Parenting Tip: Is Your Son Grieving?

  Is Your Son Grieving a Loss? There are many definitions of grief, the one I like best is by The Grief Recovery Institute: “Grief is the normal and natural emotional reaction to loss or change of any kind.  Of itself, grief is neither a pathological condition nor a personality disorder.  Grief is the conflicting feelings caused by…

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Is My Son Smoking Pot or Drinking? What to Do Next

  Are you afraid your son is smoking pot, drinking or worse? My Son Would Never Do That  I hope you’re not deceiving yourself; drugs and alcohol are readily available EVERYWHERE!  He can escape his feelings by “numbing out” and find refuge by drinking or smoking pot.  And worse let’s not forget the huge opioid epidemic that’s sweeping the…

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Advancing The Work!

I am excited!  I am in the final phase of my Ph.D. work!  What I’ve Been Up To One very important component of my dissertation was to gather data to support my topic Difference of a Counselor Facilitated Adolescent Boys’ Group on Behavior.  I had the privilege of facilitating The Quest Project® to a great group of boys at Woodridge Middle School…

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Parenting Tips: For Graduation & Beyond

Graduation is a major milestone for your son.  Celebrate his accomplishment! Congratulations-He Made It! This is a very exciting time!  I congratulate you if you are honoring a graduate in your home.  It’s a time to honor the achievement and begin to plan the next steps if you haven’t already done so.  If your son plans to attend college…

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Raising Sons? Signs He’s Becoming A Man

From a Boy To a Man How will you know when your adolescent son begins to transition into a man?  It won’t happen overnight, and there will be times when you wish it would! Signs of Change: Your Son’s Becoming a Man At approximately 11-13 yrs. of age “on average” a boy produces a greater amount of testosterone.  The production…

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Parenting Sons: 5 Things You Need To Know About Peer Pressure

  Peer Pressure and Healthy Male Mentor As your adolescent boy grows and matures it is increasingly important that he has a strong relationship with dad; if dad is healthy and safe.  If that is not the case, a healthy male mentor (grandpa, uncle, stepdad, coach).   You hear me say this often, I have dads tell me they’re doing…

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Parenting Tip: How to Resolve Conflict

Parenting & Conflict Conflict is a part of life.  I know people who thoroughly enjoy conflict and others who avoid it at all costs.  One of the cornerstones I cover with adolescent boys and their parents is “conflict resolution.”  By utilizing my process the family is able to communicate more effectively and peacefully. You-You-You One of…

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Therapy and Group Work: The Importance of a Qualified Facilitator

A Look Behind the Scenes One thing I have not shared is I’m a facilitator of The Quest Project®.  I am in the “trenches” with the boys that come to see me.  I do this work myself, I’m good at it.  I know how to quickly uncover and get to the wound an adolescent boy carries.  Since 2000…

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Raising Sons: Integrity, Instilling as a Core Value

With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt.   Zig Ziglar   I came across this quote recently.  I couldn’t get the word “integrity” off of my mind, I ultimately came across this Forbes’ article.  It’s a…

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Parenting Boys: What You Need To Know

  Are you parenting boys? Is dad active in his life?  Do you worry he could be in trouble? Parenting Boys:  Boys Without Fathers One of the most common issues our boys face is growing up without their father.   According to estimates, one in three boys currently lives in a home without a father…

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