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.

My 13-year-old son (soon to be 14) is having a hard time maintaining friendships. As a result, he tells his dad and me that he is lonely and then moves to “online friends,” which are really people he doesn’t know. He says that when he goes online, he can be who he wants and can just tell them the good stuff. Any suggestions on how to cultivate friendships with kids he has actually met through baseball, school, etc.?

With the passing of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, it is the perfect time to appreciate the tremendous gains we’ve made in understanding, accepting, and managing mental health issues. No longer viewed as character flaws or weaknesses, mental illness has steadily moved from the shadows of shame and doubt into a routine practice of chronic illness management. In keeping with this theme, we must recognize a lingering hurdle in the quest for effective mental health services. Substance use disorder (SUD), often referred to as “addiction,” remains poorly understood, harshly judged, and seriously undertreated.

I’m embarrassed to admit this but I’m nervous to see a therapist. I worry what they might be thinking about me! Will they think I’m the worst case ever? Can I really share everything? I'm scared to share my true thoughts and feelings because I think I’ll be judged.

I feel like I have caused two deaths - my sister who overdosed on heroin and my best friend who took his own life. For my sister, I just feel I could have been there for her more and been a better brother. With my friend, we went out drinking one night and both got very drunk. I dropped him off, he got in a physical fight with his girlfriend and then he took his life. I feel like I shouldn’t have invited my friend to drink and should have recognized the state he was in. How do I stop blaming myself?

If you have a family of your own and are inquiring to be a foster family, conversations with your partner and children are crucial. Below are some of the topics our foster parents discussed with their families and children before deciding to start their foster care journey.  

I can't stop worrying. Little things, big things, everything! How can I stop the constant worry and just enjoy my life?