International Transgender Day of Remembrance

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Today we take a moment of reflection to acknowledge today as International Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transgender Day of Remembrance focuses our attention on the violent reality that our transgender and nonbinary siblings experience in their day to day lives, and brings to our attention the names and stories of the individuals who have lost their lives this year to this type of senseless violence. As we lift up the names of these bright lights that have been lost to our families and communities, we also acknowledge the disproportionate impact that this kind of violence has not only on economically disadvantaged members of our community, femme presenting members of our communities but disproportiately upon BIPOC members of our communities. We mourn these individuals while acknowledging that this violence only ends when people of privilege in our communities take active steps to address and eliminate not only transphobia, but also classism, misogyny, and racism. Only when we address the total marginalization of individuals for all facets of their identity can we help assure their safety. To learn more, and to hear the stories of those we’ve lost this year, please visit: https://www.hrc.org/resources/fatal-violence-against-the-transgender-and-nonbinary-community-in-2023 For resources for your own learning about allyship with the transgender community, please see HRC’s booklist for educators and caregivers: https://welcomingschools.org/resources/educators-caregivers-booklists

Facing Religious Trauma and Spiritual Harm Together

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 In today’s diverse and dynamic world, individuals navigate a multitude of beliefs and ideologies. For some, faith is a source of strength, solace, and community. However, for others, religious experiences can leave deep emotional scars that can often feel overwhelming. Creative Family Counseling understands the importance of addressing the challenges faced by those who have experienced religious trauma and spiritual harm. If you have experienced wounds related to negative experiences of faith or spiritual beliefs, therapy can help you sort through your emotions and help process the traumatic experiences of your life toward spiritual healing. But what exactly is religious trauma? How can therapy help? This article will explore some of the ways that religious trauma can affect you, where it comes from, and how therapy can help you sort through your beliefs and feelings. Learn More...

Is EMDR Right For Me?

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This is a question I’ve been asked many times over the past several months. My answer is often a resounding “Yes!” due to the many applications for this intervention. If you’ve heard the buzz around EMDR and wonder if it’s right for you, here is some information you might consider for yourself and then discuss it with a therapist trained or certified in EMDR.

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a therapeutic intervention that allows people to heal from traumatic or disturbing life events. We all have neural pathways in our brains that help us make sense of the world around us. However, these pathways can become blocked after a traumatic experience. Using eye movements or other bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps reprocess the memories related to those events, thus removing the blocks in the neural pathways. Once the block is removed, the brain begins to heal from the traumatic event. Learn More...

Non-Suicidal Self Injury (or self-harm) vs. Suicidality

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The difference between Suicidality and Self Injury is INTENT. 

Individuals engage in self-harm to feel “something” other than numb or empty. Sometimes self-harm can be a way to signal to others that they need help or the harming behavior has become a maladaptive coping skill. Individuals who express suicidality are experiencing hopelessness, despair, and thinking that the end of their life could be the solution to their problems. Although both conditions can stem from similar situations or contexts, self-harm does not always indicate that the individual wants to end their life.  Learn More...

Limiting the Overwhelm of Parents: Making Therapy More Accessible to Children and Teens at School

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As parents, we want our kids to be happy and healthy. Oftentimes this means running them all over town for various events and appointments – wellness visits, sick visits, tutoring, dentist appointments, lessons, sports activities, vision tests, club events…and the list goes on and on.  While their happiness and success is a priority, what happens when crises arise which add to the already over-scheduled family schedule? When our children experience mental health symptoms and concerns, this moves up quickly on the priority list of weekly commitments. Parents who are already burning up the road with mileage then try to find more time in the day to fit in one more (very important) therapy visit. Learn More...

Is This Normal? When Should I Seek Help for My Child?

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By Erica R. Myers, LPCC-S, RPT-S Clinical Director Creative Family Counseling

Mental illness can begin at any age and affects everyone – regardless of socioeconomic status, background, or upbringing. It is essential to recognize that the onset of mental illness is typically during childhood and the teenage years, meaning parents must be educated on the potential signs and risks. While mental illness can be scary, it is highly treatable. Those who seek early treatment for their child can find fantastic outcomes in therapy. Learn More...

Back to School: Time for a New Routine Chart

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If your family has had a relaxed scheduled this summer, you may find that it’s time to get back into a routine to prepare for your back-to-school schedule! This afternoon my elementary-aged child and I created a new Routine Chart. Routine Charts are a positive parenting tool that can help streamline a routine or process, help your child increase their autonomy and skills and releases you of the nagging for all that has to be done! Instead of asking quick-fire questions in the morning about all their morning tasks, you can simply ask, “Have you completed your morning routine?” Learn More...

What’s the Difference Between Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health?

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Depending on the professional with whom you speak, mental health can sometimes be referred to as emotional health or behavioral health. To me, they’re all the same. It’s hard to differentiate our cognitions (mental) from our emotions and our reactions (behaviors) because they are all interconnected and influence one another. What is happening in our environment impacts the way we think about ourselves and our surroundings, influences how we feel both physically and emotionally, and therefore causes us to react in our behavior.  While emotions can oftentimes be recognized through non-verbal communication, we cannot read one another’s minds, and yet, the behaviors of children are oftentimes what gets the grownup’s attention.  Challenging behaviors are usually why parents call us for support. Learn More...

What’s the difference Between a Psychotherapist, Psychiatrist, and Psychologist?

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At Creative Family Counseling, we receive a lot of inquiries for support across a wide spectrum.  Since our specialty is working with children, teens, and families, many parents call us to seek out counseling and other services for their young child or teenager. At both the initial phone call and during appointments with our clinical team members, many clients pose questions about the services we offer and don’t offer, largely because there is confusion about the different kind of mental health providers: psychotherapist, psychologist, and psychiatrists.  And we get it! All those different (yet similar sounding) providers of mental health care can be hard to keep straight. Let me provide some clarity for you! Learn More...

How Teachers and Parents Can Talk to Young Children About Intruder Drills

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It is unfortunate that school shootings in the United States are so rampant that our schools must now include Intruder Drills as part of the rehearsed safety drills each school year. It is terrifying to think about any type of disaster where our children and caregivers are endangered, but especially so when it would be at the hands of another person. Just as we gain “muscle memory” and a sense of control and preparedness from other types of safety drills, such as fire and tornado drills, providing intruder drills can help accomplish this as well. Here are six tips for talking about and providing these drills in a way that prepares children and gives them space to process it. Learn More...