• Home
  • About Us
    • Meghan Renzi, LCSW-C, LICSW, CCTP
    • Support Staff
  • Services
    • CBT and Mindfulness
  • Online Counseling
  • Rates
    • Rates
  • Resources
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Appointment Request
  • Blog

Phone: (240) 479-4894
Email: meghanrenzi@therapyandmindfulness.com
Schedule a free 20-minute phone consult

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Therapy and Mindfulness

A message to parents: Teach peace

August 14, 2017 by Meghan Renzi

With all the hate and violence in the world, it can be hard to maintain a positive attitude. I typically do not blog about current events but after this past weekend, I felt compelled to say something. I apologize for any grammatical errors. I felt it was more important to get this message out there than proofreading this blog.

I became a social worker because I wanted to help people who may not have been afforded the same blessings that I have (obviously). I continued working in this often emotionally draining and sometimes depressing profession for the past 10 years because I love hearing people’s stories, stories of resilience. I love talking to people who despite the odds, kept going because they had to. People who had faith they were being taken care of, that their suffering was not for nothing. I love pointing out people’s strengths.

Sometimes I wonder, how can certain people be filled with such hate and contempt for those who are different? I take a step back. I have to remember that we are taught certain values and beliefs in childhood that we carry with us as adults. Hate is taught… and hate often stems from fear. Where do hate and fear come from?

It starts at home.

So how can we teach the next generation to be advocates of peace?

In our modern world, a lot of us are plagued with worry about violence in our communities, not to mention the threat of nuclear war. Will my kids be influenced by the news? Will my kids pick up on my own stress and anxiety? Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is a resounding YES. Our children are impacted by what is happening around them constantly. The good news is that you have a choice about what you expose your child to. You can decide to live in a place of fear or will to teach your child to be a proponent of love. Children and adolescents are impressionable, but they also can be incredibly buoyant.

What can you do as a parent to make sure your kid stays emotionally healthy in such an unstable, often scary world?

Take care of yourself first. Put the oxygen mask on yourself. You cannot be fully present for your child if you don’t. Self-care at this point may involve enlisting the help of a therapist or attending a support group to deal with your own issues around what is happening in the world. Self-care could also mean making it a priority to go to yoga 1x a week or even finding a half hour to sit quietly and read (preferably something not related to current events). These things may seem to be luxuries but they are absolutely necessary to keep you going. Remember your child will be influenced by your anxieties. You can choose to be a calm presence for your child in an unpredictable world.

Teach love and teach them to connect! Uniting with people who share a common mindset of inclusion can be super powerful, whether it is at your child’s school, in a meditation group or in your spiritual community. Tara Brach, psychologist and meditation teacher, talks about “the unreal other”. Tara talks about what happens when we see people from different races, religions, cultures and economic status through a lens of separateness. “We are conditioned to perceive people as unreal others- two-dimensional characters who lack sentience, vulnerability, and goodness. This is often most insidious when we filter people through demeaning culturally driven stereotypes”. Building a sense of community can be an antidote.

Be the change. Help your neighbor. Smile at a stranger. Volunteer. Make it a family affair. Posting on social media is great to raise awareness, but it is way more impactful to actually do something. Getting out there and helping can open your kid’s eyes to see that the world is bigger than their sheltered bubble. Donate your time to a cause that you care about. Yeah, you might have to inconvenience yourself but it can also be an exercise in gratitude for the whole family.

Look at what is in your control. Here is what you can’t control- the actions of others. Ask yourself these questions: Can I help someone today? Can I send up some prayers? Can I cut back on my news watching and spend more time with my kids? Can I start a daily Metta (loving-kindness) meditation practice?

Finally do not let fear rule your life. Easier said than done, I know. Focusing on the problems: i.e. Obsessing about the news, wondering how people could be so hateful, worrying about what is going to happen next, take time and energy away from looking at solutions. How can I be an ambassador of peace? How can I teach my children that we are all brothers and sisters part of one human race?

Always reach out for help and emotional support if you need to.

Keep in mind that it is okay to be upset! These events are absolutely appalling. But remember-

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

Further reading: 

Tara Brach

Insight Meditation Community of Washington

Still Water Mediation Group

Get involved:

Big Brothers Big Sisters

YMCA

So Others May Eat

Martha’s Table

 

Filed Under: Child, development, mental health, Mindfulness, parenting, parents

To the mom who feels like she is failing

February 24, 2017 by Meghan Renzi

You have known her since birth. She is your little girl. You remember like it was yesterday; her smile, her laugh, her cuddles. You think back to what it was like when she looked up to you, when you could be in the moment with your girl- playing outside, going on adventures, reading bedtime stories. Your sole purpose was to make her feel loved and taken care of.

Lately, things have been different. She lashes out at the smallest things. You no longer feel the closeness that was once there. Maybe she tells you that you don’t understand. You see her criticizing herself and the world around her. You see her caught up in what the media tells her she is supposed to be or look like. The dreams she had as a young child seem to be fading.

What happened to your little girl? You try to do all the right things. You give positive feedback, get her involved in activities and let her know you are available to talk.

Adolescence is a difficult time for both the child and the parents. As Dr. Mary Pipher puts it, “Adolescence is currently scripted in a way that builds conflict between teenagers and their parents. Conflict occurs when parents try to protect their daughters who are trying to be independent in ways that are dangerous. Teenagers are under great social pressure to abandon their families, to be accepted by peer culture and to be autonomous individuals”. (Pipher, 65).

Developmentally it is completely normal for your child to be creating distance in the relationship. At this stage of life, peer groups are of paramount importance. In addition to shifts in relationships, there are also bodily changes that occur in adolescence. These shifts may contribute to your daughter feeling uncomfortable in her skin. Another notable change is the way adolescents tend to view the world. Teens, in general, are more likely to utilize cognitive distortions including emotional reasoning- “I feel this way so it must be true” and black and white thinking- seeing situations and people in extremes. Teens tend to come from a more egocentric place, where it is difficult to see another’s point of view. All of these patterns are typical for this developmental stage. However, knowing something is “normal” may not make them any easier to deal with.

Raising your daughter in today’s world can be a challenge, to say the least. So what are you to do?

  1. Remember safety first– Always seek professional help if there is talk of suicide if you notice any self-harming or other high-risk behaviors (sex, substance abuse, running away). Use your judgment as a parent in setting limits with the cell phone, the internet, and driving privileges.
  2. Consistency– adolescents are likely to “split” adults or look for a way around the rules. It is best that all caretakers are on the same page in terms expectations and boundaries. Talk with those involved in the care of your teen about what is acceptable for your child.
  3. Self-care– This one is so important. You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first or else you won’t be of any help to your child. Self-care can be basic like getting enough sleep, making sure you have eaten and are hydrated. Once these basic physiological needs are met you can explore what brings you joy. Journaling, reading, meditation and/or exercise can be great stress relievers.
  4. Be gentle with yourself- Give yourself a break. You are only human and you are doing the best you can. Ask for help from your support network when you need it. Give yourself permission to have your own emotional reaction to what is going on. Seek professional help if necessary.

For further reading on changes that occur during adolescence check out the resources below:

Reviving Ophelia- Saving the selves of adolescent girls by Dr. Mary Pipher, Ph.D.

http://www.mindful.org/three-tips-raising-resilient-teens/

http://www.mindful.org/amazing-tumultuous-wild-wonderful-teenage-brain/

Filed Under: Child, communication, development, Mindfulness, parents, teenagers, teens Tagged With: adolescents, girls, mental health, moms, parenting, self care, teens

Meghan Renzi,
LCSW-C, LICSW

Therapy & Mindfulness Practices LLC



Email Call

Telemental Health Certified Badge by Person Centered Tech

verifiedbypsychtoday

Send a Message

By submitting this form via this web portal, you acknowledge and accept the risks of communicating your health information via this unencrypted email and electronic messaging and wish to continue despite those risks. By clicking "Yes, I want to submit this form" you agree to hold Brighter Vision harmless for unauthorized use, disclosure, or access of your protected health information sent via this electronic means.
Therapy and Mindfulness LLC | Privacy Policy
A Bright Site by Brighter Vision