Keeping Lines of Communication Open Practice Lines of communication can be opened or closed depending on the listener’s response to the speaker. When we listen beyond the words to the feelings and thoughts the speaker may be trying to express, we can build a bridge of empathy that feels respectful and supportive to the speaker.…
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I think Elaine Aron’s book is wonderful and I encourage you to buy it if you have a highly sensitive child. Her questionnaire below will help you decide. By Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. author of the highly sensitive child – Helping our children thrive when the world overwhelms them. Please answer each question as best…
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Preview chapter from my upcoming book Ally Parenting – A Non-Adversarial Approach To Transform Conflict Into Cooperation. The Emotional Support Process is an essential parenting skill for creating open communication and influence with your child during their emotional moments. Depending on your child’s nature, their expression of feelings may range from intense displays to refusal to…
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Guest Post by Joann Riggio, MFT , www.jgriggiomft.com Fear can be paralyzing and it can prevent us from doing what we want most in life. Even when we know exactly what we need to do, fear can be the barrier we place between ourselves, and our ultimate goals. This article illustrates 10 Common Fears that…
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Interacting with your children can sometimes feel like walking on eggshells where any comment or action could crush the “egg,” causing a gooey mess. Cleaning up after conflicts is challenging and time-consuming. To avoid the need for cleanup, I recommend learning how to interact with your children as an ally rather than an adversary. An…
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Do you have a child who ignores you when you give directions, or argues with you like an attorney trying to change your mind, or refuses to talk to you other than with a few words or grunts? If you do, then Ally Parenting – The path from conflict to cooperation is for you. Each…
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The mother-daughter relationship is particularly challenging because both sides desire and value emotional connection, whether it’s negative or positive. Because of this deep desire, when circumstances erode the emotional connection, both parties feel hurt and can resort to unhelpful language and actions that further the divide. However, even after a wall has developed, I have…
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Do you face any of these painful parent-child walls with your children? Do your kids… Ignore you? Argue with you? Refuse to share with you? If this sounds familiar, then Ally Parenting: How to get through walls…gently is the tool you need. Through the Ally Parenting approach, you will master the parenting skills, wisdom, and…
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It was a pleasure working with Cynthia over the last three months. She understood what we were going through with our kids and was able to provide us with solutions to overcome many of the day to day obstacles that were causing a disconnect between us and our kids. No matter your current parenting style, she…
DetailsMaking Friends with Yourself Teen Group Reduce anxiety, depression, stress and negative mood with mindfulness and self-compassion skills for teens. Adolescence is a time of change, growth and, all too often, struggle. Making Friends with Yourself is an eight-week program designed to help teens cope more effectively with the challenges of their day-to day life.…
DetailsTerms of Use: The articles in my blog are a matter of my opinion and perspective, offered to help stimulate parents' thinking about their child raising and common concerns, conflicts, and changes that typically occur. They are meant to be educational only. Because they are general in nature, they should NOT be used as a substitute for getting qualified professional psychological, medical, or legal help should serious need arise. The resources I recommend are mostly consistent with my parenting approach. Use them at your own discretion as you would my articles. The parents’ success stories are particular to their family situation. This does not mean that you would get the same results. They are to be used for inspiration that by you changing first, you have the greatest chance of creating a positive change in your family.