Who Else Wants a Teenager With Strong Self Esteem? [caption id="attachment_945" align="aligncenter" width="750"] A teen who knows themselves is such a delight![/caption] 1. Understand "Identity Formation versus Role Confusion". This is the stage of development for ages 13-18. 2. Your teenager is not a mini-me. Reality is that your teenager is a person with their own ideas and...[ read more ]
Parent Your Teen Like a Pro Developmental Tasks of Teens "What's my focus here? What's the end goal?" You ask as you look at your pre teen or large use-to-be five year old. Since you asked! The end goal is for them to develop a self profile. The main developmental task is to know who they are and trust themselves. How do...[ read more ]
Sounds overly simplified and almost wrong... and it is simple. But simple is not always easy! And being happy is not a vain pursuit. True happiness is found by seeking God and exploring how he made you. Remembering what brought you joy as a child and reincorporating some of that into your life now as an adult. I recently came...[ read more ]
I am no expert at humility and kindness. If you know me you know that I am confident to a fault (hello, pride) and I have a weakness of making jokes at others’ expense. I have a heart, however, to show up for people who are going through hard times. This is more cut and dry in the counseling...[ read more ]
It has been a while since I have given you a glimpse into the counseling room. This has been one of my favorite interventions this summer. I am not sure how it evolved or where it originally came from, so the credit belongs somewhere outside of myself I am sure. The first time I used it was in Georgia working...[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_314" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lessons Learned - Parkwood Counseling Center Emily Yi, LCSW Jacksonville FL 32211 904-725-2500x115[/caption] The previous blog post (check it out here!) listed coping skills for enduring a difficult employment situation while looking for a better fit. I shared how I was employing these coping skills, but only becoming more distressed over the 2 years of working...[ read more ]
In the into video for this new solo album, the artist uses words that embody a lot of what I desire so badly to pass on to clients struggling with shame, guilt and identity formation. She says creating this album became a place for her to "Ask big questions- wrestle with what I've been told are answers and find peace within...[ read more ]
As counselors and care givers it is easy to get "stuck in the well" with our friends with broken hearts. This activity is something that can remind your friend (and yourself!) that there is hope there for them. You start with having your friend draw a nice, big outline of a flower with petals, leaves, the ground, and roots. You...[ read more ]
Creating masks can be a great tangible exercise to supplement many themes in therapy including, but not limited to: identity formation, self acceptance, self esteem, exploring defense mechanisms, exploring emotions, learning emotive vocabulary, identifying others' emotions based on body language, and role play. At my agency, we have a stocked art closet. This was a major pull for me and...[ read more ]
How do you see yourself? How do others see you? This may take effort by reaching out to find out how others see you. The goal is to help solidify identity, determine strengths and weaknesses, identify what one might keep hidden inside, dispel fear, increase self acceptance and encourage transparency. This is done best when your client is able to...[ read more ]