What Therapists Want Parents to Do

Parents and Therapists must work together to help their traumatized children.

–by Susan Ward, LPC Note from the blog manager: this is the promised and long-overdue follow-up to Susan’s popular post, What Therapists Want Parents to Know. Thank you to both Susan and our readers for your patience!   As the parent of a child with trauma and attachment issues, I understand first-hand how overwhelming your life […]

2018 Parenting Summit

Trauma Sensitive Parenting Summit

Our Free Summit has ended. Thank you to the thousands of you who came and participated. After Friday, November 16, the Summit will be available in our store. Watch interviews with parenting experts and experienced therapeutic parents from around the country. Experts include: Dr. Dan Siegel Dr. Ross Greene Karen Buckwalter, LCSW Sarah Naish Billy […]

ATN Responds #KeepFamiliesTogether

US Capitol Building - Advocacy

UPDATED JUNE 21, 2018 On June 20, 2018, President Trump signed an Executive Order halting the practice of separating children from families after they are detained crossing the U.S. border illegally.  There is still more work needed, however, as the President’s E.O. does not address what is to be done with the more than 2,300 […]

Trauma-Informed Parenting: What Adoptive & Foster Parents Can Teach About ACEs

Parent tossing child in the air and catching her - Trauma-Informed Parentin

[original version published on Parenting with ACEs on June 5, 2016] There are many adults with low ACE scores who parent children with high ACE scores. These parents are often feisty and fierce advocates who tirelessly seek out support, strategies and solutions to make the lives of their children easier and better. They are some of the […]

Three Things Parents Want Therapists To Do

Three Things Parents Want Therapists To Do

Last month, I shared three things that parents want therapists to know: Parents don’t know if they can trust therapists. Parents love their kids. Parents are juggling multiple responsibilities. I promised a follow-up, so here it is, three things parents want therapists to do. 1) Please listen to us. We know a lot about our […]

On Losing a Mother…and a Mother Culture

dealing with loss

I saw them the moment we entered the restaurant. The dad was suited up, ready for Mother’s Day at our favorite Indian buffet. The little girl, her black hair chopped in the “orphanage bob,” sat safely strapped into a high chair. The mom wore a salwar kameez, blond hair hanging loosely about her pale neck. […]

Mother’s Day. Beautiful and Complicated.

Mother's Day. Beautiful and Complicated.

–by Neeva Carter The moment I heard my children’s names, my world stood still. I was at work, standing in an empty room on the phone, listening to our social worker run through the highlights of their story. She was reluctant to tell me anything, having only agreed because the children’s social worker had begged, […]

Behavior: Conscious or Unconscious?

Janyne McConnaughey, PhD

–by Janyne McConnaughey, PhD The teacher and I exchanged knowing looks as a kindergartener flung herself across the table, scattering crayons and paper in every direction. We understood that intervening at this moment would only make it worse, although it probably was going to get worse anyway. I was a volunteer. I had no clue […]

It’s Not Always Depression: An Emotional Education

–by Laura Dennis, with much gratitude to Hilary Jacobs Hendel, to whom I owe both the title and content of this post This is not a book review Last month, I wrote a post previewing Hilary Jacobs Hendel’s new book, It’s Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core […]

Maybe It Isn’t Depression?

–by Laura Dennis Therapist and author Hilary Jacobs Hendel has blogged for ATN several times this past year, including popular posts such as “Head, Heart, Repeat” and “What Mad Men and Don Draper Taught Us about Power and Shame”. She is also the author of “It’s Not Always Depression” and “The Healing Power of Hugs” […]