How to Co-Parent Successfully after Divorce

How to Co-Parent Successfully after Divorce

Divorces involving children can be especially challenging- and draining, for all parties involved.  While you may have seen the writing on the walls for some time, a divorce often feels very sudden to the children involved. The sudden breakdown of the family structure after a divorce can be traumatic for children. Children often experience feelings of abandonment, confusion and loss....[ read more ]

New guidelines for depression screenings for children 12-17

It’s not easy to talk about depression, yet the problem is fairly common. Only about 50 percent of adolescents with depression are diagnosed before reaching adulthood. During the teenage years, there’s about a 20 percent chance of having depression or anxiety, research suggests. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 17. This week the American Academy...[ read more ]

Self care tips during mourning

After the loss of a loved one, you will need time to grieve and heal. You will also need to care for yourself throughout the grief process. It is important that you give yourself permission to engage in self care. You are not able to take care of others, until you have taken care of yourself. Self care is not...[ read more ]

Children coping with divorce

Almost half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. Divorce is one of the most stressful life events for both children and their parents. Major stressors and risk factors include the initial period after separation, parental conflict, the loss of vital relationships, financial problems, and re-partnering or remarriage.   While some children seem to adapt to all...[ read more ]

Play therapy can help children process divorce

Play therapy can help children cope with divorce. Even in the most amicable of separations, children feel the effects of divorce. They experience the stress of their parents, as well as their own anxiety and fears, whether conscious or unconscious, about a number of questions. For example: “Was it my fault? Will I get to see mommy or daddy when...[ read more ]

Speaking of the unmentionable

“What really happened to grandma” asks your child after your mother, your child’s grandmother, died in a recent car accident. What happened is that grandma failed to yield a 4-way stop and was hit by another car, resulting in severe head trauma and ultimately a brain hemorrhage. Grandma died in an ambulance, on the way to the hospital.     “Talking...[ read more ]

The real stages of grief…

There are many misconceptions about the grief cycle and the stages of grief. This visual humorously, yet honestly, illuminates the discrepancies. When grieving there is no template, no order, and no right or wrong way to be experienced. Unfortunately, there are many resources out there, websites and books, that suggest that there is in fact a proper way to experience...[ read more ]