I thought this year for Christmas I would share with you some of my favorite quotes for the holidays: “My prayer today is that the message of this Christmas time will be a personal message to you that Jesus will be Prince of Peace in your life and will bring peace and satisfaction and joy to you.” – Billy Graham “For unto you is born this day a  Savior, who is Christ the Lord” – Luke 2:11 “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” — Hamilton Wright Mabie “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year long.” — Charles Dickens, “A Chr ..read more

I just read a New York Times article on the book from the Gottman institute titled “The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy”.  I thought- “really 7 days” -but as I read I realized the purpose of the article was to share some very helpful information to encourage couples in their marriages. If you would like to read the entire article please click on the link to the NYT article. I thought I would share the two biggest “take aways” for me as I read: Turning toward your spouse – the author of the article states “On a recent weekday morning, during the rush to ..read more

I just got to share some time with my grandson last weekend and we had a fantastic time.  It made me think of my favorite quotes and I thought I would share some with you about grandparents this week. “God couldn’t be everywhere so he created grandparents!” “The only thing better than having you as my parents, is my children having you as their grandparents.” “Grandchildren are a grandparent’s link to the future, grandparents are a grandchildren’s link to the past.” “The simplest toy, one which even a child can operate, is called a grandparent.” “Grandparents hold our tiny hands for a li ..read more

I just read a good article titled “When is it a good time to seek couples counseling?” and I thought I would summarize some of the great points the author made. If you would like to read the entire article please click on the link. Red Flags The article started with what it calls the “red flags that need to be addressed”, some of them are: Constant Criticism –You or your partner, or both of you, are constantly criticizing the other. The criticism is more than a complaint. It is personal and disrespectful. You’re on the Defense – One of both of you is not apt to accept the partner’s perspectiv ..read more

I have always enjoyed short quotes that capture the essence of a subject, I thought today I would share with you some of my favorite quotes about marriage: “A good marriage is where each one secretly suspects they got the better deal” – Unknown “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”—Mignon McLaughlin “My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.”—Winston Churchill “Marriage is not a noun; it’s a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s something you do. It’s the way you love your partner every day.”—B ..read more

In the 1990’s the Center for Disease Control discovered an exposure that dramatically increased the risk for developing 7 out of the 10 leading causes of death. In high doses it effects: Brain development The immune system The endocrine system And even how our DNA is read and translated What the risk is and is not Children exposed in high doses to this risk had triple the risk of heart disease and cancer. Doctors have not been trained to routine screen for this risk.  It is not a pesticide or pathogen, it is childhood trauma. They are not talking about a child’s trauma from losing a cha ..read more

The “7 Principles for Making Marriage Work” was written by the psychologist John Gottman. This blog will be a summary of those 7 principles. Enhance your love maps.  Love centers around being great friends, the first skill that’s required is an understanding of what’s important to your partner. Thinking about the details of the activities and relationships in which your loved one is involved creates a map in your mind of what’s going on in their world. This understanding enables you to know what they’re thinking and feeling. Nurture fondness and admiration Showing respect and appreciation ..read more

Play Therapy I just read an article entitled “The Science of Play Therapy” and I want to share four highlights from it concerning how play therapy aids in healthy neuro-development. Impact of Play therapy Play therapy allows a child to explore emotions, worries and imagination, as well as gain and practice coping strategies. While exploring the brain is developing new healthy pathways in a positive environment. This therapy incorporates elements that help change dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and behaviors into healthy emotional, cognitive, and social skills that strengthen resilience. Ident ..read more

I just read an interview with Dan Siegel about his book called  “YES Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child.” Dr. Siegel starts out the interview saying that the concepts in this book are a “no-brainer” Actually he said they were a “yes brainer” “The idea for parents or anyone caring for a child is to understand that the brain can get into a “yes brain” state and approach life with all of these positive features versus a “no brain” state, which is created when we feel threatened and we shut down. You are actually empowered as an adult to help raise childr ..read more

Young couple have problems in relationship How is your communication with your partner? Is it where you want it to be? Could it be improved? Do you ever feel like you wished you could talk about deeply held beliefs, thoughts, or feelings with your partner, but feel it’s pointless as it often ends up as a misunderstanding or an argument? Don’t feel alone or helpless as most couple’s struggle with this communication dilemma. The primary reason for this miscommunication is how the communication starts. This is called   “harsh startup” and many couples begin their communications being cr ..read more