The Subtleties of Growing Up with Emotionally Immature Parents

The Subtleties of Growing Up with Emotionally Immature Parents

All families have their quirks, but sometimes those quirks run deeper than awkward traditions or embarrassing stories.

Many of us grow up in homes where emotional immaturity plays a role, shaping how we handle emotions, relationships, and even our sense of self. These effects aren’t always obvious to see as they tend to be subtle and ingrained in everyday interactions, all while leaving a lasting imprint.

Record Pulls: The Music of Authenticity

Record Pulls: The Music of Authenticity

Music isn’t just about your tastes; it’s about who you really are under the surface. What if the songs you hold close are not just reflections of your tastes but windows into your identity, values, and even your hidden desires?

The record pull works because it engages our memories, emotions, and identities all at once. It doesn’t just tell us what to think; it makes us feel.  We’re not passive listeners; we’re participants in a dialogue, using music to explore our inner landscapes and those of others.

Navigating Perimenopause Together

Navigating Perimenopause Together

Perimenopause is one of life’s most profound transitions, yet it often arrives unannounced, leaving us to make sense of the changes it brings on our own. Between the hot flashes, mood swings, and shifts in identity, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

But here’s the truth: perimenopause is not only physical symptoms; it is an emotional journey that deserves attention, care, and support.

Creative Healing

Creative Healing

Creativity is a fundamental aspect of our human experience. There is no healing without imagination. Imagination and creativity are not only essential elements to birthing our goals, but they are necessary for humans to be able to express themselves in the world. Unfortunately, when we have experienced wounding events, we may internalize the message that creativity and expression are to be suppressed. In fact, for some people, creative practices may feel quite scary and unobtainable. In this article we are going to focus on the benefits of creativity, the obstacles to expression, and the small creative moments one can engage with to enhance their overall well-being. 

Letter to Parents of Trans Kids

Letter to Parents of Trans Kids

Our therapist who specializes in queer identity issues has seen first-hand how powerful a parent’s response can be when a transgender child comes out. They’ve composed steps that you can take as a parent to support and guide your child, while encouraging their autonomy and self-actualization. You love your child, and you want the best for your child; you can make that happen together.

Debunking the Myths of Grief: A Path Towards Healing

Debunking the Myths of Grief: A Path Towards Healing

Grief is an inevitable part of the human experience, but it's often misunderstood and surrounded by myths that can hinder the healing process. It’s natural to crave a concrete guide to navigate the tremendous impact of loss, but this is where the perpetuation of myth often begins. While understanding “stages and strategies” can be helpful, I invite you to consider that hidden in the pain of grief, inside your own body and knowing, is a beautifully unique pathway to healing and personal growth.

Self-Compassion: A Practice that Promotes Healing

Self-Compassion: A Practice that Promotes Healing

Self-compassion helps us to move toward self-regulation and healing. Self-compassion has been documented in hundreds of studies as a practice that can build resilience and combat depression, anxiety, stress, and shame. Self-compassion differentiates from self-esteem in that it is not a type of self-judgment, as in, “I just got a promotion at work–I am so amazing!” It is a way of treating ourselves with loving kindness and acceptance in light of the organic ups and downs of everyday life. Whereas self-esteem is dependent on how we perform in the world and whether or not we judge that performance to be acceptable,  self-compassion enhances our ability to fully accept ourselves and treat ourselves with kindness and respect in all types of weather. 

Attunement: The Real Language of Love

Attunement: The Real Language of Love

The confusing experience of being loved and feeling invisible at the same time has a long-term impact on a person’s fundamental belief about themselves in the world. This might look like low self-esteem, struggles with self-worth, or a sense of incompleteness. We all need to be deeply known. Attunement goes beyond empathy, creating a reciprocal, unbroken, resonant connectedness. Attunement is the act of listening, deeper than a simple dialectic or exchange of words or ideas. Just like listening to music, it is deep hearing, holding, and feeling into another’s experience with our entire being.