Teaching Tolerance: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

On June 1, the beginning of LGBT Pride month, Vanity Fair released its cover featuring the former Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner as a glamorous and confident woman named Caitlyn Jenner. The photo was her first public appearance as a transgender woman. The topic of Bruce’s transition to Caitlyn had been nearly impossible to avoid, as it has been a popular topic in the news and on social media for weeks. As expected, there was and is much controversy – some are shocked and disapprove, yet many … [Read more...]

Is Poor Body Image Ruining Your Day at the Beach?

On the June cover of People Magazine, readers were introduced to Tess Holiday –the world’s first size 22 super model. Happy in her large size, she’s an unlikely poster girl for a positive self-image. But with summer finally here, Tess may just motivate us to start living by dropping the poor body image, instead of those pounds. Sadly, women of all sizes have a poor self-image that holds them back from shedding the layers and soaking in the sun’s rays. On the quest for the “perfect” fit, women … [Read more...]

Are You a Doormat? Can Assertiveness Help Improve Your Relationships?

What if your assistant coach bailed on you for the fourth week in a row leaving you alone to handle 35 middle school children playing soccer? Even though he has great coaching skills they’re of no use to you if he’s not there. You know you need to talk to him about his commitment but you keep putting it off. Or, imagine if one of your friends asked you to help her with her garage sale on one of your busiest weekends. Just days before her call, you told her that you were going to be running … [Read more...]

Developing and Keeping Healthy Boundaries

Spring has arrived, and the event invitations are piling up. Your calendar is getting fuller by the minute. One of the invitations on your table has your heart racing. It’s from your sister who is unable to take no for an answer and has treated you like a doormat for years. Your best friend’s wedding is on the same day as her 10th wedding anniversary party, and you know she is not going to take the news of your decline well. You’re fearful of the call, the conversation, and the hurtful words … [Read more...]

Is Your Child with Special Needs Challenging Your Relationship?

Anyone who’s been married or in a committed relationship can tell you that trying to blend the needs and priorities of two people to create a happy partnership is no easy feat. Throwing children into the mix makes for even greater challenges as the focus shifts away from you and more time is devoted to the kids. But when one of those children has special needs – such as learning issues, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or falling somewhere on the autism spectrum – the strains … [Read more...]