As we try to navigate the events of the past year, it is no wonder we are all experiencing added stress in our lives. Managing stress takes work, but if done regularly, you will feel like the stress coming in your life is more manageable. The goal is not to eliminate stress, but to deal with it more effectively through small shifts in your thinking, actions, and behaviors.

As parents of a 10-year-old we are very anxious about the shootings that keep taking place in schools. We are glad it’s Summer because we don’t want our son at school because we are afraid of what could happen. How do we handle this anxiety and fear? How do we gear up for Fall and feel good about him going back to school?

Use this sheet as a self-check to track your day-to-day well-being habits.

I am a foster parent. I was given all the training and tools my brain could absorb about development, trauma, how to build relationships, how to repair relationships, ways to manage difficult behavior, and tips for self-care. I love to learn, and I love putting new information into practice. I feel like I parent well. And yet on the toughest of days, there are times I wonder, “What are we doing? Are we even helping?” and, “What if nothing works?”

My husband has been seeing a therapist for a while. And now he wants me to attend his session with him. I’m scared to go because I know they’ve been talking about me and our relationship. It feels like I’ll be ganged up on since it’s his therapist. She will probably take his side on everything. Should I even go?

As a parent or caregiver, you anticipate and meet your child’s physical needs, such as hunger or tiredness, and are attuned to their mental and emotional needs. You can guess when your child feels sad, angry, anxious, or depressed. You can help identify why they are feeling this way. But how do you know when your child’s feelings won’t pass, and what meaningful actions can you take to help? 

I am a 33-year female struggling with my relationships with my two older sisters. To do this day my sisters continue to make up lies about me and spread them around to the family and/or on social media. ​​​​​​​How do I deal with my sisters going forward and should I have called the police after the physical event in the car?

The struggle I see most in this caregiver/youth relationship is the desire to become the “Buddy.” The Nurturer helps with the behaviors that arise along the way so they can continue moving forward with the day or task at hand. However, the Nurturer can very easily slide into the Buddy role. When a youth enters any sort of residential facility or new foster care setting, they often don’t know how to create or maintain healthy attachments to the adults around them. It is our job as professionals and caregivers to model what a safe adult relationship looks like. 

My wife complains about how she looks - her hair, her weight, her nose - all the time and I'm not sure how to respond. I think she's beautiful! And I tell her this, but it doesn't seem to sink in. I worry all this negative talk is harmful. And I'm tired of hearing it. I love her - what can I do to reassure her?

We fill up with sunshine when we see victory in our children’s lives, and the moment we start to let our shoulders drop in relaxation, another storm comes seemingly out of nowhere. But that does not mean healing isn’t happening. It means that it is layered and multifaceted and complex. It means that trauma goes deep, and so must healing.