Children: Be someone in the life of a child
National Be Someone Day is designed to remind adults to be someone special in the life of a child. As a counselor, I am constantly reminded of the fact that almost everyone on the planet is recovering from or currently enduring some sort of trauma, a lot of that trauma inflicted or experienced as a […]
Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Awareness Month
The month of April is both the month for sexual assault and child abuse awareness—two serious societal problems that span across many cultures. In 1987, I began working with children in specialized foster care. At that time, not enough was known about child abuse, especially sexual abuse. There was a misunderstanding around cause and effect: […]
Empowerment Parenting for Mandated Parents
I have finally finished my parenting curriculum, Empowerment Parenting. This is a 25-hour parenting program for people mandated to attend parenting classes. It teaches parenting skills based on our five basic needs and emphasizes the difference between discipline and punishment. Parents are taught the formula for teaching their children self-discipline while building influential, positive relationships with their children.