Living with a Chronic Illness

“Casandra is uniquely qualified to guide people through the emotional struggles of living with chronic illness and chronic pain. She draws on both clinical knowledge and personal experience. I highly recommend her work.” – Marcus Moore, MFT, Founder and Director of Petaluma Family Therapy Center Living with a Chronic Illness by Casandra McGee, MFT You have just been diagnosed with …

7 Ways to Manage Anxiety

Debi Emmons, MFT

– by Debi Emmons, MFT – You know that feeling…you’re sound asleep and all of a sudden, and for no known reason, you wake up. Suddenly, you start reviewing your day: Did I complete my to do list at work? Did I return that important phone call? How did the conversation with my boss really go? Before you know it, …

Holiday Blues Got You Down?

Petaluma Family Therapy

Coping With Challenges During “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Marcus Moore, MFT If you’re like many people, the holidays can be an emotionally difficult time. For some, a season that is advertised as being “the most wonderful time of the year” carries with it a host of challenges that stand in sharp contrast to the joyful ideals …

“Don’t Look At The Trees!” – Why Anxiety Avoidance Doesn’t Work

(and how to avoid anxiety…)  – by Marcus Moore, MFT – I remember when I first learned how to ski as a young boy. I would try to stay in the middle of the ski slope, but I kept finding myself close to the edge where I would almost hit the trees. One day my instructor asked me what this was …

What’s Going on In Your Daughter’s Brain?

Kimmy Peterson, MFT - Petaluma Family Therapy

– by Kimmy Peterson, MFT – The life of a parent includes helping your child navigate transitions; from a once tiny snuggly baby girl, to an on the go toddler, an exploring grade schooler, an awkward preteen, and now a teenager learning to become independent. These transitions have each been made with minor fails, a few emotional wounds, and thankfully …

Coping with Back-to-School Anxiety

– by Rosanna Fikes, MFT – While going back to school can be exciting, it often provides some level of anxiety as well. Whether your child is attending a new school or returning to an old school it is normal to experience some butterflies. Common concerns for youth beginning a new school year include: • Will my friends be in …

Crunch Time! Navigating School-Related Conflict – Part 2

This time of year, I witness this type of conversation all too often: Parent: “You are missing tons of assignments in math! You are going to fail the class, then you’re going to be held back a grade!” Teen: “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. I’m not the only one missing assignments, and everyone says that I’ll pass the …

Bridging the Parent-Teen Divide

– by Jennifer Norstrom, MFT – You raised a child who once sat on your lap and giggled at your jokes to a young teen who walks right past you to hang out on her phone alone in her bedroom. You feel as though a large canyon has grown between you, and you feel ignored or shut out. It may …

Success or Failure? Is it how we play the game, or is there a deeper lesson?

By Jason Newman LMFT #100091 When school bells start ringing, parents’ anxieties rise. Parents find themselves asking, “Will my child be successful or will they fail? Will my child win or lose?” Some say, “It’s just how you play the game.” I propose a different approach. We live in a society bombarded with harsh images of success and failure. Either …

Crunch Time! Navigating School-Related Conflict – Part 1

      It’s that time of the year again, when tensions run high between parents and teens around schoolwork. While we hope for the best, past experience often tells us that we’re in for a struggle. Parents often seem more concerned about school than their kids do, and trying to help a teen be successful academically can feel like a losing …