Amber
Amber has been married to her college sweetheart from Texas A&M, Kyle, for 11 years. They encountered the difficulty of infertility, and it became the biggest blessing of their lives when it pushed them to pursue adoption. Both of their kids (Willow and Jonas) were born in China and adopted as toddlers; attachment has been a beautiful and unique story with each of them. Amber used to teach and then followed her passion to help children as a school counselor before becoming a mom. Although Amber stays at home with her children now, one day a week she gets to practice play therapy as a licensed professional counselor at Family Connections Counseling in Colleyville. Faith, family, and friends are especially important to Amber. On a day off, you can find her playing games, laughing, reading, talking, sleeping, watching a movie, or enjoying family time outside.
Do It Scared :: Pushing Past Anxiety in Parenting
It’s more than okay that you’re fearful right now. Of course, you fear both the little and big decisions in parenting. Keep pushing; keep on going. Your current anxiety will not last forever.
To My Fellow Medical Mamas
Getting educated is invaluable, but getting frantic isn't. Let's not waste our time allowing anxiety to skyrocket as we help propel it forward. Medical moms, you already have enough natural, to-be-expected stress over your situations and certainly don't need to create more. Do your research when you're in the right frame of mind: curious, wanting more information, and calm.
15 Tips from a Play Therapist
With this piece, I hope to inspire parents who want to both deepen their connections with their kids and help their kids process feelings. To begin, I want to mention that, for children during play, the toys are the words and the play is their language.
Parenting Through Chronic Pain
We all want to teach our children to be strong and resilient, but it's difficult when their trials come and we don't know how. My friend, you're doing just this. They are watching you, and they may know when you suffer. Your child will become an overcomer because you have unknowingly modeled this.
Chronic Pain :: 7 Tips on Walking Through a Chronic Pain Flare
I see you. I know you probably cry at night after the kids finally fall asleep, trying to hold on to a sliver of hope that this won't be forever. You've held it together all day through the pain, and nighttime is the hardest.
Joy + Trial = Confusion!
Whether your bliss or your grieving is causing disruption in the typical ebbs and flows of life, I think we should all just allow it to be. Let that feeling of being alone live. It is okay that you're struggling when things are glorious. It's okay that you can't stand the thought of entering something extremely hard. It's okay that you need to whine about something that should be fantastic.
Attachment in Parenting (Not Just Adoptive Parenting)
I've come to the conclusion that nurturing a strong attachment with your child is always helpful. It is the foundation upon which the child/parent relationship is built. It is where trust is born. Whether parents do attachment work as a result of problems that have popped up or proactively work on this dynamic, it is my opinion that it is very worthwhile.