago. The daughter just revealed this…

In this 6th and final article of the Teen Feelings series, I share 7 guidelines for how to listen to and coach your teen through some problem solving steps: 1. First, find a private place to chat with them. Pause what you’re doing and give them your full attention. This means eye contact, no distractions,…

Welcome Back. This is the fourth article in a series about teen feelings. In this article, we take action to build your youngster’s emotional competence. 1. First, let me say that in general, the emotional body is part of our human survival system; it helps us decide what is needed in a situation. In other…

To follow up on Teen Feelings – Part 3, which gives a context for looking at suicide, here is a list of suicide warning signs. These signs mean your youngster’s state has likely reached a serious and critical level, and it is time to take more serious and direct action. It is also wise at…

In this third article of the Teen Feelings series, we skip right into the issue of suicide. 1. As I stated in Teen Feelings – Part 1, a general “rule of thumb” is to take all suicidal thoughts and statements that a child makes seriously. Although things may feel dramatic or silly to parents, suicidal…

Last week, we looked at things to consider when deciding if your teen’s feelings and behaviors are aligned with their experiences, or if they are indicators that your youngster is struggling. This week, we take a deeper look into the life of a teen. 1. First, let me state the obvious: that the teenage years tend…

Recently, I got this question from a parent: QUESTION: “My daughter recently broke up with her boyfriend. She is a high school junior and was both surprised and hurt by the breakup. They had been “dating” for months and I would describe their relationship as close and even intimate. She says they did not have…

During the Co-Creator Network interview with Mary Adams last week, a parent called in (Thank you, Allison!) and asked if nutrition is discussed in AD/HD Generation: Holistic Ways to Support Children, the new book I’m publishing this Fall. Yes, it is. Nutrition is such an important part of health that I include an entire chapter…

Hello again! This is Part 4 in a series on holistic parenting. So far, we’ve covered some basic information on holistic parenting and gone into a bit more detail around the physical and mental aspects of Being. Today, we add in the emotional aspect of Being. In some traditions, our emotional bodies are linked with…