Katrina Johnson, LLC - Counseling, Prevention & Resiliency

12/21/2025

Light and Hope

12/15/2025

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12/05/2025

Our children grow best inside a village of warm, watchful adults — and we can help build that village with intention.

By tending to a few key relationships, offering gentle rituals of togetherness, and matching our children to the adults who care for them, we root them in a network of safety and belonging.

12/05/2025

When we talk about consequences, many people still picture punishment — something uncomfortable to “teach a lesson”. But that’s not what brain-based parenting is about.

This post explores what consequences are not, and why moving away from punitive approaches helps a young person stay regulated enough to actually learn.

If you caught yesterday’s post on natural and logical consequences, this builds on that understanding and shows why mismatched, fear-based, or shame-based responses simply don’t work.

Our Managing Big Feelings Toolkit is linked in the comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

12/05/2025

So often, we treat anger like something shameful - especially in children.
We tell them to calm down, quiet down, go to their room, or “stop overreacting.”
And sometimes, we do it with the best of intentions — because we were never taught what to do with our own anger, either.

But anger isn’t the problem.
It’s a signal.
A sign that something feels unfair, unsafe, or out of control.

So no — the goal isn’t to teach our children NEVER to feel angry.
That just teaches them to suppress it, to disconnect from themselves, and to carry it in their bodies in ways that show up later — in anxiety, in self-doubt, in passive aggression, or explosive outbursts.

The goal is to teach them how to be angry.
How to notice it.
Name it.
Move through it.
Express it without hurting others — or themselves.

Because when we help children understand their anger, we’re not just raising kids who behave well.
We’re raising emotionally intelligent humans.
People who can advocate for themselves, navigate conflict,
and stand up for what matters —
without causing harm.

Anger, when met with compassion and guided with care, becomes a tool for growth.
A pathway to understanding...

And that’s the kind of strength the world needs more of. ❤️

Quote Credit: Lyman Abbott ❣️

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12/05/2025

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12/05/2025

Children learn to self-regulate by borrowing our calm — not by being sent away to manage emotions their brains aren’t built to hold, alone.

Their nervous system takes its cues from ours.

When we stay steady, their bodies learn safety.
When we breathe slowly, their breath follows.
When we offer presence instead of punishment, their overwhelm becomes something they can navigate rather than fear.

But the opposite is true too.
When we’re shaken, they feel it.
When we shut down, they lose their anchor.
When we send them away to “figure it out,” we’re asking them to build skills they’re meant to RECEIVE before they can ever create.

A child who is banished in their hardest moments doesn’t learn calm — they learn that big feelings make them unworthy of closeness.

So the work becomes tending to our own regulation, not for perfection, but for companionship. For connection. For the message it sends:

You don’t have to face your storm alone.
Stay close. We’ll steady ourselves together.

And then, slowly, what they borrow from us becomes something they can one day find within themselves. ❤️

Quote Credit: ❣️

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11/27/2025

https://youtu.be/aNXKjGFUlMs?si=unHfpT8gzuyMfMSG

Check out more on Calm with this special offer: https://www.calm.com/special-welcome-offer?coupon=40percent_welcome_offerDid you know that extending your exh...

11/24/2025

Talking to teenage boys about consent isn’t about scaring them — it’s about giving them the language, confidence, and emotional literacy to navigate relationships safely and respectfully.

Many young people learn about s*x long before they learn about boundaries, pressure, power dynamics, or how to read someone’s comfort levels. Your son needs more than “no means no”; he needs to understand enthusiastic YES, body signals, peer influence, and how to truly check in with someone he cares about.

Today’s visual breaks this conversation down into clear, practical steps you can start using straight away.

11/24/2025

Erin's Law - We need better prevention in Wisconsin. Write WI Senators and advocate that WI pass Erin's Law.

11/16/2025

Pay Attention !!