My siblings and I have good jobs and each of us can take care of ourselves. We all pay our bills, feed our families, and enjoy some extra pleasures. The issue is that I make more money than my parents and my two siblings and this can become awkward at times. Whenever I buy something a little more expensive for myself or others, they ask me how much it cost. Sometimes they insinuate or try to guess my income level to see if I will confirm or deny their suspicions. How do I handle these uncomfortable situations? I don’t want to tell them how much I pay for things, or my income, and I wish they wouldn’t ask.

Fourteen-year-old Darrin’s trauma occurred before he was old enough to remember what happened, but his body will never forget. With the help of his support team at Nexus-Gerard Family Healing, Darrin has been learning the skills to calm his body and mind when he finds himself in what he perceives to be a dangerous situation.

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.

The holidays are really tough for me. I live far away from my family and this will be the second year in a row I am not able to make it back to see them. I can feel myself starting to push away from my family just to protect myself from feeling left out. I’m sad and I seem to cry at the drop of a hat. What do I do?

A group of three high-spirited brothers, Joe (13), Jeremy (9), and Jared (7), had experienced significant neglect in their young lives due to their parents’ drug use. They were scared, distrusted other people, and sometimes behaved in reckless and aggressive ways because they never had the guidance to help them know how to cope with their emotions. Tim, a long-time Nexus-Kindred foster parent, knew he could make a difference in the lives of these boys.

Michael was a 16-year-old with great spirit but a tough history when he arrived at Nexus-Mille Lacs. His life had been challenging. He had been shuffled in and out of multiple homes, got involved with the wrong crowd just to have a sense of belonging, and struggled to manage his mental health issues. He needed the therapy, tools, and guidance to help him move forward and live his best life. 

Some have described Michael as a “gentle giant” – a tall, teenage boy who enjoys reading, writing, and has a very sweet demeanor. He kept his emotions bottled up for years until he started acting out from his painful experiences at age 16. His broken self-esteem and loneliness, a result of his family’s inconsistent support and love, made it difficult for Michael to trust and accept others into his life. That all began to change when he arrived at Nexus-Woodbourne.

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.

My six-year-old son doesn’t seem to have any appreciation for the gifts we get him. It’s especially bad around the holidays. He’s not grateful, pouts if it is not exactly what he wants, and sometimes even asks for more. I’ve tried to explain to him that his behavior isn’t polite and that he should be happy with what he has, which is plenty, but it’s not changing. What do I do?

Lately, I have been feeling that one of my friends is taking advantage of me. Every time she calls it is always about her. I don't mind being an ear to listen but it is starting to get exhausting. I am also going through some big life changes but she never asks how I am doing. I am not sure how to set this boundary or even bring it up to her. I don't think she even realizes she is doing it. Where should I go from here?