This morning I got a disturbing call. A student I know had fled her English classroom. She was overwhelmed by the literature and discussion that was to follow. The subject: mental illness. Her distress was caused by her knowledge of her own diagnosis – panic disorder. Was she mentally ill? How would she answer the question on the discussion guide…
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The End of the First Week of School
This week has marked a significant change in the life of our family. Last fall – out of what seemed like nowhere to me – I felt God leading that we would place our oldest elementary age child in our local neighborhood school. I panicked at the thought of leaving the Christian school she attended three days a week while…
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Emotion Coaching for Parents from the Inside Out
I recently went with my family to see the movie Inside Out and it is a counselor’s dream. The idea of seeing how the emotions and the islands work inside a human creates an opportunity for parents and their kids alike to join in a dialogue with common vocabulary. This new vocabulary is playing out regularly in our home. It…
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I Go To Prepare a Place for You (John 14:2)
The Celebration of Life service was today. To say it was bittersweet seems too trite. I have probably attended more services than the average American my age because as a crisis and support counselor for a large suburban school district, I often chose to observe the service of a student or student’s family member that had died. It allowed me…
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Even in the Midst of Grief, Kids Need to Have Some Fun
I have said it countless time to grieving moms in my office that children grieve differently than we do and don’t need to just sit around the house doing nothing. Adults use the business of personal demands and work to distract themselves from continuous and intense emotion. The waves of grief are unavoidable and when they do encompass us, we…
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