top of page


When Halloween Feels Scary for Different Reasons: Understanding and Managing Halloween Triggers
Halloween can be exciting for some people and overwhelming for others. Learn how Halloween triggers, trauma reminders, anxiety, and sensory sensitivities can affect children and adults, plus practical strategies for navigating frightening events while maintaining a sense of safety and choice.
Erika Gilmore
2 days ago10 min read


Preparing for the Holidays: Protecting Your Emotional Bandwidth Before the Busy Season
The holidays can be meaningful and exhausting at the same time. Learn how intentional self-care, restorative practices, and planning ahead can help protect your emotional bandwidth, reduce holiday stress and anxiety, and make family gatherings and social events more manageable.
Erika Gilmore
2 days ago11 min read


Why Do I Feel Guilt When Resting?
Do you feel guilty when you rest, even when you know you need a break? Learn why productivity, perfectionism, anxiety, and self-worth can make slowing down uncomfortable and how to develop a healthier relationship with rest.
Erika Gilmore
Sep 2210 min read


You’re Not Lazy: When Executive Dysfunction Makes Everything Feel Hard
Executive dysfunction in adults can make simple tasks feel surprisingly difficult, even when you know exactly what needs to be done. Learn why ADHD and executive functioning difficulties can affect task initiation, organization, time management, and overwhelm, plus practical strategies that can make everyday life more manageable.
Erika Gilmore
Sep 2213 min read


Why Am I So Tired Even When I’m Resting? Understanding Emotional Exhaustion
Emotional exhaustion can leave you wondering why you still feel tired even after sleeping or taking time to rest. Learn how emotional exhaustion differs from physical tiredness, everyday stress, and burnout, why rest does not always feel restorative, and when it may be time to make a change.
Erika Gilmore
Sep 2111 min read


When the Seasons Change: How Environmental Shifts Can Affect Mental Health
Changes in daylight, temperature, routines, sensory experiences, and environmental cues can affect our mental health. Learn why seasonal transitions may increase anxiety, fatigue, mood changes, and dysregulation, along with practical strategies for children and adults.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 278 min read


Five Things Therapists Wish Parents Knew Before Starting Child Therapy
Starting child therapy can leave parents wondering what happens in sessions, how involved they should be, and how they will know whether therapy is working. Learn five important things to know about child therapy, including privacy, progress, play, caregiver involvement, and the importance of the therapeutic relationship.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 139 min read


Why Adults Need Play Too: The Importance of Play for Adults
The importance of play for adults extends far beyond simply having fun. Play can create opportunities for stress recovery, creativity, connection, curiosity, and enjoyment. Learn why adults still need play and how to bring more of it into everyday life.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 119 min read


When Should I Worry About My Child's Anxiety?
Worry is a normal part of childhood, but how do you know when your child's anxiety needs more support? Learn which signs to watch for, how anxiety can appear through avoidance, perfectionism, physical symptoms, and reassurance seeking, and when it may be time to talk with a therapist.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 119 min read


What Is Emotional Regulation? (And Why Everyone Talks About It)
Emotional regulation doesn't mean being calm all the time. Learn what regulation and dysregulation actually look like, how co-regulation helps children develop emotional skills, and practical ways children and adults can navigate big feelings.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 108 min read


When Your Child Doesn't Want to Talk About Therapy: What Parents Should Know
If your child says they "just played" or won't talk about therapy, you're not alone. Learn why this is common, what actually happens during child therapy, and how parents can support the therapeutic process while respecting their child's growing independence.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 75 min read


Back-to-School Isn't Hard for Every Child in the Same Way: Understanding Anxiety at Every Age
Back-to-school anxiety isn't one-size-fits-all. From preschool separation anxiety to college transition stress, learn how anxiety changes with each developmental stage and discover practical ways to support your child with confidence and compassion.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 64 min read


Why "Good Kids" Often Struggle the Most with Anxiety
Some children with anxiety are the ones who seem to have it all together. Learn how perfectionism, people-pleasing, and masking can hide anxiety, the subtle signs parents often miss, and how to support your child with confidence and compassion.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 54 min read


The Difference Between a Tantrum, a Meltdown, and a Shutdown: Understanding What Your Child Is Really Communicating
Not every emotional outburst is the same. Learn the difference between a tantrum, a meltdown, and a shutdown, what each behavior is communicating, and how responding with empathy and understanding can help your child develop healthy emotional regulation skills.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 54 min read


Helping Children Transition Back to School: Simple Strategies That Make a Big Difference
Help your child transition back to school with practical therapist-approved strategies, including bedtime routines, emotion check-ins, and easing school anxiety.
Erika Gilmore
Aug 54 min read


Why Expressive Arts Support Groups Matter: Restoring the People Who Care for Everyone Else
Every day, helping professionals hold space for others. Therapists sit with trauma. Nurses comfort patients through uncertainty. Teachers support children beyond academics. Social workers navigate crises. First responders witness emergencies. Caregivers often put everyone else's needs before their own. While this work is deeply meaningful, it also comes with an emotional cost. Over time, many helpers begin to experience emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, burnout, or a
Erika Gilmore
Jul 284 min read


The Summer Heat, Mental Health, and Medications: Why Taking Care of Yourself Matters More Than You Think
Summer often brings images of vacations, sunshine, and time spent outdoors. While warmer weather can improve mood for some people, extreme heat can also place significant stress on both the body and the mind. During heat waves, many people notice increased irritability, fatigue, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, or worsening symptoms of depression. For individuals taking psychiatric medications, hot weather may pose additional health risks because some medications affect the body
Erika Gilmore
Jul 145 min read
Supporting Foster and Adoptive Families: How Therapy Can Strengthen Relationships and Build Lifelong Skills
Foster and adoptive families face unique experiences that can benefit from individualized, trauma-informed therapy. Learn how individual, dyadic, family, and parent sessions can strengthen relationships, build resilience, and support lasting connection.
Erika Gilmore
Jun 265 min read


Kindergarten Readiness Starts Before the First Day of School: How Therapy Can Help Children and Parents Navigate the Transition
Starting kindergarten is a major milestone for children and families. While many parents focus on academic readiness, kindergarten success involves much more than knowing letters, numbers, or how to write a name. Children enter school with varying levels of social, emotional, behavioral, and self-regulation skills that play a significant role in their ability to thrive in the classroom. For many families, the transition to kindergarten brings excitement, pride, anxiety, and u
Erika Gilmore
Jun 244 min read


Looking Beyond the Behavior: What Your Child May Be Trying to Tell You
Tantrums, defiance, withdrawal, and other challenging behaviors are often more than just misbehavior. Children communicate through their actions long before they have the words to express complex emotions. Learn how looking beyond the behavior can help you better understand your child's needs, strengthen your connection, and support their emotional well-being.
Erika Gilmore
Jun 234 min read
bottom of page