Marriage counseling is designed for couples of all ages and all walks of life. Whether you recently got married or you've been together for decades, you can benefit from the lessons taught in couples therapy. With that in mind, you may be wondering: "What does marriage counseling do? Is marriage counseling right for us?" Let's take a look at some...[ read more ]

These are some ideas on how to help your children build confidence and self-esteem: Make them feel good and valued: 1. Provide them with opportunities to feel good and happy, surrounded by people with whom they feel safe and happy. 2. Tell them you always love them (even when you don´t like what they do). 3. Show interest in the...[ read more ]

According to relationship and marriage expert Dr. John Gottman, couples wait an average of six years of being unhappy before getting help. People often contact me looking for marriage therapy. They ask me “Can my marriage be saved?” or “Can you help us decide if we should stay together?” While these are complicated questions, my answer is usually something like:...[ read more ]

Are you going to be traveling without your children for a few weeks? Or is your spouse/partner the one traveling? These relatively short trips are usually pretty manageable, but they can still be stressful on your family. Here, we talk about some fun and play-based ways to make short separations more enjoyable. Someone in the Military, family separations are expected....[ read more ]

After the intake session is a great time to start talking up all the perks of going to Play Therapy to your child. "I just met Mr. Rodney, and he's got a cool job. He's a Play Therapist! He plays with kids and talks to kids to help them feel better! I'm so jealous you get to go see his...[ read more ]

"Can't I just play with my own child?" Sure, you could… and you should! Your therapist will recommend it! Although it has the word "play" in its name, and children typically love going, it is often hard work for the child. When placed in the right therapeutic environment, with a good therapist relationship, a child will gravitate towards acting and...[ read more ]

Counselors are often concerned about a child’s emotional literacy. Emotionally literate children can manage their feelings and their reactions to those feelings. They can recognize and respond to other people’s feelings, which is a significant advantage in life. Many of our clients are not emotionally literate and our work with those children includes developing and enhancing the child’s ability to...[ read more ]

Kids can’t always put their feelings into words. By Tomás Casado-Frankel, LMFT I am frequently confronted with parents’ concerns regarding the effectiveness of play therapy as a form of treatment. They say, “But it’s just play!” Play therapy is not just play. The treatment might be fun for the young patient—yes—but there is a lot that’s being expressed and understood. Play therapy is meaningful!...[ read more ]

There are telltale signs that signal you and your partner could benefit from couples counseling. Ongoing relationship distress is harmful to each romantic partner’s mental1 and physical wellbeing,2 and in addition, can negatively impact the kids.3 We all know this. Difficult conflict can lead to things being said that hurt us at our core. The growing emotional distance can leave us feeling...[ read more ]