No parent wants to see their teen in an unhealthy relationship, much less an abusive one. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 21% of high school girls who date and 10% of high school boys who date stated they had experienced some form of dating violence within the last 12 months. Teen dating violence can be physical, emotional, or sexual, and includes stalking.

Many of us have a default way of dealing with intense emotions which are often associated with stressful times. Living through a pandemic definitely qualifies as a stressful time. Unless you are over 102 years of age, you have not experienced a pandemic such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consider the unforeseen changes we have had to adjust to in the last few months: quarantine, teleworking, unemployment, managing health concerns, distance learning, and wearing masks. In the beginning of the “stay-athome order,” there was much adjustment, fear, and uncertainty. Slowly, many of us have had to reconfigure our lives to adjust to the new normal.

Ever heard the saying “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words can never hurt me”? This old phrase needs to be put to bed, because the opposite is true. As humans beings, we want to engage in meaningful conversations while expressing our feelings. If this is done through destructive language, it can be hurtful to one’s self-worth and confidence, even though it may not leave visible marks. Since judgemental words can can also damage relationships, we need to be careful how we communicate with our partners. Communicating more compassionately is a winning strategy to get our point across to others.

Mental health problems affect an entire family, not just the individual. Loving and caring for someone with mental health issues can be heartbreaking and exhausting. Frustration and resentment are often experienced alongside compassion, hope, and worry. When you notice that a loved one is struggling, it may feel imperative to get him or her to recognize the issues and get the help they need.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I have so much stress, isn’t that great?” Probably not. Most of us think of stress as negative and something we need to rid ourselves of. Though it’s important to lower your bad or negative stress, it’s equally important to increase your positive or good stress. Most people do not separate stress into good and bad. Increasing self-awareness and learning to manage symptoms is key to maintaining your emotional well being.

Is your last child about to leave home? Maybe he/ she has already relocated and you’re feeling sad, worried, or lost. You may even feel excited and hopeful for what’s to come. The next chapter of your life can be a time filled with new opportunities and experiences, or it can be pretty rough. It’s common to experience mixed emotions during this transition period.

Do you ever struggle to understand someone from a different generation? Does their behavior or view seem foreign, confusing or annoying to you? Generational differences can feel overwhelming – causing irritation, perplexity and division among family members and society. In other words, if you don’t understand what your granddaughter is trying to tell you and vice versa, you are not alone! But how can you nurture a loving relationship when the generation gap feels like there’s an ocean of misunderstanding between you?

The holidays will soon be here again. Does the thought excite you? Irritate you? Fill you with childlike anticipation or just dread? Well, most people experience a whole range of emotions surrounding the holidays, and those thoughts can be difficult to sort through. The holidays are supposed to be a time of festive parties, family traditions, peace, and joy.

Twelve years ago I was divorced. I want to share what I have learned from my own experience and what countless women have shared with me. My hope is that we can start to talk about divorce (or separation) and being single without shame or guilt, but rather with strength, clarity and courage.

Women are excellent and patient listeners. We are natural caregivers and we’re supportive of everyone around us. So what is it that we do to mess things up in our relationships? We can’t fix it until we know.

The practice of mindfulness is not only sweeping through mainstream America, it is also sweeping through the mental health and business worlds.

Why are so many people desperately seeking love – as if it can be found outside of them or in another person? What is love? And can a single description or label contain the essence of love?

Intuition is the calm, small voice inside of you that speaks up at unexpected times. It is the ability to “just know” about a person, situation or decision without having to investigate. We have all experienced a hunch about something or someone; that’s our intuition.

Do you suffer from chronic, acute or even mild anxiety? If so, then you might find some comfort in knowing that you have plenty of company. In fact, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America tells us that 40 million Americans age 18 and over suffer from some kind of anxiety issue.

We all know that alcohol, drugs, gambling, and sex can lead to addictive behavior. But did you know that living in chaos is an emerging and increasingly common addiction as well?

When I was a young girl, there were several running jokes in my extended family – all of which made me seem and certainly feel as though I was somehow not good enough. Looking back, I don’t know why it was so amusing but I went along with the jokes because I was a “good girl” – and going along with jokes, even if they are hurtful is what “good girls” did – and still do, today.

It is invisible. It is intangible. It has no name. It is a problem when a woman’s confidence is undermined or missing; a woman receives mixed messages about her identity; a woman has denied her own intuition for so long that she no longer recognizes it; and when a woman does not have appropriate boundaries in her relationships.

True empowerment for a woman comes from knowing how you feel and then being able to communicate your needs and feelings appropriately in your relationships. An empowered woman knows when to say ‘no’ and where to draw the line in her various relationships. She can recognize her own needs and ask for help when necessary.

According to an American Psychological study, half of all women in the United States experience heightened stress during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Going to counseling is a gift you give to yourself and others. It is a mental tune-up. We take our cars in for tune-ups. We take our children to their doctor and dentist appointments to prevent future problems. So why not get a mental tune-up?

We’ve all heard the recent news about an increase in bullying in schools. Bullying among children has always been around. What is changing is the nature of bullying.

Parents are, hopefully, doing a lot of talking to their children and especially their teens about what not to do. Recent studies indicate that our children may not really be listening to us. This is alarming.

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, especially in the lives of teenagers. It is so important for parents to understand the social media world, especially Facebook.