Every so often, a parent will pull me aside before a session and say something like, “Hey, just so you know, we don’t allow pretend guns in our house, so if you could steer my child away from that kind of play, that’d be great.”

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a parent when they casually said, "I'm just so glad I don't have a son right now. It's so hard for boys these days." At first, I was taken aback. The comment seemed to contradict what we often hear about men in society—after all, men still hold the majority of leadership positions, tend to earn more on average, and historically have had significant societal advantages. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much truth there was to that sentiment.

Caregiving is an act of love, strength, and dedication — but it can come with its fair share of shame and judgment. Whether it’s from unsolicited advice, societal expectations, or personal doubts, these feelings can weigh heavily and leave you wondering if you’re doing enough or doing it “right.”

Parents often ask me, "What’s the best way to handle chores and allowance?" On the surface, it sounds like an easy conversation about setting up a simple system—figuring out who does what around the house, how much allowance to give, and maybe sprinkling in some lessons about saving money. But the truth is, it’s so much deeper than that. This isn't just about making sure chores get done or determining how much to pay your child. It's about how we shape our children’s understanding of contribution, responsibility, and financial values.

Typically when someone thinks of therapy, images of a calm and quiet waiting room may appear in their mind. Maybe rain sounds are playing, and the office is filled with mid-century modern furniture and earth tones. As you can imagine, play therapy tends to be a bit different. Especially the sounds!

Suicide is a topic that is difficult for anyone to talk about. Throw in the mix of talking about suicide with your children and that conversation goes from uncomfortable to sometimes unbearable. It can be frightening to bring up such a heavy topic to our children and can bring up worries that we are “putting ideas in their heads” by doing so.