Therapy-in-MO, 1124 W Main Street, suite 205, Blue Springs, MO (2025)

Q: What is the website?

http://www.mintfamilytherapy.com/

11/13/2025

Why Kids Get Stuck on Screens: And What Parents Can Do Instead

A lot of parents worry about how much time their kids spend on Fortnite, Roblox, and YouTube.
Before we jump to “screens are the problem,” it helps to ask a different question:

What need is the screen meeting?

From a relational and nervous-system perspective, screens usually meet three predictable needs:

1. Comfort

Kids use screens to decompress after a day of holding it together.

2. Connection

Online worlds let them feel included, even if it’s digital.

3. Competence

Kids feel good at something. They get wins. They get dopamine.

When parents understand this, the power struggle softens. Screens aren’t “the enemy”, they’re a tool that’s meeting very real needs.

Here are a few strategies that come straight out of the ReCT lens:

1. Co-Regulation First, Then Regulation

Kids don’t transition well from “school mode” to “home mode.”
Screens become the buffer.

Try:
A snack, two minutes of connection, eye contact, or sitting beside them while they decompress.

This tiny moment lowers the emotional temperature and reduces screen battles dramatically.

2. Predictable Structure Instead of Policing

Kids respond better to rhythms than rules.

Try:
Play → Responsibilities → Play
When the routine is predictable, the arguments fade.

3. Replace, Don’t Remove

You can’t take a child from 4 hours of high stimulation to nothing. You’ll only trigger panic, power struggles, or shutdown.

Try adding real-world:
• Comfort (quiet time, music, snuggling, a soft space)
• Connection (helping cook, walking the dog, shared stories)
• Competence (chores with clear wins, simple crafts, puzzles, age-appropriate tasks)

Screens stop being the only place kids feel good.

4. Validate the Child. Collaborate With the Parent.

Most kids aren’t “addicted”, they’re overstimulated and under-connected.
And most parents aren’t negligent, they’re exhausted.

Screens slide in because they work. They calm. They distract. They buy parents time to breathe.

In my own neurodivergent home, screens capture our attention quickly too. It’s easy to be tired and rely on them while cooking, resetting, or trying to survive the evening. I get it.

The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s intention; capturing back the moments we can so connection doesn’t get lost between loading screens.

If you ever want help building a rhythm that works for your family, I’m here.

09/25/2025

Military families face unique challenges that require more than just resilience; they demand a tailored approach to support and understanding.

At Mint Family Therapy, we offer specialized services designed to help military families navigate the stress and complexities of their lives.

Our approach isn’t just about coping; it’s about thriving together by providing tools to strengthen relationships and build lasting resilience.

We honor the sacrifices made by military families by offering discounts and a deep understanding of your journey.

Let’s build a supportive community where you feel seen and valued. Reach out to us today and start your path to a stronger, more connected family life.

09/24/2025

Trauma isn’t always what we think it is.

Sometimes, it hides in the everyday moments, shaping how we react and interact without us even realizing. It’s like an invisible thread weaving through our lives, affecting our relationships and how we see ourselves.

At Mint Family Therapy, we believe in uncovering these hidden effects gently, guiding you to understand and heal in a safe, supportive space. Our personalized approach is designed to help you find clarity and peace, transforming these challenges into opportunities for growth.

Healing is possible, and it starts with understanding.

09/23/2025

Imagine trying to focus on a simple task, like reading a book, but every page feels like a mountain to climb.

This is a glimpse into how ADHD can impact daily life, where distractions are constant and focus is elusive.

At Mint Family Therapy, we understand the unique challenges that come with ADHD. It's not just about managing time; it's about managing life with compassion and strategies that truly resonate.

From personalized therapy sessions to creative approaches like mindfulness and CBT, we're here to help you navigate these challenges and find clarity.

You’re not alone in this journey. Reach out and discover how therapy can transform obstacles into opportunities for growth.

07/19/2025

“This Picture Has a Body Count.”
Not because anyone died in it—
but because someone did outside of it.

Their partner.
Their kids.
Their sense of safety.
Their ability to trust what’s real.

Affairs aren’t just mistakes.
They are relational detonations that fracture predictive safety in the brain.

You don’t just lose a person.
You lose your ability to believe them ever again.

At Mint Family Therapy, we don’t minimize betrayal.
We treat it like the neurological trauma it is.
The lies, the cover-ups, the gaslighting—it all rewires your brain’s entire meaning system.

That’s why we built ReCT.
To help people rebuild from predictive ruin.

If this picture triggered something in you, it’s not drama or trauma, It’s data.

04/27/2025

When Love Languages Go Wrong: What It Really Means

Love languages are helpful—but they aren’t the full story.

They tell us how we like to give and receive love.
But they don’t tell us why we need it in a specific way,
or what’s happening inside us when it doesn’t land the way we hoped.

That’s where Relational Connecting Therapy (ReCT) takes us deeper.

Because love languages can look the same on the outside—
but underneath, they’re being driven by very different emotional realities.

Words of affirmation can be rooted in secure love—or survival panic.

Acts of service can express care—or control.

Quality time can feel connecting—or codependent.

Receiving gifts can be thoughtful—or a substitute for vulnerability.

Physical touch can build safety—or distract from emotional distance.

If the nervous system is dysregulated, the love we give or receive may not feel like love at all. It may feel like pressure, obligation, or threat.

That’s why love languages alone aren’t enough.

In ReCT, we focus on what emotional state you’re operating from—because that determines whether love can truly be felt, held, and trusted.

Love isn’t just about doing the right things.
It’s about being in the right state to give and receive without fear.

Full blog:
https://mintfamilytherapy.com/blog/

| http://www.mintfamilytherapy.com

04/26/2025

When Love Languages Go Wrong: Physical Touch

Physical touch is often misunderstood. It’s not always about intimacy—it’s about emotional safety.

Healthy version:

"This grounds us. It comforts. It connects."
Distorted version:
"If I give you my body, maybe you’ll stay."
"Let’s stay physically close so we don’t have to talk about what’s really going on."

Touch, when rooted in fear, becomes a shield—or a trap. It can feel connecting for a moment, but leave both partners emotionally starved underneath.

In Relational Connecting Therapy (ReCT), we teach that love languages are not the goal—emotional safety is.
Touch, words, time, gifts, service—they only become love when they're anchored in comfort, confidence, and capability.

If love feels more like pressure than peace, it’s time to look beneath the surface.

Full blog:
https://mintfamilytherapy.com/blog/

| http://www.mintfamilytherapy.com

04/25/2025

When Love Languages Go Wrong: Quality Time & Receiving Gifts

These two love languages—Quality Time and Receiving Gifts—are often seen as heartfelt and meaningful. But like all love languages, they can shift when shaped by anxiety, past trauma, or survival patterns.
Quality Time

Healthy version:

"I enjoy being with you. Let’s share this moment."
Distorted version:
"If we’re not together all the time, you don’t love me."
"Alone time means rejection."

What should feel connecting starts to feel smothering—or panic-inducing.
Receiving Gifts

Healthy version:

"This reminded me of you. I wanted to share it."
Distorted version:
"If I give enough, maybe you won’t notice how far away I am emotionally."
"Love means things—not presence."

In ReCT (Relational Connecting Therapy), we explore why love can become a coping strategy instead of a secure connection.
The act might look right—but the emotional meaning underneath can be rooted in fear, not love.

Understanding the “why behind the language” is where real healing begins.

Full blog:
https://mintfamilytherapy.com/blog/

| http://www.mintfamilytherapy.com

04/24/2025

When Love Languages Go Wrong: Acts of Service

Acts of service are often seen as the most “selfless” love language.

Doing the dishes. Fixing the car. Helping with errands. It’s love in action.

But when the emotional core underneath it is off, acts of service can become something else entirely.

Healthy version:

"I see your need, and I want to help."
Distorted version:
"Look at everything I do for you—why isn’t it enough?"
"If I serve you, you owe me love."

What starts as love becomes leverage.

In ReCT (Relational Connecting Therapy), we name this pattern: love expressed through performance, control, or fear of rejection.
It’s not just what someone is doing—it’s the meaning their nervous system is assigning to the act.

And until that’s addressed, no amount of "doing" will feel like love.

Full blog:
https://mintfamilytherapy.com/blog/

| http://www.mintfamilytherapy.com

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