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Older woman looking out onto a lake pensively

Managing Depression

Depression is treatable and you can feel better. Try to take one small step towards feeling better today. Here are some ways to manage and improve symptoms and help those you care about, including yourself.
Biracial woman looking out window

Walking Through the Stages of Grief

Grief isn’t just about death – it is a loss of relationships, activities, traditions, routines, and ways of life. As you think about how your life has changed over the past 22 months, there is no doubt in my mind that you have witnessed or experienced a loss that you can grieve. While our losses may look and feel different, I encourage you to walk through the stages of grief, so that you can experience the relief and appreciation that acceptance can bring.
Teenage boy looking out car window

Take Them for a Drive

To many, adolescent and teen boys are a mystery. They are trying to find their place in the pecking order of the world. They are defining manhood, “trying out” the different types of men they’ve seen in society, and how they want to be defined. So how do you communicate with adolescent boys? Take them for a drive.
Women reading book in bed

Getting Good at Feeling

Are the holidays bringing emotional “gifts” to you like they are to me? Feeling responsible for others’ happiness? Trying to create a perfect holiday? Let’s see if we can unwrap some of those gifts and let them move through us, perhaps off into the ether. We might find that some of them aren’t ours to keep after all.
Relaxing and drinking hot chocolate in bed

Gifting Self-Care Never Goes Out of Style

The holidays tend to get people in the spirit of giving. You might be preparing a list of gifts to give, scheduling time to host or attend dinner parties, or arranging travel itineraries to see your loved ones. It is common to go out of your way during the holiday season to show family, loved ones, friends, and co-workers that you care about them. Gift giving and holiday festivities should be fun and joyful. But if you feel yourself getting overly stressed, take a step back and prioritize the most meaningful pieces of your holiday — one of those being your own wellbeing.
Mothing Kissing Child

Loving Up Close

Foster and adoptive care is the epitome of living and loving up close. It’s feet to the ground, money-where-our-mouths-are, real investment type of work. There is nothing more real than welcoming a child, teen, or young adult into your home and walking a healing journey with them.
two gentlemen enjoying each other's company

The Power of Human Connection

In October, I was able to experience a joyous and long-awaited occasion - a three-day in-person retreat. It became evident that Zoom can never replace the connectedness that results from spending time with another person. As the days get shorter and people tend to go into hibernation mode, there is a risk that the loneliness people already feel will be exacerbated and raised to new levels. I ask you to join me in combatting loneliness by being a “reach out warrior.”
Young woman struggling to maintain hygiene

Hygiene and Mental Health

Personal hygiene is a subject that is often not discussed on a daily basis. Typically, hygiene is overlooked as we often assume that everyone does things in similar ways or have similar levels of frequency. However, hygiene can often be the first sign of the start of mental health issues.
Foster Family

Finding Belonging in Foster Care

The word ‘family’ is commonly interpreted as a group of individuals bound through marriage, blood, or adoption consisting of two parents and one or more children. The question at hand is what makes a household a family? Is it the fact that they are related, live in the same home, or is it because of the connections they have to each other? My definition of family is someone who you can go to for support, ask for guidance, depend on, and have unconditional love for you.  
Mother helping two daughter write a crisis plan

Creating a Crisis Safety Plan With Your Child

Are you a planner? As a parent or caregiver, what if there was a way to plan for more than just the monumental moments in life? However, there may be unforeseen moments throughout our children’s lives that lead up to these milestones, and we want to ensure that your child reaches these milestones safely. It is important to help your child develop a crisis safety plan for moments when life may feel a bit too heavy to handle on their own.