What is Co-Dependency?

You Complete You If the title of this post makes you think of an oft-repeated movie line from the mid-nineties, it is supposed to!  The quote you’re probably thinking of comes from the 1996 film, Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger. With characteristic intensity, Tom Cruise looks into Zellweger’s eyes and says, “I … Continue reading What is Co-Dependency?

Online Counseling

Connections Family Counseling, LLC is now offering online counseling in Quincy Illinois and the surrounding areas.  The world has changed and is changing in ways that we could never have imagined a few short weeks ago.  We are changing with it by continuing to offer high quality mental health services to meet the needs of our current … Continue reading Online Counseling

Play Therapy Explained

Finding your voice in a world of 7.7 billion inhabitants can be quite burdensome. This is especially true for our youngest members of society, who have not mastered the art of verbal or written expression. Try as much as they can, children frequently cannot articulate the feelings, thoughts, or ideas that reflect their worldview. As … Continue reading Play Therapy Explained

What Is Counseling?

Counseling has long been perceived as a mysterious act involving the seemingly “crazy” individual & a bizarre clinician. Even today, many individuals have strong reservations about therapy. Yet, if I asked one hundred random individuals, what they think counseling is, responses would likely be mixed. The mixture would include: appreciation, respect, disassifcation, & fear. For … Continue reading What Is Counseling?

Parenting Styles: What Works?

It seems that nearly every month I hear of a new book or article that touts the latest trends in parenting styles.  Most recently I heard about the Lawn mower parent –one that cuts down any challenges in front of their children.  There is attachment parenting, the helicopter parent, drill sergeant parent, consultant parent and one book … Continue reading Parenting Styles: What Works?

How to Change your brain

This time of year, many of us are wondering how to change bad habits.  Others plan out ways to accomplish big goals for the year.  We may take big ideas and break them down into small steps or we may subscribe to a “Guru’s” fool proof way to “rock out 2019”. I recently read a book that argued … Continue reading How to Change your brain

Video Game Addiction: Is my child addicted?

I often talk with parents who are concerned about video game addiction.  They tell me about the games their children play online, the amount of time spent, the disagreements, behavior change and struggles of navigating the new frontier of technology.   Video Game Addiction: Recent studies have raised concerns about the impact that online gaming has on … Continue reading Video Game Addiction: Is my child addicted?

Marriage Therapy: The Four Horsemen

Marriage therapy is focused on helping couples heal the hurts that have accrued over the years in a relationship.   It is common for couples to enter marriage therapy deeply hurt, angry, and frustrated.  It is also common for couples to have a hard time articulating exactly what it is that brought them to such a … Continue reading Marriage Therapy: The Four Horsemen

How can I help my stressed child

I am often asked, How can I help my stressed child? We live in a culture full of stress. There is pressure to be involved, pressure to be the best, and pressure to fit in. Some claim that the current generation is exposed to more stress than any previous generation. Psychologists define stress as “the … Continue reading How can I help my stressed child

How to build your child’s self-esteem?

Self-esteem is a concept that is regularly discussed in our culture. Many parents fill their child’s life with activities, play dates, and positive affirmations in the hopes of creating greater confidence. In many cases however, it does not seem to work. The harder we work to build our kids up the lower their self-regard. This … Continue reading How to build your child’s self-esteem?