Teenagers often don't receive the recognition they deserve. We frequently hear about the negative aspects of adolescence, such as middle school drama, excessive phone use, and risky behaviors. However, we don't hear enough about their remarkable insight, creativity, and potential for resilience. My clients continually impress me with these and other wonderful qualities. I'd like to discuss resilience. This week, I went for a walk with my client, Anna (names have been changed

Just under a month ago, I went to my third yoga retreat. When preparing for a retreat, I always reflect on what my intention for that retreat should be. During my first retreat, I sought direction and healing. For my second retreat, my goal was to become more present and mindful. This year, the retreat came at the end of a busy spring and summer, which included my son’s graduation and move to college, a beach vacation, and my daughter’s summer camp. Because of our packed summ

I am naturally inquisitive. My husband often remarks that no one is "just asking" and that there's always an agenda behind a question. I disagree; many of us simply want to learn more and understand. I aim to make informed decisions based on comprehensive facts. This is partly why I've never fully aligned with a specific political party, as my views often fall in the moderate or "gray" area. Recently, I've grown increasingly frustrated because I struggle to find an accurate,

Lately, I've been concentrating on Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) with my clients. These thoughts are linked to our inner critic and have developed as a protective mechanism in our brains. If left unnoticed and unchecked, ANTs can result in anxiety and depression. Our negative past experiences take up significantly more space in our brains than positive ones because, evolutionarily, negative experiences had a greater impact on our survival. Unfortunately, even though we n

Recently, I observed a captivating phenomenon. Although I've noticed it before to some extent, I've never seen it unfold in such an intriguing way. My daughter, who rides horses, was at a show. Her event was scheduled for later, so while she was warming up, I watched another event. It was a pony hunter jumper competition, primarily featuring tween and teen girls. My daughter's trainer had advised the girls that, due to the recent dry weather, the ground was hard, and they nee

In my "other life," I work as a pediatric hospitalist at a community hospital. In this capacity, I primarily care for both healthy and ill newborns. Recently, I was attending to a newborn who was the first child of a 16-year-old mother, whom we will call Erin (names have been changed for privacy). Upon entering the room, I found the infant asleep in the bassinet, Erin sitting on her bed, and Erin's mother and maternal aunt present. Shortly after I arrived, Erin's aunt mention

It's reasonable to believe that most of us have at least one insecurity we've carried with us over the years—those small self-doubts that surface when we're feeling vulnerable. It might be a physical feature, a personality trait, or a perceived flaw. One of my recurring insecurities is my legs. Over time, my legs have been my primary physical insecurity. As an adult, I've often opted for longer dresses over shorter ones due to this self-doubt. I also genuinely like the look o

For many years, I've been working with patients dealing with eating disorders and body image issues. I've been educating young women on the importance of achieving and maintaining a positive body image. I've dedicated countless hours to training and becoming certified to lead these discussions. I've always felt confident and qualified to engage in these conversations. I'm open with my students, patients, and clients about my own past struggles with body image, which I've over

This morning, I went upstairs to wake my daughter and heard the shower running. I assumed it was my son in there. I spent a few minutes in my daughter's room, waking her up and being playful. When I came out, the shower was still on, but my son appeared in the hallway, fully dressed and dry. I jokingly said, "I thought you were in the shower." He explained he was brushing his teeth and then planned to shower. We exchanged lighthearted banter about it and moved on. I realized

Last week, I submitted an application for a marketing grant from a local magazine. I spent the entire week anxious about not being selected as a finalist to proceed to the voting stage. Today, I received an email congratulating me on being chosen as a finalist. The email also mentioned that the proof of our profile for the article would be sent to us soon. I sent my husband a screenshot of the email. He called me, excitedly saying, "Congratulations!" I replied, "Thank you. I

I began taking yoga classes eight years ago. Like many beginners, I started in the back corner of the studio—partly to observe the more experienced yogis, but mainly to hide my beginner skills from others. As I continued practicing yoga, my confidence and skills improved. With this growth, I gradually moved my mat forward, initially halfway up against a wall for support with balance poses, but eventually, I found myself in the front row. In the front row, I could concentrate

Does the way we teach girls about puberty really matter? Isn't it just about hair, breasts, and periods? Is a single lecture at school sufficient? I've been teaching puberty to elementary and middle school girls for years and educating patients about it since I began practicing pediatrics over two decades ago. I can say with absolute certainty that it is crucial what, when, and how we teach our girls about puberty. There's much more for girls to learn than the typical externa

One of my preferred tools to use with clients is the "Circles of Control" tool. Together, we identify which aspects of a specific challenge are within her control and which are not. I believe the Circles of Control can be applied to almost any situation, such as friend struggles, general anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork. The Circles help the client concentrate on what they can control, providing visual confirmation that some things are beyond their control while

When working with clients, particularly younger ones, I prefer engaging in activities like purposeful crafts, walking, drawing, or mindful coloring while we talk. This approach serves several purposes—it helps clients avoid direct eye contact during tough discussions and allows me to smoothly shift the conversation to a neutral topic if I notice the client is uncomfortable. If we work on a craft together, it always results in a final product that aids in addressing the challe