Beneath The Surface Therapy Solutions

PPM's You're probably wondering what's a PPM? PPM stands for a Proud Parent Moment. Oftentimes, we are quick to point out the bad or something has to be considered big for us to take special notice or give recognition. The idea behind recognizing PPM's in your children's lives is to let them know that you see them and all they accomplish or do, no matter how small. These PPM's when shared, can inspire, motivate, and empower your child in more ways than you could imagine. A proud parent moment could be your child opening up the door for an elderly person or going out of his/her way to care for a sibling. It could be the way your child handles an obstacle or barrier. I  could go on and on giving examples however I think you get the picture.  Lastly, look for these moments! Share these PPMs and the reasoning behind them with your children. You may even want to let them know that they can recognize PKM's (Proud Kid Moments) or for those teens in your life PTMs (

Being Attentive to Different Personalities and Temperaments You might already be asking, "Erica what does different personalities and temperaments have to do with parenting? Well I'm glad you asked! Your child is an individual. Yes an individual. Which means that this child has individual needs, wants, desires and yep you guessed it, an individual personality and temperament (that may change over time).  Its important to teach and provide discipline while also being attentive to your child's personality and temperament. Also, know that what works for one child may not work for another and vice versa.  Imagine having 3 sons. One is very hard on himself even though he appears to be the jokester of the family. One is quiet and reserved oftentimes appearing that he likes to be alone however he's actually more of an introvert who enjoys family activities. One is a mixture of both described above. I'm sure that if you were to really pay attention to their different perso

Dear Stepmom Dear Stepmom,  I envy you.  I really wish I did not feel this way.  You're a very strong and powerful person  and that's amazing.  However,  that's not what I envy about you.  I envy the fact that my loved ones  bow down to meet every one of your needs  while I am here stuck to fend for myself.  I strongly feel like you leave me powerless  with the glares you give me from across the room. Stepmom,  I don't mean to be selfish  but with one swoop  you came and took the necessities that were somewhat there for me.  Dear Stepmom,  I have cried and prayed many nights  that you would see that I wanted to be  a part of the family that you stole from me. It really breaks my heart when you get chosen instead of me  when I came first.  Stepmom, you left me feeling like I got replaced.  My heart aches when I see my new born baby sister because every time I look at her all I see is that I was replaced  with someone that is shiny and brand new,  like a shiny new coin, 

  Easter weekend I made the following post on my social media account. I wanted to really expand on this particular post from a mental health perspective. Here’s the post: Be you without crucifying another individual, the real you without the distorted perceptions or world taught judgements and criticisms, the authentic version of you, the you who once looked at the world with wonder and those around you with love. Yes, I know life can have its twists and turns, innocence can be stolen, losses can shake the very core of our souls…. But don’t allow these things to keep you in a place where you did not choose to be. As your body rises today, allow your innermost part of you to rise too! And trust me, through having trials of my own, I know that's not easy. But, neither is staying in that dark place especially if your spirit is being crushed in the process, turning you into mini versions of everything that went through you. Remind yourself of who and where your power comes from and “G

Embracing Uncomfortability You're probably wondering what does uncomfortability have to do with parenting? I mean, like really Erica? We're parents. We’re leaders. Do we really have to embrace uncomfortability? My answer is (yep you guessed it) YES, as parents we must be able to embrace those uncomfortable moments.  Remember the first time your child took his or her first steps? Remember the excitement that you felt? The joy of knowing that your child reached an important milestone? It was the moment you embraced uncomfortability to witness the beginning of change for your child, change for your entire household. You bore witness to change and growth for the life that found the purpose of his/her legs and with great courage decided to take those first steps.  For many parents, soon after this moment, anxiety sets in and even fear of that child exploring the world around him/her with the uncomfortable knowledge that your child may in fact get hurt. What we do in these uncomforta

I know its been a minute since I blogged with the Texas Winter Storm and catching up on the day to day tasks of family life and running a private practice. However, I wanted to take the time to pour into you, to empower you on this beautiful Tuesday.  Is it True or your Perception of Truth? I know you saw my title and was like what does she mean about deciphering between Truth and Perception of Truth? Well, I'm glad you asked. First, lets acknowledge that two individuals can have different perceptions of the same event. The event, based on the perceptions can either have a positive or negative effect on you. These individuals mentioned above may respond to the same event with not only different thoughts and emotions but also different versions of what they have accepted as their truth. Please know that beliefs are formed out of what you believe to be true or consider to be fact. Now I'm not here to go into all that you believe but I did want to focus on beliefs or thoughts abou