My “Perfect” Family
By Debra Jenkins
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Less than three months later, I found rolling papers in his pants pocket as I was doing laundry. This cycle was repeated over and over for the next six years…like lather, rinse, repeat.
Debra takes her readers on an intense journey of her experience parenting a teen with addiction. Watching someone struggle to keep their addictions in check is one of the most difficult parts about my job. Seeing the pain in parents eyes when they find out their child is using again is heart wrenching. But there is always hope, which Debra lays out in her article. If you are a parent of a teen struggling with addiction or know anyone in a similar situation please pass on Debra’s article.
Debra is also the author of “Dreaming With Your Feet” and The Johnny Stallings Arts Program (JSAP) which includes 5 separate programs for people with special needs. Her mission is inspiring as she and her program assist more than 400 people with special needs a week in the areas of dance and the arts. Per week! That’s an amazing number.
But even though Debra is an inspirational mother, founder and author, her words of wisdom come from another source. Abbey, a 13 year old with special needs who attends JSAP, continued to be concerned for Austin, Debra’s son and shared the following wisdom:
Last summer, Abbey shared with me a statement so profound I was rendered speechless. These were her words: “I’ve decided that everyone has special needs. And that we all have two special needs in common. We all have a special need to be loved and we all have a special need to be accepted. Some people’s special needs are on the outside, like mine. And some people’s special needs are on the inside, like Austin’s.” What wisdom and comfort I found in those words, spoken by a 13-year old girl who will never be able to walk without difficulty, will never be able to tie her own shoes or button a button because of cerebral palsy. Yes, we all have special needs, not just those of us who appear to be different.
Letting Go: 5 Limiting Beliefs Blocking Your Happiness
By Amy B. Scher
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Suffering just feels bad while it’s happening. But, suffering also has a silver lining that never gets the credit it deserves. Suffering helps us grow and get to the next place in life. Let’s face it, if not for suffering, we’d never stop our busy lives to expand in ways that make our lives better.
This may seem like an odd thing to say, but hopefully not for most people. We can all point to situations of suffering which have lead to better relationships, better business ideas, a better life.
Obviously, there is “suffering” and then there is SUFFERING. I don’t think Amy is trying to minimize that a great number of people deal with the all caps suffering though. It reminds me of a story in Piero Ferrucci’s book The Power of Kindness where he interviews a Holocaust survivor and is surprised by the man’s compassion and ability to forgive what horrors had taken place to his family and country. While we would never be as bold to say to this man that he “grew” from this experience, it’s clear in the interview he would.
I Am A Therapist…
By Nicole Sachs, LCSW
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I am a therapist.
I am more than that. I am a mother, a partner, a really good friend, a saver and a fixer. I am really needy sometimes. I am vulnerable and raw, then embarrassed that I let myself be seen. I am strong and stubborn more than necessary. I’m so in love with love, it has hurt me. I’m so in love with love, it has saved me. I try too hard. I am obsessed with my children’s happiness. I am overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood. I am fueled by admiration. I am lifted by people brave enough to say they are not brave. At times I wish everyone would just leave me alone. I am full of gratitude. I am scared I will never be good enough. I am eternally hopeful.
I am a human being. So are you.
Wow. I wish I would have said these words on my website, well, except the motherhood part. If you’ve ever thought about entering therapy, this is a really important blog post to read. We, as therapists, doctors, psychiatrists are not better than you. We are not infallible. We are human.
And as Nichole says at the end of her article:
I am no better because I am sitting on this side of the couch. Once you “get” what I’m telling you, our positions could be easily reversed.
Perfect.
Beware of Fake-Work and Make-Work
By Gretchen Rubin
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Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination.
It’s true. Work for work sake as it’s been called on numerous occasions. Take a look at your daily life and try to figure out how much meaningful work you are doing. We’ve (society…not you and me) have come up with a schedule of 9 to 5 and we are compelled to fill it.
Why a Reading List? I do a good amount of reading and I‘m constantly finding articles which are informative, entertaining and applicable to my private practice. Instead of hoarding this information to myself, I’ve decided to begin sharing the articles and pull quotes on a semi-regular basis.