Communicating is hard! With so many methods of communication today, it seems so easy for a message to land sideways. Effective communication can be described as: Getting the idea out of my mind and into your mind with as little distortion as possible. Some things that distort and then derail effective communication are assuming negative intent, failure to confirm message was received, projecting unrelated past experiences onto the current situation, being under the influen

Sharing difficult news with children and teens and supporting them through the associated emotions can feel overwhelming, whether the information is specific to that child or family such as a new medical diagnosis or death or related to broader concerns such as national tragedies. This blog is intended to provide guidance on how to navigate these situations in an honest, validating and age appropriate way. Consideration of the child’s age and developmental level is crucial, b

“Ponte las pilas.” If you grew up in a Latino household, you’ve heard it. Tired? Sad? Stuck? Put your batteries in. Try harder. It’s said with love... mostly. A push from a tía, a parent, a partner who just wants to see you back on your feet. Échale ganas. Pull yourself together. Most of the time, it works the way it’s meant to. A small nudge on a hard day. But what happens when the thing pulling you down isn’t something you can power through? For depression, low motivation c

So many qualities make up who we are and how we show-up to interact with others, and when it comes to getting connected in counseling, it’s important to consider those factors. In this article, the words “counseling” and “therapy” describe the same service, just as “counselor, therapist, social worker, clinician, psychotherapist” are often used interchangeably to describe the same professional. There are some significant differences between schooling and work experience among