Crossroads Professional Counseling

Some families travel beautifully together. That must be so nice for them.

On our recent trip to Boston, I spent days reminding my husband to bring his passport, then got pulled aside at TSA because mine was expired. Our flight home was cancelled after we’d already checked out of the hotel. And at one point, the three of us were locked in a silent standoff in the tea room of the Boston Tea Party Museum.

Then I said something about a fife that will go down in family lore for generations.

The trips that go sideways are always the ones we keep retelling. This week’s blog is for every family that doesn’t travel picture perfect.

If you have a trip coming up, my free five-day devotional, The DIY Family Retreat, is linked in the post.

When Family Vacations Go Wrong (and Still Bring Us Closer) An expired passport, a cancelled flight, and a standoff in a Boston tea room. A funny look at imperfect family trips and why they still bring us closer.

Make room for one small joy, even in a full day.

Name what's on your heart, notice what you're waiting for, and choose one small, imperfect action.

Read Aimeé's full article, "Start Today, No Waiting: Making Space in Full Days": https://crossroadcounselor.com/christian-living/how-to-live-in-the-moment/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.page&utm_campaign=simplified&utm_content=simplifieda68f6

Only-child myths, meet the research. The stereotypes Allison reviews aren't supported by the research she summarizes. Her article also discusses social skills, warmth, expectations, peer activities, and family connection, while keeping her personal anecdotes distinct from research. Read Allison Schoonmaker's full article: https://crossroadcounselor.com/parenting-family/parenting-family-raising-an-only-child-research/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.page&utm_campaign=simplified&utm_content=simplified03a5c

Don’t judge me, but I filed my taxes on the extension deadline. Again. After promising myself last year, and the year before that, that I would never do it again.

My CPA said, “You are very welcome.” I got a “very.” I’m pretty sure that’s accounting for “please stop doing this to me.”

And it isn’t just taxes. I wait to get gas until the light comes on. I do laundry when I run out of workout clothes. While I was reading Angela Duckworth’s new book, I realized something about my procrastination that surprised me. It turns out there is a better way than praying for more willpower to get ahead of these things.

Anyone else make the same promise to themselves every single year? I know I’m not alone. The full story is on the blog:

Procrastination Isn't a Willpower Problem | Crossroads Counseling Procrastination isn't a willpower problem. Sue Miley shares how changing your situation helps you start what you dread and stop what you love. See how.

Getting married soon, or know a couple who is?

Aimeé Poché, LMSW, is now offering a five-session Christian premarital counseling series at Crossroads. Each 50-minute session pairs biblical principles with relationship tools from the Gottman Method and Family Systems Theory.

Couples talk through their backgrounds and expectations, how they communicate, how they handle conflict and repair hurt, money and family boundaries, and the marriage they want to build together.

In Aimeé's words: "My goal is not simply to help couples prepare for their wedding day, but to equip them with tools to build a healthy, lasting marriage."

Request a session at crossroadcounselor.com/contact-us or call (225) 341-4147. If you know an engaged couple, tag them or send this their way.

The problem with a lie you think doesn't count is that the person you told it to has no reason to believe it was the only one.

Dana wasn't having an affair or hiding money. She was sitting at her desk, eating Wheat Thins, trying to avoid one more argument about working late.

So she lied about where she was.

She apologized. She meant it.

And two weeks later, her husband is still checking up on her.

We like to think "I'm sorry" closes the case. But the person who broke the trust doesn't get to decide when the other person should feel safe again.

How to Rebuild Trust in a Relationship (Sorry Isn’t Enough) Apologized and they still check up on you? A Christian counselor on how to rebuild trust in a relationship when an apology is just the start. Read Dana's story.

"How are you?"

Most of us hear it a dozen times a day and answer "fine" before we've even thought about it. Over time, we learn who is really asking and who is just being polite.

Our newest blog post explores what happens when we never get to give the real answer.

Why Do We Say We're Fine, When We're Really Not? | Crossroads Why do we say we're fine? This article discusses why your mental health needs someone who will actually stay long enough for the honest answer, heavy or joyful.

🎉 Happy Birthday, Sue Miley! 🎉

Today we get to celebrate someone who truly pours her heart into helping business owners and leaders grow. Sue, the wisdom and steadiness you bring make a real difference in our lives and our community. We're blessed to work with you and call you friend! Hope your day is slow, happy, and full of grandbaby smiles and clean spreadsheets!

From all of us at Crossroads, happy birthday, Sue!

My Google search history a few years ago included "how not to screw up my only child." That's not a joke.

I went looking for real research because I couldn't find any comfort anywhere else. What I found surprised me: the "lonely, socially stunted only child" stereotype doesn't hold up. Not even close.

New post is up. It's got research, a few of my own parenting missteps I'm not proud of, and the truth about what actually predicts how only children turn out.

What the Research Actually Says About Raising an Only Child I researched every "only child syndrome" fear I had. Here's what the data actually says, and why one in five American families are living this too.