August 2020
Hello there,
Wow--the distance we’ve traveled over the last few months together ❤️.
I’ve been quiet for a few months as I continue to gather my thoughts and wits about me—as I navigate parenting and homeschooling, working as a therapist and clinical supervisor, and fine-tune my best coping strategies as a grown adult in the middle of a pandemic.
If I’m being honest, I’ve been messy…my family has been messy…and my clients have been messy…and that’s on a pretty good day. There will be time for wisdom, insight, and clarity as the world settles, but for now--I have learned to become thrilled when I have moments of calm, safety, humor, and connection.
Trying to move from “surviving” to “thriving” now that we are almost five months in…trying to shift my thinking into tolerating and accepting this new normal (instead of wishing for all to be different)...trying to make the best of it and see the beauty all around me. It is there if we chose to see it amidst the noise and distraction…and I hope that it will help pave the way forward for our collective humanity!
Marc Murphy USA TODAY Network
USA TODAY Network
NOTEWORTHY ARTICLES
Thoughts to Ponder: Resilience
This is a simple article with great reminders about resilience: “4 Daily Practices that Foster Emotional Resilience” by Sarah Goff-Dupont-Atlassian. Very important right now! If these strategies don’t come naturally to you or your children, they can be learned and increased over time ❤️.
SOME LEVITY
“Kids, use your inside-for-who-the-#!@*-knows-how-long voice, please.”
Parenting During Pandemic—this comic says it all! Sending strength to all the parents out there. Breathe. Unprecedented times. Try to do your best and remember that your kids are doing their best too. Some days are better than others. Put on your own oxygen mask first. This too shall pass. Good luck with the start of school this fall!
PARENTING RESOURCES
Developing Flexible and Compassionate Thinking for Adolescents
Love this handout—it is a good starting point with teens, especially as you have conversations about the serious topics swirling around right now! I have used this in my groups with success and the dialogue has been rich.
Raising Racial Consciousness
I have been deeply moved by the murder of George Floyd and countless others, peaceful protests, and rioting. To live in Los Angeles County during this period has been intense, to say the least. Our nation was primed to explode over this issue of racial violence—and I’m hopeful that our citizens will use this as an opportunity to listen, learn, grow, heal, and find a way towards prioritizing equality and a more peaceful connection with one another. So much work to do, so overwhelming at times—but we can’t stay stuck for long, let’s get to work on our part of the solution.
Let’s raise more evolved children that are sensitive, loving, and racially aware.
In my house, we are learning and leaning into difficult conversations with one another. My husband and I read White Fragility by De’Angelo. We also read Discrimination and Disparity by Thomas Sowell. Both powerful reads on so many levels. Then I read the article, “The Dehumanizing Condescension of White Fragility" by John McWhorter. I thought it was an interesting counterpoint argument to the White Fragility perspective. I highly recommend all to get the wheels turning!
As your wheels turn, you will engage your children and community in more thoughtful discussion and change. Change = hope! I found an engaging podcast by Krista Tippitt, On Being—truly worth a listen about this important topic.
My head is swimming in new information…and I’m not sure what to make of it all, BUT—at the very least, we can all use this time as an opportunity to educate ourselves and begin some open dialogue at home and in our communities.
INSPIRATION
Mantras for Healing
COVID-19 Film: A Message of Hope 🌟
Hope. There it is! I always arrive back at its door...
Enjoy this video about hope. This time is an opportunity and a nudge to get still, get clear, and shine a light on the path moving forward. What is illuminated will be different for each of us. Contemplate these questions:
How can you carve out meaningful space and stillness when you have young children at home with no school or structure?
If the achiest part of your body could speak, what would it say to you right now? How can you adjust and honor your body and what it tells you?
How can you tolerate your partner’s coping styles, that might be different from your own?
How can you assist your children or teenagers in finding calm ways to reflect and process right now? Do not ignore their emotional experience.
How does spirituality play into your sense of calm or overwhelm? Where do you connect with your spirit—Nature? Reading? Prayer? Journaling? Walking? How can you get more of this right now?
How can you experience joy, play, and connection during this time?
PRACTICE UPDATES
Lots of big news to report for our small, but mighty little group practice! I have officially taken the step to become Leah M. Niehaus, LCSW & Associates, Inc. Much overdue to actually become a corporation, but now it is happening!
The timing wasn’t great for my lease to come due for renewal—hard to make a decision in light of COVID, but a decision had to be made. In September, we will say goodbye to my one-room office and move to a three-room office suite with a waiting room and kitchen area, in the same building! We are all excited for the new space, with its bright light and welcoming feel…we just hope that eventually, we will greet our clients there in person! Optimism and growth abound ❤️…and the increased need for solid mental health support during this pandemic is no joke. It is truly something to live through and experience alongside our clients.
A heartfelt welcome to Theresa Goldstein, APCC! She has joined Meaghan, Stacy, and I—and we couldn’t be more thrilled. She comes to us with great experience working with children, adolescents, families, women, and geriatric clients. She especially loves doing expressive arts therapy, mindful parenting, and working with perinatal depression and anxiety. She has a warm and gentle spirit and will be a great addition to the office! I have discovered how much I love the work of clinical supervision over the years—it is such fun to help “grow” a clinician…witness their transformation and see how they enrich the lives of those they touch. Honored to have these ladies on board! Check her out on my website.
We are still primarily Telehealth, but on a case by case basis when clients request—we will consider whether an in-person appointment makes sense. Getting the office up to speed with COVID protocols for the future. Inquire if you have questions or Telehealth isn’t working for you or your loved one.
Leah’s High School Girls’ Group and Meaghan’s Middle School Girls’ Group are still running online. There are openings in both groups! Providing much support to some isolated teens that look forward to the therapeutic time! Please reach out if you have a referral!
Take good care.
Best,
Leah