TREEfort Child and Family Therapy

10/25/2022

https://youtu.be/ldrboYcGF24

I used to have a big vinyl record collection. I was fascinated by how so much sound could come from such a small groove in vinyl. I was really impacted too, by how the only place that made any sound on the record was the very spot the needle touched it. A tiny pinpoint produced all that sound. If I removed the needle, the sound stopped. I can only hear what it plays right now, in this moment. Not what it has played already or even what it will play. Only right now.

Parenting has a similar element. The only place you and I can make an impact is in this very moment, right now. It’s very easy to get stuck in your own head and not interact with reality (the here and now). You can interact with your own thoughts and feelings, but it may have no effect at all on reality in this moment. I’ve had plenty of conversations in my mind that have never produced any real change!

In this video, I want to show you the most powerful tool I have ever encountered for making the most impact in any relationship.

The only place you and I can make an impact is in this very moment, right now. It’s very easy to get stuck in your own head and not interact with reality (th...

04/21/2022

Many of you have found me through a recommendation someone gave you (a friend, a colleague, a doctor). I wanted to let you know about a way you can do this for other families looking for quality care for their family.
If you've had a good experience working with me, or any other wellness professional (counselors, speech and occupational therapists, physical therapists) would you consider submitting a nomination to DFW Child Magazine's "Mom-Approved Provider" list? (It can be Dad approved too!) The voting ends May 15 and the results are announced in August.
They require an email verification so that no one can vote for themselves or spam the voting. Here's the link:

https://info.dfwchild.com/e3t/Ctc/W+113/d2v-4X04/VWZ5Tx6Nkmn_W3MB_mN6wm67sW99f7mw4HmqfkN37Jq5h3q3npV1-WJV7CgMWjW1rYY9Q1kJZ4_W70dd5t36PVScW22g0MT4ZvZ4dW7JNk0Y5Ny5sTW2MxKJ98KYr7RW5b2n9r5PGfj5W8jZlcm4b1hj-W59986z7s9NLgW31hfHG2gnnKjW7l9Ml04844XYW8XXGKc4tQw7QW6w-VWR5g5HNBW6wL9lP13nc0jW8ZsLDZ24C5GhW68-YVt8jV3klW2V1MMw3fPkdNW20PP3v8tBDQKW2vq-GL8SB9CbW7SLXMh4zzg0VW25bTvs2wRQR-W18c3MN7M30kTW6LBTrD3b-84d32kF1

03/03/2022

Let’s be honest. You and I are both going to make a lot of mistakes along the way in parenting. It can leave you feeling powerless, foolish and looking for a good blanket to hide under. Research shows that making apologies can make a huge difference in the relationship and ends up creating so many benefits. So why do so many parents avoid doing it? I think it’s because what we think of as an apology often feels very ineffective and incongruent. Let’s take a look at a way to do it that can not only make a repair but also model the values of empathy and taking responsibility.

Let’s be honest. You and I are both going to make a lot of mistakes along the way in parenting. It can leave you feeling powerless, foolish and looking for a...

02/15/2022

There are so many times I’ve found myself in a situation where I have no idea how to respond. My mind goes, blank, I feel a tight squeeze in my body and time seems to stand still! Sometimes this happens when I hear something I didn’t expect, feel pressure to have a good answer or am confronted with values and ideas that are so different than mine. Here are a few ideas that have really helped me over the years!

There are so many times I’ve found myself in a situation where I have no idea how to respond. My mind goes, blank, I feel a tight squeeze in my body and time...

02/01/2022

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what someone is feeling or thinking by looking at them. Even when there is emotional intensity, people sometimes hide or disguise their interior and appear very different on the outside. This can cause a lot of confusion and usually leads to escalation. Today, we’re going to take a look at the idea of congruence and how it can really help when you are having a difficult conversation with your kids.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what someone is feeling or thinking by looking at them. Even when there is emotional intensity, people sometimes hide or disguise...

01/11/2022

When I see kids struggling, my first instinct is to want to help.
Maybe you are the same?

It feels satisfying to offer help. You can feel good about helping them really achieve something or see their effort turn out how they want it. Sometimes though, it can actually hinder kids from developing their own sense of independence and self sufficiency.

So how do you tell the difference?
That's exactly what I want to take a look at in this next video!

This is part two of the Difficult Conversations series. Today we’ll take a look at how to decide whether you should take an active role in helping out your c...

11/13/2021

Recently, I got to talk to DFWChild Magazine about one of my favorite topics: fostering creativity in kids! Here's the article....

Creativity isn’t just about the fine arts. It’s how we reach that final product—so it may manifest differently than you expect.

09/21/2021

Today we’ll take a look at some of the real anxiety producing experiences kids face. Sometimes it’s hard for adults to relate to why these would be scary…like getting a haircut, for example. When anyone faces the unknown, their brain doesn’t like it and will quickly attempt to fill in those blanks from their catalog of experiences. Adults have the luxury of a whole range of experiences to draw from. Kids often only have their imagination, which is usually not very helpful. That can end up escalating into a full blown meltdown or panic attack. Let’s take a look at some ways that can really help disarm these.

Today we’ll take a look at some of the real anxiety producing experiences kids face. Sometimes it’s hard for adults to relate to why these would be scary…lik...

06/22/2021

Sometimes I wish I had an indicator I could see that would give me a warning when I need to pause and recharge. Whatever your role is with kids, it can be easy to get burned out. I’d like to show you a tool I use for myself and the families I work. This will help you figure out what needs to happen to get back on track and get those batteries fully charged again. This is something you can work on with older kids as well.

Sometimes I wish I had an indicator I could see that would give me a warning when I need to pause and recharge. Whatever your role is with kids, it can be ea...

06/15/2021

Thank you to all the families I work with. I feel very honored and humbled to have received the DFW Child Mom Approved Counselor Award for 2021. Thanks for your nominations!

Can I tell you one of the best parts of this job??? It's seeing kids race past the window, running ahead of their parents to get in to their session! They don't want to waste a second! Haha!

05/25/2021

Have you ever been called in to your boss’s office? What about the principals office, when you were a kid? Or how about someone you care about saying the dreaded words “we need to talk”?

How does that feel? How much are you able to listen?

This is how your kids feel when you try to parent or discipline using intensity. That’s why I often say intensity is the enemy…in fact, it can make our brains change into a mode that can’t process language.



So what can you do? How do you get the message through?

Have you ever been called in to your boss’s office? What about the principals office, when you were a kid? Or how about someone you care about saying the dre...

04/28/2021

Play is so important to a child's development... Here is an article on the recently published British Children's Play Survey:

Psychologists have highlighted the “critical” role of play in children's lives, after a survey found that primary school pupils are too often not being allowed to take part in outside activity independently.