I recently asked a friend of mine when her kids were heading back to school. Her eyes got wide, and she eagerly replied, “Six days from now!” As soon as she said it, there was an expression of guilt that wiped across her face. I could tell that she felt guilty to be excited that her kids were returning back...
Life has many transitions…births, deaths, marriages, children, empty nest, and the list goes on. While these transitions are normal and expected, there are other transitions that are unplanned. Some transitions are more of a surprise, such as the loss of a job, unexpected moves, or trauma/tragedy. Transitions can be stressful for any individual. However, going through transitions and adjustments as...
Spending the holidays with your own family, even when everyone is getting along, can be challenging. Things can get even more complicated if you are part of a divorced or blended family or if you are co-parenting. The holidays are a time intended for celebration, remembrance, and thanksgiving. But for some, it can also be a time of high stress....
Child-centered marriages have been a common theme lately. I hear from couples in my office that this is one of the main reasons their relationships are suffering. Clients often share that the emotional connection within the relationship fades after becoming parents. It is not unusual to hear a married couple describe their relationship as that of roommates. They find the...
I remember riding on the school bus in the fourth grade, getting popped in the back of my head with an automatic umbrella. Chris, a bully who was only one year older than me, would aim the umbrella behind my head, and press the button on the handle causing the bar of the umbrella to shoot forward, hitting me in...
I have spent time as a high school PE teacher, athletic trainer, friend, and now counselor to some of the most interesting adolescents on the planet. I am fascinated by how our childhood experiences shape us, and particularly how parents’ actions and expectations have a tremendous influence on the outcome of children. As a society, we invest a lot of...
Empowerment is simply defined as “the process of becoming strong and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.” Who doesn’t want to experience that? The sad reality is that many women believe they have lost their voice in their relationships with more dominant partners or struggle to find the confidence to speak with assertiveness. In this...
As a married couple, no one is as important as your spouse. But in America, once children come on the scene, spouses are quickly replaced in the priority line by children. We press pause on our soul mate and find ourselves putting kids first for the next 18 years. It’s of little surprise that empty nesters have one of the...
Managing co-parenting with your ex-spouse can be a challenge. But researchers have discovered that there are positive benefits for children when both parents can play an active role in their children’s day-to-day lives and can cooperate. Research has shown that some of the benefits of co-parenting include: Greater paternal involvement. Greater emotional & economic stability. Children continue relationships with...
At Family Therapy Associates of Jacksonville (FTAJ), we take pride in offering the highest quality of client care. That commitment influences everything we do. When the world came to a stop during the pandemic, we used our professional teletherapy option for many clients who needed continued care. Likewise, therapy offices around the globe found themselves in the same position and...
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