What is a blended family? A blended family is defined as a family composed of a couple and their children from previous marriages. Yet, each blended family is unique and comes with its own dynamic challenges. With divorces and re-marriages involving children, blended families vs. traditional or nuclear family structures are becoming the rule rather than the exception. Adults and children alike are facing major changes that come with adjusting to a new way of life.

Related reading time: 5 minutes

If you’re learning about mindfulness, perhaps you’re curious whether mindful living will improve the quality of your life. So why is mindfulness important, and does it make a difference? There still may be many misconceptions about mindfulness, such as it’s a Buddhist practice, or it requires sitting in a lotus position for hours. Regardless, it is becoming more widely accepted—and for good reason. Find out why it's becoming so popular!

Estimated reading time: 4.5 minutes

"Take the emotion out of it! This isn’t personal; it is business.”

That was the response received early in my colleague's career from her boss when sharing a tough client situation. She reached out to him for guidance to talk through an issue, but he quickly diminished her need.

She felt completely dismissed.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Our brains have about a hundred billion neurons with neuropathways longer than the earth's distance to the moon. That's a lot of pathways needing construction if we want to break bad habits!

Recently, road construction sparked a greater awareness of how our brain's neural pathways work. I was driving home across the Bozeman Pass on Interstate 90, and there was a string of construction signs for several miles. Initially, the signs signaled to reduce speed to 55. Next, the right lane would be closed in a half-mile; then, another speed reduction. All of the cars in front of me obediently [...]

A key to healthy relationships is understanding how best to express your love to your partner—loving in a way that resonates with them and fulfills their needs. Dr. Gary Chapman devised a meaningful method to communicate with your partner and show your affection based on their innate preferences. Dubbed the Love Languages, this approach relies on the theory that every individual has a predisposition to and identifies more heavily with one of five ways to spread and receive love.

One of the most challenging times in parenting is when your child hits the teenage years. Parenting teens is as much a rite of passage for you as it is for your teen. When things get tense, science shows that calmness is key to your teen's brain.

Learn about teenage brain development and parenting tips to keep you sane and the parent-child connection strong!

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Spring is in full swing and it's only a few weeks before school lets out. And what a year it's been! The pandemic with its alternating virtual and in-person schedules and quarantines has exhausted teachers, stressed parents with unpredictable changes, and crashed the social life of our teenagers. Summer will be a welcome change!

Do you know what motivates you? Does it ever seem like some people are more motivated than others? And what's the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation anyway? 

Whether you're trying to motivate yourself to write a term paper, to lose weight, or you're an employer endeavoring to motivate an employee, it's critical knowing what turns on the green light in the brain. And motivation is unique depending on temperament, values, past experience, and goals.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes