Soar With Your Strengths

I have a confession to make - I don't love some of the ideas floating around in the mental health/coaching fields. I struggle with the idea that when I am plagued with anxiety, or anger, or depression it means I have something "wrong" with me that requires "fixing." This mindset just really rubs me wrong! …

Oh, those intensities

"Ok, you finish up here in the kitchen, I'm hitting the couch with my wine and iPad to write. I have a blog post due in the morning." "What's the topic?" A wince, a sigh, a muttered curse. "Intensity." And the laughter rang out from the sink behind me.  It's a good thing I love …

#EverydayEmpathy

Wow! I've been a bad blogger. It's been three months since my last post. Oops. My only excuse - all the fun I'm having in my fictional worlds and with the new job. Speaking of the new job, one of the things I love about it is my chance to create new content. In particular, …

Lots of covers, lots of excitement…

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday. I, for one, can't wait the week to be over. My oldest is home from college in three short days and I couldn't be more excited. But that isn't what this blog post is about. It's about my shiny new cover. Elana Johnson is helping me out with a cover reveal …

Finding Joy: 5 Tips to Releasing Your Inner Joy

Hey all! So nice to be back after the great long break. This month I thought I'd tackle the topic of joy and love. To start, I wanted to talk a little about being happy. Have you seen the December Weight Watchers commercial featuring the cutest little girl ever! This kid absolutely understands joy: There …

An Article in Justine Magazine…and some other stuff.

I am so excited to tell you about a new article I've written for Justine Magazine, an amazing magazine for Teen girls. The article is about toxic relationships. Check out a little preview here: The article focuses on the typical toxic friendships that teen girls wind up in, as well as strategies for detangling yourself …

The Many Forms of Bullying

Yesterday we  focused on understanding the bully. Today, we are talking about the three types of bullying - Physical, verbal and relational. Physical Bullying, due to its visible nature, often attracts the most attention. It can include slapping, hitting, psychical violence and destruction of property belonging to the victim. It is most often perpetrated by male bullies, though …

Bully Prevention Month: What is a Bully

Since October is Bully Prevention Month, I thought I would dedicate the majority of the rest of the month to the topic, covering everything from bullying, to prevention. To start, it only seems fitting to define what a bully is and is not. Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. The National Association of School …

The Art of Thinking….or Not!

It's 3am. You are awake, again. You're mind is racing, contemplating answers to the incessant questions you can never seem to quiet. Moment after moment, your brain works on the invisible puzzle as though your life depended on an answer. And no matter what you do, you can't quiet the noise. Sound familiar? For many …

What If: Team Building and Connections

I've been thinking a lot about what makes a good team lately. Perhaps it's because I am in a work situation where collaboration and innovation can create magic for kids Or, lack of trust and boundaries can create a hostility that hurts kids. It's all in how the team functions. Yesterday I was able to …