When is the best time to talk with kids about sexuality? The earlier, the better! For general growth changes, it’s great to “grow” these conversations along with your child’s physical growth. Meaning—start talking with them in their preschool years about simple matters related to their bodies. Talk about the uniqueness of their body compared to that of…
Lorraine Looney, LMSW, shares practical insights for how to encourage a friend or family member struggling with addiction.
When was the last time you and your significant other went on a date? Has it been weeks, months, or even years? With busy schedules (and possibly several young kids at home), date night often becomes the last priority for many couples. Without intentional planning, “couple time” never makes the calendar. Not only can it…
One thing that I’ve noticed repeatedly in conversations with both clients and friends is people saying how stressed-out they are right now! We are running in so many different directions each day and trying to keep up with more to-dos than ever before. The results are feelings of stress, pressure, helplessness, or failure. If you…
Realistic or not—many of us make a few ambitious New Year’s resolutions each year when January rolls around. We may decide to drop some weight, spend quality time with family, or get out of debt. However, by February 1st these goals are often a distant memory. Instead of moving forward with our plans, often we…
Yes, Christmas feels different this year. In the past, we may have needed encouragement to slow down and simply notice loved ones standing right in front of us. But now, rather than being too busy to show we care, we have the added weight of not being able to gather as we normally do. There…
When stressful days hit, I’ve found it effective to be mindful in my activities. Capturing the simple things in life helps lift my spirit on days when I might otherwise have a huge case of the blahs! So, here are a few easy things I do to drive my [potentially] negative reactions toward life-restoring actions instead. I love…
If you scroll through my cell phone contacts, eventually you’ll come to an entry simply titled “Mom—home.” The one just above it is noted as “Mom—cell.” They’re complete with my mom’s profile picture and home address. I’ve happily used these numbers over the years to chat it up for countless hours with my mom about all our life…
Considering the tragic shootings we hear about daily in the news…answer this question: What will my children (or teenagers) do if crisis strikes? I don’t know if the family crisis plan you’ve prepared came to mind, but more than likely it did not. Go ahead and let the guilt move on because you are not alone. Though Isaiah…
During the “dog days of summer” each year, most of our normal routines melt away with the last day of May and are quickly replaced with r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n and vaca time away from home. Ahhh!! Nothing wrong with that plan! But as Christians, how can we grow in our relationship with the Lord over these next few months—rather than watching it evaporate…