Cate's Counseling Corner

Holiday Stress The holidays are such a strange time, when you think about it. It is the most joyful and exciting time but it is also the most stressful and overwhelming time. Having to split your time, having to balancing families, having to stretch financially to give gifts, having to be everywhere when you don't want to be anywhere. So what happens to our joy?   The holidays should be a time to slow down, reflect on the year we had, take time with the ones you love and to just breathe. So what makes us do all of the holiday crazies? My hypothesis is we tend to take the last two months of the year to "catch up" on everything. As the end of the calendar year closes we want to make up for any "lost" time that we had at our jobs, with our families or with our friends. We want to make sure that we can close out the year on a high note. We also strive for showing others that we love them. During the holiday season two big love languages are being used: quality t...

  Election day   Tuesday November 3 has so much weight in our world. It has the weight of democracy, change and the impact of a society that has experienced so much within the last year. But what comes after November 3? How do we talk to our kids about the election and the impact of this election? Kids are perceptive. We must give them a bit more credit. Since we know that kids are perceptive, have conversations with them. Take your opinion out of the conversation and provide them facts. Let them know what each candidate stands for and the conversations that each candidate is having. Make sure the conversations are age appropriate and that you are well informed of the information. Beginning these conversations at an early age will inform your kids, it will foster independence and will allow them to create an informed opinion. Allow your kids to ask questions. Give your child informed opinions but remember to check your emotions. This can be a tough time for parents and...