Category: Therapy tools
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Why We Block Our Own Blessings (And How to Stop)
You know that thing where you’re finally making progress on something important – maybe you’re consistently working out, or things are going well in a relationship, or you’re actually studying for once – and then suddenly you just… stop? Like, you literally sabotage the good thing you’ve got going? Yeah, that. You’re not broken, and…
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Meet Your Inner Squad: Why You’re More Than Just “One Person”
You know that voice in your head that’s always trying to keep you safe? The one that scans every room for exits and overthinks every text message? Or what about the part of you that just wants to have fun and says “yes” to everything, even when you’re exhausted? And then there’s that inner critic…
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Breaking the Chain: How Your Family’s Past Might Be Shaping Your Present
Ever wonder why certain situations trigger you in ways that feel way bigger than the moment? Or why your family has these unspoken rules that everyone follows but no one can really explain? You’re not imagining things – and you’re definitely not “too sensitive.” Here’s the thing: trauma doesn’t just affect the person who experienced…
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When Words Can’t Wait: Understanding Children’s Need to Interrupt
As a therapist who delights in working with children, I’ve come to understand that interrupting isn’t just rudeness—it’s often a child’s brain struggling with impulse control and the overwhelming need to be heard. The Volcano Effect Just like the character in “My Mouth is a Volcano,” many children experience thoughts and feelings with such urgency…
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Beyond the Battle: Understanding Childhood Defiance
As a therapist who cherishes working with children, I’ve learned that defiance rarely stems from willful disobedience—it’s often a child’s way of asserting autonomy in a world where they have little control. The Real Story Behind “No” Like the character in “I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No,” many children experience genuine distress when…
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When Little Hearts Carry Big Worries: Understanding Childhood Anxiety
As a therapist who adores working with children, I’ve witnessed how worry can consume young minds in ways that break your heart. Children’s imaginations, which bring such joy and creativity, can also become breeding grounds for fears that feel insurmountable to their developing brains. How Worry Shows Up in Kids Unlike adults who might verbalize…
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Using Sorry! as a Therapeutic Tool with Children
Board games can be powerful therapeutic tools, and Sorry! offers unique opportunities for emotional learning with young clients. This classic game naturally creates situations that mirror real-life challenges children face. Why Sorry! Works in Therapy The game’s core mechanics—being “bumped” back to start, drawing cards that determine your moves, and the satisfaction of reaching “home”—parallel…
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The Vanishing Art of Play
While working with teens and their families, I’ve witnessed a dramatic shift over the past decade. The children in my office today carry a different kind of anxiety than those I worked with fifteen years ago—one that seems deeply connected to how childhood itself has fundamentally changed. What we’re experiencing isn’t just kids spending more…
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When the Past Lives in the Present
After years of working with teens and adults carrying invisible wounds, I’ve learned that trauma isn’t just something that happened—it’s something that continues to happen within the body until we address it with intention and care. Trauma has a way of embedding itself in our nervous system, creating patterns that persist long after the danger…
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The Hidden Architecture of Change: How Small Habits Shape Our Lives
Working as both a therapist and lifestyle coach, I’ve witnessed countless clients struggle with the gap between who they are and who they want to become. The breakthrough often comes not from dramatic overhauls, but from understanding the profound power of tiny, consistent actions. Every habit is essentially a vote for the type of person…
Salt + Cedar Collective 