One of the best things about being a counselor is the opportunity to witness another person when they have an aha moment or begin to break through an old pattern. I remember one boy who came from a very difficult family situation. Second grade, third grade, fourth...
“Joel” was a well-liked 6th-grader in the rural school where I worked for years as a counselor. He never caused trouble. Ever. But one day, some students ran in to tell me Joel had hit another boy. Very upset, they asked for my help. Naturally, I went to get Joel. His...
Last fall, Gallup and UNICEF teamed up to ask teens and young adults in nearly two dozen countries on what it’s like to grow up in today’s world. The vast majority – 86% – said they sometimes or often feel anxious or worried. Nearly the same number also...
With so much buzz about the new Netflix movie Don’t Look Up, you’d hope that at least some of it would transition to talk about the issue it allegorizes – and, most importantly, what we can do about it. But talking about climate change is difficult. And it’s...
One time when I was working with a client, I asked how she had survived the many losses and trauma of her childhood. She smiled and said simply, “I found magic, safe places in the world: a coffee shop with sweet energy; a quiet music store where someone patiently...