Invitation to Exhale
As life resumes its previous shape, it’s no surprise that our re-entry is getting a lot of attention. Many of us got emotionally beat up as we were suddenly catapulted into our pandemic lives. I am getting a lot of messages to just exhale, yet I find I’m resisting them. Partially, I think it’s nervousness about what might be on the other side of letting go. When life has been so unpredictable, can we actually exhale, let go, and show our underbellies?Read More
Navigating Power Struggles
Power struggles are not enjoyable – when two people or parties are competing for control or influence, it makes for a very uncomfortable and frustrating experience. The more we can self-regulate the better we will be at dealing with difficult situations. Check out four strategies that will help guide you to avoid power struggles.Read More
Zoom Fatigue or Something More?
There are many advantages to holding zoom meetings-no travel time needed, no reason to compete for available conference room space, and the meeting can be easily recorded and archived. With so many efficiencies using technology, why are so many of us feeling exhausted and fatigued? Here are three factors that may be contributing to our feelings of Zoom fatigue and how we might mitigate them.Read More
Supporting Mental Health in Early Childhood
For children, ages birth-5 years old, mental health begins with how they form close relationships with caregivers, manage and express their emotions, and explore the environment and learn. A child's development is cumulative, building on previous milestones, which is why it's important to establish safety early on, both physically and emotionally, so that children can thrive in these areas.Read More
Support, One Day at a Time
This past year has been many things – it has been challenging, emotional, overwhelming, stressful, and yet it has also been inspiring and rewarding. There is no doubt about it, we have all had to change not only how we do our work but adjust our personal lives due to new stress and worry that we’ve never navigated before. How do we manage all of this and still be the very best possible version of ourselves?Read More
Why Keep a Joy Journal
Many of us are familiar with the concept of gratitude and thankfulness. Science says that feelings of gratefulness have many positive effects – from physical to psychological – making it the most popular topic for daily journals. At Nexus Family Healing, we see many youth and families who are going through difficult times and struggle to see the good in every day. That’s why we champion the practice of keeping a “joy journal.”Read More
Fostering Gratitude
I am not a foster parent. I am an adoptive parent and an adoption professional. I am licensed for foster care only for the purposes of adoption. The children that entered my home had already been in foster placements and came to us as a new family member. Each mom and each dad, all the siblings and even the pets, have made an impact on my child and I am forever grateful to foster parents and the work they do!Read More
When Is It a Mental Health Crisis?
We all have good and bad mental health days. When our mental health suffers, it affects our ability to think, feel, and act. Any one of us can experience a mental health crisis and crises can be triggered by certain events such as job loss, school pressures, or a break-up; death of a loved one; financial insecurity; medication changes; physical, sexual, or verbal abuse; or trauma.Read More
What’s Growing in Your Lawn?
As we watch spring emerge this year, the contrast between the changes that happen to us and around us, and ones that we make happen are in clear relief. Throughout our organization we are taking stock of what we are emerging with this spring – figuring out what to keep and what to weed out. So many changes this past year have felt like they happened to us. Now the question is what are changes we want to make? At Nexus Family Healing, we are examining the culture we have and determining the culture we want.Read More
The Journey to Foster Parenting
The journey to foster parenting is so special and worth it. I see struggling families daily through my work at a nonprofit agency. I see the generational cycle of poverty and trauma. I see how this affects children and often ask why we can’t do something about this.Read More