Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend and Colleague

Nearly 9 years ago, I went to pick up a 10 lbs. puppy that I was hoping to become my therapy dog. I had just lost my previous dog, Jack, after 16 years, and was still grieving but the idea of having a puppy full of energy was appealing. I took him into my office […]
Introducing the All the Feels Classroom!

I am excited to announce I will now be offering my most popular training sessions online! If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that we can be flexible in how we share information and connect with others. When I started speaking several years ago, I didn’t have kids, a family and could easily fly across […]
Helping Children Process Fear in the Aftermath of School Violence

I’ve spent the past 23 years as a counselor in Nashville and yesterday was the hardest. Having to process the events of a shooting just 2 miles from my office with school-age kids was overwhelming. Some kids were terrified to go back to school, while younger kids didn’t even know about the event. One middle […]
Green Wood Holds: What will Hold for You in 2023?
I grew up in the country, in a house without central heat and air. We had a furnace in the basement and every Saturday in the winter, my two siblings and I would load up in my dad’s Ford F150 and drive down to the woods behind our house. He would cut down a tree […]
Teach Your Child to Manage Emotions in 4 Simple Steps
Emotion Regulation is not easy. It is one of the hardest things we do in our lives. But, it is a lot easier when we learn how to do it in childhood. I was a child who couldn’t manage anxiety. I found ways to avoid anxious situations and over time, my life became small. When […]
New Book Release! Beat, Beat, Thump: A Children’s Book to Help Children Understand Panic and Anxiety

Beat, beat, thump. Beat, beat, thump. Those were the sounds pounding in my head as I waited for my plane to take off. I had always loved to fly. The thought of boarding a plane made me feel energized. For years, I had happily walked through terminals and stood in customs lines eagerly awaiting my […]
How to Manage Feelings Poster – Now Available!

I’m excited to announce my newest product to help children manage emotions! The poster takes children through the same emotion regulation steps I use in my office: Whether you’re five or eight-five, the steps are the same. The poster is $18, 18″x 25″, laminated and ready for years of use. I recommend it for classrooms, […]
Feeling Cards are Here!

Nearly two years ago, I gave a talk where I emphasized the importance of using feeling cards with children. I shared that it helps children open up about emotions and at the end of the talk, shared my favorite feeling cards and told everyone to go buy a set. The next day, I received an […]
Announcing My New Book! How to Crack Your Peanut

Earlier this year, I released Flooded: A Brain-Based Guide to Help Children Manage Emotions. The book was for parents, educators and caregivers and just after releasing it, the message I heard from readers was clear: we need a book like this for kids. I’d been sharing this information with kids in my office for many […]
New Book Release! Flooded: A Brain-Based Guide to Help Children Regulate Emotions

1 in 6 children meet the criteria for a mental health disorder. By adulthood that number will double. In 2019, the World Happiness Organization reported the United States was the least happy it has ever been. One of the reporters said, “By most accounts, Americans should be happier now than ever. The violent crime rate […]