Latest News

  Transitions are part of life. There is this very cool concept called the Liminal Space. It is that period between the end of one experience and the beginning of the next one. Think being single then married, married then widowed/divorced, employed then unemployed. Think about being a teen for whom food is purchased, a... Read More

If Dissociation is a disconnection between surroundings, one’s thoughts, memories, or actions then it is familiar to all of us. I remember seeing Jaws (Spielberg) for the first time. At the end of it, my date was unable to stand up for a while. He had been so wrapped up in the story, the terror,... Read More

Foster parents have a unique role in a foster child’s life. It is, by definition, a time limited relationship. Can love happen when the end is inevitable? Does the transient nature of a relationship imply anything about the quality of the commitment involved? I’d like to explore two concepts here:  love and relationships. The quality... Read More

I’m no expert in the field of neurology but I wrote my Master’s Thesis on Adolescence and spent many years of my career working with them and their parents as a therapist. There is an opportunity during this time to make a huge difference in the life of a young person because their brains are... Read More

One’s mental health is a fluid element of life. It includes our emotional well-being, our social relationships and our inner life, our sense of self. We come into the world with a brain more or less ready for the world then our experiences, both prenatal and upon delivery, begin to leave their marks on it.... Read More

Family is an important part of nearly everyone’s life. For most, your family members are the people that support you, provide safety, shelter, and food, and they are also the ones who make you feel loved. Now consider how significant a family is for a child from foster care who has most likely dealt with... Read More

The trauma that occurred within a child’s first few months or even in utero can have a lasting impact on their development.  While in some developmental realms there may not be any delays recognized, other areas may be impacted tremendously.  It is essential that foster, kinship and adoptive parents learn how to recognize how children... Read More

I’m going to focus on a concept possibly unfamiliar but worth your attention. Dosing is a word used by Dr. Bruce Perry of the Neurosequential Model to describe the role a caregiver has in controlling how much stress children with chronic trauma histories can successfully handle. Stress is part of life: I need gas but... Read More

I should apologize now. This feels more like a term paper than a blog but in my effort to be as clear as possible, it just became more and more academic sounding. I will try to wrap up in simpler language by the end! Last week in a support group, something was said that has... Read More

Parents who adopt a child from foster care enrich their own as well as a child’s life by providing that child with a loving, devoted family. They are giving the child a home for the rest of their lives where they can be safe, grow, and flourish. But, just like having children of your own,... Read More