Having taught parenting classes for over 20 years and coached scores of children, parents, and families for just as long; I’ve heard many stories from parents riddled with guilt and worry.

Parenting is hard enough without feeling doubt and judging ourselves. The one question that is asked more times than you can imagine is “Am I a bad mom?” or “Am I a bad dad?”

Estimated reading time:4 minutes

Emotional intelligence is my specialty, but it wasn’t always. As a young adult, I was angry all the time. Every day I had frequent meltdowns—yes, way too emotional with no ability to regulate my emotions. I felt continually jerked around by life’s challenges and other people’s expectations of me. As a teen, I was severely depressed; even when I was functional, anxiety and a brutal inner critic were my constant companions. 

Learning emotional intelligence was a game-changer for me. It gave me the tools and the encouragement that I needed to heal and create inner peace. It’s why I am so [...]

Gossip. Backbiting. Complaining.

Years ago, when a friend and I would meet for lunch, somehow, it invariably turned into a meal of complaints or a conversation orbiting around the critique of others. I’d walk away from the luncheon splattered with the emotional mud of gossip, feeling disappointed and reticent to get together in the future. It could be months before we got together again, partly because of the heavy feeling in my heart.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

How many of you grew up encouraged to freely express your emotions when you were a child? What happened when you got angry? Or sad? Growing up in a family where the whole spectrum of emotions was accepted, encouraged, and explored is rare, yet it’s one way that children develop emotional intelligence. Most of us grew up with a double standard where it wasn’t okay for us to express our challenging emotions, yet our parents sometimes reacted out of tiredness or stress.

Do you remember seeing your mother cry when you were young? I do. I remember asking my mom what was wrong as she sobbed—her [...]

The last few years have been incredibly challenging for many relationships. Even though the pandemic is in the rearview, spending extended time together unexpectedly and involuntarily acted like a pressure cooker! Relationship vulnerabilities were squeezed out. Conflict and arguing increased. The annoying traits of their partners were magnified; the unpredictability of life was exaggerated. And on top of these relationship issues, some couples discovered they didn't actually "like" their partner under stress and confinement.

You’d think that the extra time together would strengthen their [...]

Employees across all industries complain about micromanagement. In my work as a business consultant and leadership coach, micromanaging surpasses all other complaints. It is one of the quickest ways to shut down productivity, creative minds, and passionate employees. And it’s one of the leading reasons why employees flee a company.

Micromanagers are not deliberately trying to cause distress in the workplace even though the outcomes are usually fed-up employees and burnout. In fact, people who micromanage rarely intend to disempower those they supervise. They often mean well and don’t realize [...]

Dr. Charles Raison said in an interview recently with The Sun magazine: “We’ve replaced a fictitious certainty with an honest confusion.” A statement has never felt truer.

Whatever certainty we may have thought we possessed has since blown away like an empty plastic bag in the wind. These past few years have been unprecedented and challenging, with disruption felt to our core. The pandemic has taught us many lessons, and one shouts louder than most: we affect one another—profoundly. In times like these, emotional fitness, resiliency, empathy, and inner peace are priceless treasures.

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Do you know the recipe for keeping your relationship with your preteen and teen strong and healthy? As a parent, are you aware of the critical responses needed to support and ensure vital teen brain development? Simple and crucial parental responses can make the difference.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

In today's busy world, it doesn't take long for two people in a relationship to become distant or fall out of love. If you really think about it, although you live with that person, sleep next to them, eat meals with them, and maybe even talk to them during the day, how much of that connection is mindful and nurturing?

Because of the day-in and day-out details of life we are constantly juggling, many times our once romantic relationship can begin to cruise on automatic. As we all know, relationships take time—and sometimes they feel like too much work. But it doesn't have to be that way; it [...]

Human beings are quite fragile psychologically, partially since we live longer than most other animals and mammals that live on our planet. And one of the most sensitive periods in human lives is adolescence. In 2017, Karen Young, a contributor for the Hey Sigmund website, provided statistics* showing that nearly 12.5 percent of teenagers suffer from a major depressive episode between ages 13 and 17.

In many cases, those episodes were contributed by body image and societal issues. So, to be a responsible parent, it’s imperative to help your teen manage their mental well-being, which requires [...]