Speaking from the Hidden Heart: Helping Families Heal! Paperback – June 30, 2023

As with any family, sometimes things can happen that result in kids feeling less loved and cared for than they actually are. This book seeks to help professionals to be better able to see this relational pain and to focus their work on helping family relationships heal. After all, I have not met a parent yet who didn’t want to see their child be successful nor have I met a youth who wouldn’t want to have a stronger and more positive relationship with their parent. Pain in the Heart Healing Theory is a way of working with family relationships to help children and youth become more successful and to feel less emotional pain. Many people don’t realize that, when a youth is struggling in school, or with peer relationships, or with following adult direction, or with questioning living, etc., this is related to sadness and anxiety. Most of us also don’t realize that family relationships are exceedingly important to youth feeling good about themselves. Parents and caregivers mean more to their kids than the kids often “let on”. Sometimes families can lose hope and often they don’t know what to do for things to improve. I hope that some therapists out there, and other child/youth service providers, will consider some of the ideas in this book as potential guides to their work. No one is to blame. Everyone is doing the best they can based upon their own life experiences and trauma. Healing is always possible . . . it is never too late! Read more