IFS Therapy: A New Year Journey to Your True Self

On By Susan Smith Counseling Services, PLLCIn IFS and Winter, Uncategorized

Healing Trauma and Grief: A New Year Invitation to Reconnect with Your True Self

It has been a tough year for many—and perhaps it has been for you as well.

After the holidays, weariness often sets in. Nights are still long, days are short, and the rhythm of daily life can feel heavy. Family has come and gone, sometimes leaving behind unspoken longings or disappointments that commercial celebrations cannot touch. Attachment wounds may be stirred. Doom scrolling, numbing habits, or family conflict can quietly take hold as ways to manage pain we do not yet know how to tend.

This season can feel especially difficult for highly sensitive people, those navigating grief and loss, or anyone carrying unresolved trauma. And yet, this threshold moment also holds quiet possibility.

Winter, Letting Go, and Making Space for New Beginnings

The New Year often invites reflection—letting go of what no longer serves and making space for something new. While the Winter Solstice has passed and we may not yet feel the shift, the days are slowly lengthening. Winter itself invites hibernation, replenishment, and deep listening before new growth emerges.

What we often resist, however, is the work of letting go.

Feng Shui teachings remind us that the more “ego props” we release—old identities, roles, and expectations—the more spaciousness we create for what wants to emerge next. In this way, the New Year becomes an invitation to courageously release the past and reconnect with our essence, trusting that who we are at our core is already enough.

Internal Family Systems Therapy: Healing by Releasing Constraints

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy mirrors this wisdom beautifully. As a constraint-release model, IFS begins with a foundational truth:
wholeness, goodness, capability, and connection are already present within each of us.

The work of healing trauma is not about fixing what is broken, but about gently clearing the internal constraints—protective patterns, inherited beliefs, nervous system defenses—that prevent us from experiencing ourselves as we truly are.

This approach is especially effective for:

  • Trauma and nervous system dysregulation
  • Grief and loss
  • Highly sensitive nervous systems
  • Relationship and attachment struggles
  • Chronic self-criticism or people-pleasing

Relationships, Needs, and the Fear of Turning Toward Ourselves

In my work with couples, I often hear a familiar refrain: “My partner isn’t meeting my needs.”
And yet, beneath this complaint is often a deeper truth—we are afraid of meeting our own needs.

In a culture that prioritizes external fixes, productivity, and material success, many of us internalize the belief that we cannot truly give ourselves what we need at a deep level. We may appear successful on the outside while feeling exhausted, disconnected, and emotionally lonely on the inside.

You might recognize yourself here:

  • “I have a good life, but I’m not happy.”
  • “My partner and I fight, and intimacy feels distant.”
  • “I’m constantly trying to please others.”
  • “I feel tired, worn out, and unsure of myself.”

When I ask clients, “If you could feel calm and confident about yourself and your future, would you want that?” the answer is almost always a hesitant yes—followed quickly by, “But how?”

Is it possible to truly receive our deepest longings, rather than endlessly cope?
Is it possible to know love without reenacting old attachment wounds?

Living from Love Rather Than Fear

IFS offers a gentle and profound answer.

This work helps calm the internal storm of chaos, confusion, and rigidity. It supports nervous system regulation, allowing you to respond rather than react. Over time, clients learn to access a deep confidence and compassion that does not need to prove worth or belonging.

This is not about positive thinking or forcing change. It is about reconnecting with an internal source of wisdom and care—what IFS calls the Self—that soothes, nourishes, and brings a sense of deep peace, and sometimes even bliss.

Trauma Healing Through Somatic Listening and Self-Led Energy

IFS therapy does not rely on a therapist telling you what to do. Instead, it supports the natural emergence of your own inner guidance and life-force. By gently releasing cognitive, emotional, and physical constraints, clients often experience:

  • Increased access to Self-led energy
  • Greater clarity about values and desires
  • Renewed trust in movement, change, and life itself
  • Healing of legacy burdens carried from family or culture
  • More authentic intimacy in relationships

Somatic listening—attending to the body rather than forcing resolution—is a core component of trauma healing in IFS. When parts of us are allowed to move in ways that feel safe and supportive, trust begins to return. Life takes on new meaning, not through effort, but through alignment.

A New Flame, Not a Finished Vision

In these winter months, healing begins not with a fully formed plan, but with a small flame. IFS helps you protect and tend this spark—your essence—so it can grow in ways that feel grounded and sustainable.

Like a light in the darkness, when we care for what is alive within us, direction and meaning naturally emerge.

If you are feeling lonely, hurting, confused, or simply longing for deeper self-direction in the New Year, you may be standing at a threshold moment. Internal Family Systems Therapy can help you access the creative energy that quietly supports life-giving commitments, clarity, and change.

An Invitation

This New Year, consider embracing what wants to live through you.

If you are interested in IFS Therapy for trauma, grief and loss, relationship struggles, or highly sensitive nervous systems, in Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock or Parker Colorado, I invite you to reach out for a 30-minute complimentary consultation to explore whether this approach is right for you.

Companion Reflection: A Gentle IFS-Informed Practice

A Moment of Turning Inward

Rather than pushing toward change, allow yourself to pause. This reflection is meant to be brief, spacious, and relational—an invitation rather than an assignment.

You may wish to place one hand on your chest or abdomen, allowing your breath to slow naturally.

IFS Journaling Prompts

1. Noticing What Is Present
As you settle, ask gently:

  • What part of me feels most present right now?
    There is no need to change it—only to notice.

2. Befriending Without Fixing

  • How does this part feel in my body?
  • What does it want me to understand about my life right now?

3. Turning Toward Self-Energy

  • Is there even a small sense of calm, curiosity, or compassion available toward this part?
    If yes, notice how that feels. If not, that is welcome too.

4. Tending the Flame

  • What feels alive in me right now, even quietly or imperfectly?
  • What would it mean to protect this spark without rushing it into form?

5. Closing Gently
Thank the part (or parts) you noticed for showing up. Allow yourself to return to your day without needing conclusions.

Closing Note

Healing does not begin with certainty—it begins with presence. When parts feel met rather than managed, something organic starts to move. Over time, this way of relating inwardly reshapes how we experience relationships, grief, and our own sense of direction.

If you are seeking IFS therapy in Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Parker, or Castle Rock, and feel drawn to this slower, deeper approach to healing trauma and attachment wounds, I welcome you to reach out for a 30-minute complimentary consultation.

Psychotherapy In The South Metro

I offer Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy to adults and families seeking support with trauma healing, grief and loss, anxiety, relationship struggles, and nervous system regulation. My practice serves individuals living in Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, and the greater South Denver metro area.

Clients often come to therapy feeling emotionally exhausted, disconnected from themselves or their loved ones, or overwhelmed by long-standing patterns rooted in trauma or attachment wounds. IFS Therapy provides a gentle, non-pathologizing approach that helps you reconnect with your inner clarity, compassion, and confidence—without forcing change.

Whether you are navigating:

  • Trauma or complex PTSD
  • Grief, loss, or major life transitions
  • Relationship conflict or emotional disconnection
  • People-pleasing, burnout, or chronic anxiety
  • The challenges of being a highly sensitive person

IFS therapy supports deep, sustainable healing by working with the nervous system and inner parts in a respectful, embodied way.

In-person and telehealth sessions available for clients in Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, and surrounding Colorado communities. I welcome you to reach out to me by clicking here.

Transform Holiday Stress with IFS Therapy

On By Susan Smith Counseling Services, PLLCIn IFS and Winter

Many people experience increased anxiety, grief, loneliness, and emotional eating during the holidays. As an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist in Littleton, Colorado, I specialize in helping adults understand the emotional roots of overeating, stress, and depression through compassionate, trauma-informed psychotherapy. Rather than trying to “fix” behavior through willpower, IFS therapy supports healing by restoring connection to your inner life, nervous system, and innate capacity for Self-leadership.

Jeanne Catazaro begins her book Unburdened Eating with this quote from John O’Donohue:

Too often people try to change their lives by using the will as a kind of hammer to beat their life into proper shape. The intellect identifies the goal of the program, and the will accordingly forces the life into that shape. This way of approaching the sacredness of one’s own presence is externalist and violent. It brings you falsely outside yourself and you can spend years lost in the wildernesses of your own mechanical, spiritual programs. You can perish in a famine of your own making.

Often, clients sit on my couch and ask some version of the same question:
“But how do I fix it?”

They appreciate insight and understanding, but ultimately they want something they can do—something they can will into action to get unstuck.

Nervous System Regulation

This holiday season, I’ve been riding the waves with many others I know—clients, friends, colleagues. There is so much stress right now: the state of the world and our nation, climate change bringing unusual weather patterns (here in Colorado, you may find yourself praying for snow), family expectations, gift giving, and for many—eating. So much eating.

Holiday culture is saturated with parties and socializing, gift exchanges and food. It’s about lights—often the bigger, brighter, and louder the better. But before Western culture reshaped these spiritual traditions, this season was about something quieter: things like hope, love, and gratitude. Peace, stillness, and mystery.

If you’re struggling, these are not luxuries. They are precisely what can help.

And still, you may be thinking: I don’t feel hope or peace or love.
You may feel uncertainty or loneliness in a season that pulses with cheerful facades—while, in truth, the darkest day of the year is upon us.

One of the most meaningful moments in my own therapeutic journey came several Decembers ago. I was sitting with my therapist, deep in depression and pain, when she said gently,
“Well, it is the darkest time of the year. Perhaps you could try bringing it closer instead of pushing it away.”

Since then, I’ve practiced recognizing that sorrow, grief, and shadow are not only understandable during this season—they are appropriate. Sometimes simply knowing that—normalizing it—helps more than we expect.

With clients, I often talk about creating containers for these feelings. Winter is a time of holding, hibernating, and preparing for something new through letting go. Below are a few ways I create containers for myself and invite others to do the same—ways of coming home to yourself rather than trying to fix yourself from the outside.

For critical or anxious thoughts

Instead of pushing these thoughts away, try an IFS Therapy practice of unblending. Ask them to give you a little space.

Years ago, I remember lying down for a nap during my daughter’s chemotherapy treatments, my mind crowded with worry that wouldn’t let up. In my imagination, I asked that worrying part of me to sit on the headboard of the bed while I slept. I felt it separate, just enough. A deep peace settled around and inside me. I slept. When I woke, I thanked that part for giving me space and letting me rest.

You might also place a small bowl or jar by your bed—somewhere to “put” your worries for the night, trusting they can be revisited in the daylight. If you can make this a loving container, that’s even better. Try decorating it. Showing care for how you hold your inner shadows matters for how we feel. 

For deep sorrow and grief

Light a candle before going to bed. In the darkness, tune into your breath, inviting a gentle rhythm—perhaps five counts in and five counts out. Let yourself be held by the sensation of breathing, inside and all around you.

If fear or anger accompanies your grief, write it down. Fold the paper and place it under your pillow or somewhere safe. Acknowledge the parts of you that carry this fear or anger and let them know you are here with them–just as they are.

If possible, take a walk at dusk or after dark. Notice the silhouettes of bare trees, the moon and stars, the cold air. Listen to a nearby stream carrying snowmelt. Feel your feet on the ground and imagine yourself held by the vastness around you. Allow loss to be present without trying to change it. If stories arise about your loss, gently invite those parts to pause their dialogue for just a few moments and join you under the winter sky. Or invite in the stories, mindfully noticing how parts of you are making sense of your pain. Notice if those stories exacerbate or comfort you. 

Observe the Winter Solstice

In Hello, Goodbye, Day Schildkret writes that “wintertime asks us to plug ourselves back into the deep, dark source of life.” Consider picking up this book and marking the solstice intentionally—perhaps through his Winter Bundle ritual, or by bringing a more mindful presence to food and drink as the new year begins. Again, it’s the care and intention that we bring to these rituals that soothes our parts.

Find an IFS therapist

Internal Family Systems Therapy offers a way for grief, frustration, and sorrow to unblend—or, as research terms it, decenter. Decentering parts means getting perspective, sensing something bigger than what the part holds in relationship to it. As this happens, a light often emerges even in painful circumstances. As Toko-pa Turner writes, this returning to ourselves “becomes the practice of unhindering what’s already there.” It is possible to hold both sorrow and joy at once. Return to yourselves through IFS Therapy. 

Specifically around eating

For just a few moments, try not doing or saying the thing that keeps you outside of yourself. Often this creates enough space for the underlying emotions—those masked by binge eating—to surface.

Listen. Welcome the part of you that feels this way. Notice and ask any critical voices to pause. Let your body, heart, and soul rest in the experience of being deeply listened to—by you.

On The One Inside podcast, Tammy Sollenberger interviews Jim Abrams on *IFS and hopelessness. He offers something profound: we’re not asking parts to be hopeful. We’re asking the system to bring comfort and connection to the part, so its experience of the circumstances changes.

When we are in loss, the way forward is not to bypass it, but to be with it—to accompany the grief-stricken parts of us with presence. This alone changes our experience.

This holiday season, when anxiety, sadness, or loneliness arises, take a few moments to return to yourself. Give yourself permission to feel what is here—without explaining it, fixing it, or telling stories about it.

That is sacred presence.

Music for Presence, Loneliness, and Rest

You might consider listening quietly, without multitasking, allowing the music to accompany—not distract—from your inner experience:

  • Max Richter – “On the Nature of Daylight”
    (For heartache, tenderness, and allowing emotion to move)
  • Ólafur Arnalds – “Saman”
    (For rest, containment, and a sense of being held)

Gentle IFS Reflections to Try at Home

I invite you to go slowly and take only what feels supportive.

1. Noticing Without Fixing
Take a quiet moment and ask yourself:
Is there a part of me that feels compelled to eat, numb, distract, or disappear right now?
You don’t need to change it. Simply notice where you feel it in your body.

2. Creating Space
If that part is intense, gently ask it:
Would you be willing to give me just a little space—without going away—so I can be with you more clearly?
Notice what happens.

3. Offering Presence
From a calm place inside, try saying:
I see how hard this has been for you. You don’t have to carry this alone.
Let your body register the tone rather than the words.

4. Listening Beneath the Behavior
If eating or craving is present, ask:
What are you hoping this will help with right now?
Stay curious. Avoid analysis.

5. Ending with Gratitude
Before moving on, thank any parts that showed up—especially those that protect you through coping strategies that once helped you survive.

Needing more support? If you find yourself struggling with emotional eating, grief, or overwhelm—especially during the holidays—working with an Internal Family Systems therapist can offer a compassionate, non-pathologizing path forward. You don’t need to fight your inner experience to heal. Support begins with listening. 

Looking for a therapist in or around Littleton, CO? Connect with me here for a free consultation to see if working together feels right for you.

*You can listen to Tammy and Jim here.

The Complex Nature of Grief: Lessons from Fredrick Backman

On By Susan Smith Counseling Services, PLLCIn Uncategorized

Today I found myself understanding complex grief through the lens of the story, My Friends, by Fredrick Backman. It’s an endearing story of lifelong friendship—woven through poverty, high ACE scores (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and deep losses. The story portrays a kind of hard-earned wisdom that reveals what being present to the Now makes life worth living, past, present, and future.

One moment stopped me in my tracks: the young loss of a beloved, though complicated, father of one of the main characters.

At the funeral, the pastor kept his words brief: “Grief is a luxury for those living an easy life.”

Later, Ted’s friends gathered around him: “They had no words, so they let him cry, only not alone.”

When I was younger, I learned idyllic beliefs about how grief should look—polite silence, sitting reverently in the sanctuary, forcing my restless parts to behave. Or, we would circle around the flagpole in prayer to take a stand: peacefully, calmly, connected students. But this ideology was deceptive. It led me to omit a fuller grief. One that includes emotions like anger and rage. Aging and suffering have shown me how differently grief appears depending on circumstance—who has space and grace for it, and who doesn’t.

My youthful idealism hasn’t disappeared in me—I still seek peace, calmness and connection—but it has softened. And, broadened in perspective.

Through retreats with grief teachers and Francis Weller’s The Wild Edge of Sorrow, I’ve learned that quiet respect alone doesn’t always do grief justice. For some, the oppression and pain are so overwhelming that those who “sit respectfully” miss grief’s wild edge entirely.

Backman’s characters don’t miss it. They embody it. And that’s become my new wish—to have a tribe like that around me when I grieve: wordless and fully present.

Could there be a sanctuary with stained glass, soaring notes, and sacredly high ceilings? I’m down. But grief doesn’t always arrive in those spaces.

As a trauma and grief counselor, I believe what matters most is respecting grief’s muddy presentation. It is complex, especially for those who do not have the “luxury of an easy life.” Grief, trauma, and loss show up differently for everyone. Sometimes it looks quiet, sometimes wild. My work is about holding space for all of it—with compassion, curiosity, and presence. 

If you’re navigating grief, loss, trauma, or life transitions, know you don’t have to do it alone. Counseling can offer a safe space to process, heal, and reconnect with what makes life worth living.

Are you wondering if you would benefit from Grief Therapy?

If so, I invite you to contact me for a free consultation to help you decide. Email counseling@susansmithlpc.com, or call Susan at 720-432-1403.

From Sunrise to Sacred Medicine: A Solstice Journey with IFS, Psychedelic Therapy, and Trauma Healing

On By Susan Smith Counseling Services, PLLCIn Uncategorized

What a rich and meaningful day.

Yesterday began with a beautiful sunrise among the pines. I headed into the mountains to greet the Summer Solstice with spiritual director, Julie Mihevc and her adorable puppy labrador retriever. We watched as that ball of fire emerged on the horizon. We reflected on the abundance and vitality of Summer, as well as its tender companions, grief and loss. I don’t know about you, but without Julie, this outing might not have been on my radar. So I was grateful she initiated this special sunrise hike. 

Later, I joined the Psychedelic Science Conference 2025 at the Colorado Convention Center with another amazing human, my colleague and first psychedelic doula, Evonne. Among the many compelling offerings, a powerful session with psychedelic facilitator Namae Ntumae offered these deep insights:

  • Transforming fear into love
  • Psychedelics as guides to wholeness—not spiritual bypass
  • The magic of being truly present with one another
  • Learning to truly love our needs
  • Beauty as a response to suffering
  • The doorway, and courageous journey, to becoming Love itself

There were many clinicians, seekers, and yes—folks celebrating their love for sacred medicine in mushroom-print rompers. Among them, there was a sense of reverence for Ntumae’s voice. What struck me most out of all she said was how sacred medicine impacts our inner integration and healing. Mushrooms can help connect and integrate our inner environments bringing a rise to community consciousness. In other words, our internal healing benefits our external environments, beginning by being nourished by nature itself. But this inner healing requires courage, and an openness to know ourselves. To cultivate a seeing that often gets covered over by day to day stress and trauma.

From psychedelic practitioners everywhere, I hear it often: parts work is at the heart of psychedelic journeys. As well, this intersection of internal and relational healing is the heart of modern psychotherapy—from somatic therapy and trauma-informed care such as IFS and other parts-based modalities. But while many modalities talk about parts, IFS (Internal Family Systems) is unique in how it teaches us to be in relationship with them—to build trust, make space, and heal from the inside out. This is why IFS fits hand in glove for psychedelic-assisted therapy. IFS allows clients to process and integrate their experiences in a deeply personal and sustainable way.

And, this kind of internal integration is at the core of the therapeutic work I do. With survivors of complex trauma, we slowly peel back the protective coverings that have obscured the beauty within. As we do that, freedom emerges–like the quiet, strong beauty of the sun rising.

So it was an honor to witness these teachings among so many leaders in the field, including IFS founder Richard Schwartz.

And, to be reminded that at the core of any healing is a pilgrimage transforming fear into Love.

With any evidence-based modality, my goal remains the same: to support individuals in an authentic healing journey with presence, compassion, and respect for the complexity of the human system.

Grateful for the learning, the connection, and the continued unfolding of this work.

Mother Hunger: Understanding Its Impact and Pathways to Recovery

On By Susan Smith Counseling Services, PLLCIn Uncategorized

As I write today, I am reminded of these powerful insights on Mother Hunger, a term coined by Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Claire Bidwell Smith:

“Mother Hunger is a term… to describe what it feels like to grow up without a quality of mothering that imprints emotional worth and relational security. The term Mother Hunger captures a compelling, insatiable yearning for love.”

This deep longing is often mistaken for romantic love, due to the oxytocin connection formed in infancy when a baby is soothed. Many women, in particular, experience this yearning to feel loved in a way they never received.

According to Smith, Mother Hunger fosters toxic stress, anger, and an ongoing cycle of disappointment and grief throughout life. She explains that “in childhood, surrogate mothers may look a lot like cake, ice cream, or fairy tales.” This form of emotional deprivation leads to adaptations to loneliness that affect relationships and create an ongoing craving for fulfillment.

Importantly, Smith notes that “women with secure maternal connections can’t relate to the despair and shame that go with Mother Hunger. It’s simply unimaginable to them.”

Mother Hunger manifests in both Over-mothering and Under-mothering. In Over-mothering, enmeshment leads to confusion and frustration. This is especially true when children receive messages about how “nice” their mothers are, despite underlying neglect. In more extreme cases, a childhood marked by fear, anxiety, lack of nurturance, and outright fright can contribute to conditions such as complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) and an identity shaped by survival mechanisms.

In such cases, the nervous system becomes wired for survival, inhibiting healthy relationships. Smith highlights that “fear of abandonment, difficulty sleeping, eating disorders, mood problems, and difficulty finding meaning in life are all part of complex post-traumatic stress and Third-Degree Mother Hunger.” This can also manifest as addiction, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.

So what can be done? Smith suggests:

  • Creating a nightly ritual with inspiring images and objects, then settling under a weighted blanket.
  • Soaking in a tub of saltwater to simulate a human hug.
  • Practicing restorative yoga.
  • Listening to mindful podcasts.
  • Walking alone in nature.
  • Engaging in comforting activities like tea, naps, and candlelight.

Additional ideas include:

  • Rest as Resistance. Rest is the foundation of inner reparenting and renewal. Without it, we remain stuck in fear and nervous system overdrive. Speaking powerfully to systems of injustice, Jnania Ree V. Moore states that rest is not simply a retreat from stress but a “crucial form of relationship to the world, to others, and to myself.” Befriending ourselves and each other through intentional rest cultivates kindness and nurturing.
  • Breathwork. “The way we breathe is the way we live,” says breathwork teacher Scott Schwenk. “If you want to change how you’re feeling, change your breath.” To reset the vagus nerve, inhale deeply, hold for four counts, then exhale slowly over 7–8 counts. Repeat six or more times. For those experiencing Mother Hunger, breathwork can be a transformative practice, rewiring the nervous system to create a sense of safety that was absent in early life.
  • Therapy. Therapy can be a transformative journey, especially with an attachment-informed clinician. Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy is a gentle yet powerful modality, backed by growing evidence, that supports healing for complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). In IFS, we nurture and re-parent the wounded aspects of ourselves through our own Self. This process fosters deep empowerment, peace, and healing. Even small steps in IFS can create meaningful change. Learn more about IFS Therapy

By engaging in these practices, we can start to heal. We can soothe our inner child. We can cultivate the love and security we have long sought. If you can relate, there is hope. You can reach out to a qualified professional for help. Check out my web pages. Learn more about how I partner with women suffering from attachment-based trauma. You can also reach out to me for a complimentary 15-30 minute phone consultation. You don’t have to go at this alone.

Mother Hunger

animal figure plastic toys in close up shot

Harnessing the Power of Breath: A Mindful Approach to Parenting, Breathing Techniques for Children

On By Susan Smith Counseling Services, PLLCIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Lately, I’ve been focusing on integrating mindful breathing into my home. After attending a transformative training on EMDR Therapy and Play Therapy in November—where somatic methods were emphasized—I realized how powerful these techniques could be for my family’s daily life.

As I became more attuned to our anxiety responses, I noticed that each stressful event felt like a miniature trauma. No wonder parenting can be so exhausting! I observed myself holding my breath, avoiding situations, raising my voice, feeling exasperated with my child, and sometimes even experiencing hopelessness about how to respond.

How to Shift Family Patterns of Anxiety with Breathwork

Recognizing these patterns, I sought ways to create movement and change within our family’s response to stress. I began processing small frustrations in the moment using breath and movement—and guided my kids to do the same.

Additionally, I explored techniques from Eline Snel’s book, Sitting Still Like a Frog, which provided valuable mindfulness strategies for children. These practices have made a noticeable difference! Even when my family slips into reactive patterns, I now have effective tools to help us regain balance and re-engage our frontal brains when challenges arise.

Two Simple Breathing Techniques for Parents and Kids

I recently discovered a fantastic blog post that offers two easy breathing exercises for parents and children to use when anxiety levels rise. These techniques are simple yet highly effective for calming the nervous system and restoring a sense of peace.

Click here to read more about these powerful breathing exercises.

Embrace Each Breath with Gratitude

Breath is a powerful tool for navigating the ups and downs of parenting. By practicing mindful breathing, we can create space for calmness, connection, and emotional resilience. May you enjoy each moment of lung expansion and experience gratitude for each breath you take!  Life with our children is precious.  Let’s breath our way through it, expanding each moment.

Looking for more specialized support for an anxious kiddo? Click here to learn more about how I can support you and your child with anxiety. The first step is the hardest to take. Reach out today for a complimentary 15-30 minute phone consultation to see how I can help.