You Complete You If the title of this post makes you think of an oft-repeated movie line from the mid-nineties, it is supposed to!  The quote you’re probably thinking of comes from the 1996 film, Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger. With characteristic intensity, Tom Cruise looks into Zellweger’s eyes and says, “I … The post What is Co-Dependency? appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

“I don’t like Dad, I love you Mom!”  You don’t forget words like that; trust me, I know.  My son was seven or eight years old and we were on a short vacation with my parents when he made this proclamation to my wife. I was standing outside the bedroom door of the condo where … The post Parenting Mistake appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

I really like new beginnings.  I look forward to the first day of class with each new semester. I recall the fun of an exciting new job, and I can feel the warmth of the first 40 degree day after a hard winter.   One of my favorite parts of being a counselor is the opportunity … The post New Beginnings- Resilient, Strong, Connected appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

If you are like me, sometimes you look around in your home, your community, and the world and feel overwhelmed by the pain.  So many people are hurting. Children are stressed to the point of thinking about taking their own life. Parents struggle to respond when adolescents seem rebellious, angry, lost, and out of control.  Married couples … The post Connection Is The Cure For Relational and Emotional Pain appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

I have been reading Brene Brown’s leadership book entitled “Dare to Lead”.   If you are familiar with Brene’s work you know that this book is full of talk about vulnerability, empathy, connection, and relationship. So, since we at Connections Family Counseling are passionate about building a community of connected families it makes sense that we would … The post Five Empathy Skills That Create Connection appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

Dan Siegel (2014) writes about the amazing tumultuous wild wonderful teenage brain describing the radical changes that occur in the brain through the teenage years.  He also writes in his book “Brainstorm: the power and purpose of the teenage brain” (2013) about the four qualities present in teenage minds based on the radical changes that occur … The post 7 Ways to integrate the Teenage Brain appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

Connections Family Counseling, LLC is now offering online counseling in Quincy Illinois and the surrounding areas.  The world has changed and is changing in ways that we could never have imagined a few short weeks ago.  We are changing with it by continuing to offer high quality mental health services to meet the needs of our current … The post Online Counseling appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

Finding your voice in a world of 7.7 billion inhabitants can be quite burdensome. This is especially true for our youngest members of society, who have not mastered the art of verbal or written expression. Try as much as they can, children frequently cannot articulate the feelings, thoughts, or ideas that reflect their worldview. As … The post Play Therapy Explained appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

Counseling has long been perceived as a mysterious act involving the seemingly “crazy” individual & a bizarre clinician. Even today, many individuals have strong reservations about therapy. Yet, if I asked one hundred random individuals, what they think counseling is, responses would likely be mixed. The mixture would include: appreciation, respect, disassifcation, & fear. For … The post What Is Counseling? appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more

It seems that nearly every month I hear of a new book or article that touts the latest trends in parenting styles.  Most recently I heard about the Lawn mower parent –one that cuts down any challenges in front of their children.  There is attachment parenting, the helicopter parent, drill sergeant parent, consultant parent and one book … The post Parenting Styles: What Works? appeared first on We help build Resilient Kids, Strong Marriages, and connected Families ..read more