Family
Family dynamics are complex and ever-changing. Our contributors explore the various aspects of family life, from communication and conflict resolution to building strong bonds and supporting each other through life's challenges. Learn how to navigate family relationships, address common issues, and foster a supportive and loving family environment. Learn how to create and maintain healthy family connections.
Why You Feel Like a Teenager Around Your Family and What Your Nervous System Has to Do with It
Ram Das once said, “If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family”. He was joking. He was also entirely serious. If you have ever walked back into your childhood home as a fully grown adult...
Understanding the Parent Wound
The parent wound typically stems from childhood experiences such as criticism, abandonment, emotional neglect, overcontrol, inconsistency, or name-calling. These experiences can shape the way we see...
The Summer Bucket List That Your Family Actually Needs
June often brings equal parts excitement and chaos. The school year rush disappears, routines loosen, and families suddenly feel pressure to create a summer filled with magical memories. Sometimes we even...
Why Boundaries Don’t Work Without Self-Trust
Boundaries are often spoken about as something we need to learn how to set. Clearer communication. Saying no more often. Protecting your time and energy. While these are important, they are not the starting point...
What Will You Wish You'd Asked Your Mother?
When my mother passed, I expected grief. I did not expect discovery. In the weeks after her death, people gathered, neighbours, church members, women from her association, and faces I barely...
You’re Not Too Sensitive, Your Nervous System is Overloaded
“You’re too sensitive.” It’s something many people have heard at some point in their lives. Often said casually. Sometimes said repeatedly. And over time, it becomes something people begin to believe about...
Why You Feel Disconnected Even When Life Looks Fine
There is a kind of disconnection that doesn’t always look obvious. From the outside, life can appear fine. You’re high functioning. You’re showing up. You’re doing what you’re meant to be doing.
You Don’t Have a Relationship Problem, You Have a Self-Relationship Problem
There is one relationship you will never leave. Not your partner. Not your family. Not your colleagues. Yourself. It shapes how you think. How you respond. What you tolerate. What you believe you deserve.
What Losing My Mother Taught Me About Love, Grief, and Presence
Losing a mother at a young age reshapes not only one's sense of self, but the very fabric of the world around them. In this deeply personal reflection, Ken Breniman explores the complex grief of...
How to Set Boundaries Without Hurting Your Relationships
If you’ve ever struggled to say no, felt guilty for needing space, or worried that setting limits might push people away, you’re not alone. As a trained psychotherapist, I’ve seen how deeply this fear runs...
Beyond Blood, Who Do You Consider Family?
What truly defines a family? Is it blood, shared history, or something deeper, formed through emotional connections and intentional choices? This article explores how family can transcend traditional...
Why Kids Fall Apart in May and 3 Simple Ways to Help
There is often a noticeable shift in May. A child who has been doing “fine” all year suddenly starts melting down more easily. Small things feel big. Transitions feel harder and emotions feel closer to the...
10 Neuroscience-Backed Tips to Thrive When You're Never Alone at Home
My mum once gave me a piece of advice I’ve never forgotten. If someone breaks your special coffee cup or shrinks your favourite jumper in the wash, she’d say: “Ask yourself what means more to me?
How to Cope with Uncertainty and Loss of Control After a Loved One is Hurt in an Accident
The day I received the call about my dad started like any other summer day. I was swimming with my kids when my phone rang. Within minutes, I was rushing to the hospital with my husband, walking into an...
When Walking Away Is Survival – Understanding Family Estrangement
Family relationships are meant to provide safety, belonging, and unconditional support. Yet, for a growing number of adults, family ties become a source of emotional distress rather than comfort.
