Many people have heard of the concept of “filling your cup,” whether this refers to self-care, relationships, finding joy, etc. “My cup is full” is something people often say when they feel that all of their needs are met. Consider this example: a child, in different ways, will hold out their ...
Healing From Family of Origin Wounds: The Authoritarian Parent
Parenting. Arguably one of the most challenging and rewarding roles that a person can take on in life. A role we are often expected to just know how to perform because we have been parented for most of our early lives. For some, this “on-the-job” training has instilled a sense of security that ...
Healing Family of Origin Wounds: The Permissive Parent
What does the phrase “permissive parent” make you think of? I often think of Regina George’s mother from the film Mean Girls. Mrs. George provided her high school-aged daughter (and her friends) with adult beverages and made it her prerogative to be her daughter’s “bestie.” I’m also reminded ...
Let the Little Children Come: Childhood Lament
Have you ever been taken aback by a child’s brutal honesty? Perhaps a comment about your wrinkles or the way you smell, or even a wiser observation about your mood or way of being. I think of this often as I remember all of the play therapy clients that I have worked with, but also in observing my ...
The Mother Wound
Like the “Father Wound” there is also “ a “Mother Wound.” When the mother is emotionally unavailable, critical, or not attuned to the child’s needs, it plants seeds that can take years to change and transform. Being able to recognize and heal childhood wounds can be a challenging process, but with ...