Webster’s defines assertive as disposed to or characterized by bold or confident statements and behavior. From my perspective, assertiveness is the blending of the ‘best’ qualities found in aggression and passivity, expressing your feelings but doing it in a way that does not degrade the other person or yourself. It seems that being assertive in […]
I have been working with addicts for several years and I have learned that as unique the disease of addiction is, it is also startlingly similar to other diseases. As with other diseases and public health concerns, prevention is always easier and cheaper than treatment to eliminate the disease. So if you are asking yourself […]
Do you procrastinate? I do. After recently putting something simple off for about a week and laughing to myself when I finally forced myself to deal with it, I started to think about why I did that to myself. I do not enjoy doing things that I think will be annoying. It sounds simple but […]
In a culture were we talk about just about everything, we have stopped talking about HIV/AIDs and other STIs. Sex is in ads for soda, sex is a topic for political debate, sex is on social media, tv, billboards, etc. So why aren’t we talking about STIs? Condom and lubricate ads are commonplace, promising more […]
1. Sudden change in dress and appearance. Adolescence is a time for experimentation and learning about one’s likes and dislikes but it's important to pay attention to any sudden and drastic changes in dress/appearance. 2. Sudden change in friends. Teens can be fickle and harsh with one another so it is good to keep an […]
Particularly with clients new to counseling, I find that the discussion of boundaries is a foreign concept and I can understand why. Emotional boundaries can be confusing and change from situation to situation. Webster’s defines ‘boundary’ as: That which indicates or fixes a limit or extent, or marks a bound, as of a territory: a […]
A fundamental question that parents must confront repeatedly throughout parenthood, “How do I balance protecting them from the world around them vs. prepare them for the world they will launch into?” When it comes to technology parents often don’t know what dangers their kids face. Do you remember the sixteen-year-old Michigan girl who made headlines […]
1. My kid’s friends are smarter than me and probably know more about sex anyway. 2. I learned a lot from late night cable, they probably will too. 3. Miley Cryrus, the Kardashians, Justin Beiber and Kanye West are all normal, right? 4. My parents didn’t talk to me about sex and dating and I’m […]
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