Healing Psych

Dr. Katrina Wood's psychotherapy blog

Suffering behind closed doors: A personal note

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What has occupied so much of my professional life is a form of suffering that remains remarkably easy to overlook: the emotional and psychological suffering of children behind closed doors, across cultures, races, religions and socioeconomic circumstances — not only in the past, but in everyday life. Children suffer when they are not emotionally “seen,” protected, understood and held. Many of … [Read more...]

Parenting: When it’s time to loosen the grip

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“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot … [Read more...]

The good news about ‘good enough’

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What if there were no epiphanies! What if healing were a slow, steady little train. What if this slow, steady journey to mental health proved good enough. British pediatrician Donald Winnicott coined the phrase “good-enough mothering” back in the 1950s, urging moms to recognize that what they were providing for their children probably was sufficient. He posited that, in general, children would … [Read more...]

Wrangling the birds and the bees

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Much has changed since the days of the good-old-fashioned "talk" about the birds and the bees.Youngsters still come to The Talk knowing the basics. That hasn't changed. Yet today's children are much more savvy than their counterparts of the past when it comes to the practical applications of the sex act. This is virtually unavoidable in the Internet age. Discussing sexuality is often an … [Read more...]

Mothers and teen sons: Finding a way

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One of the toughest aspects of parenthood is dealing with the anger, rage and withdrawal that teenage boys direct toward their mothers. These turbulent emotions are unsettling, often leaving mothers confused and helpless. Understanding the challenges that boys face during these years can help mothers maintain their own stability while supporting their sons’ development. Boys need time alone … [Read more...]