Episode 14: Handling Difficult Feelings with your Kids: Interview with Marie Gorman
The goal of this episode is to encourage parents to show their kids appropriate ways to respond to difficult situations/seasons. Parents often think that they need to be perfect or maintain a strong front in front of their kids during hard times. However, its not only ok to let your guard down and have an authentic response…your kids need to see this!
I was thrilled to interview my cousin-in-law, Marie Gorman! Marie is a wife and mother to two precious little girls! She is also a licensed psychotherapist, clinical social worker and a trauma-informed yoga instructor. She has combined all of these skills and has started her own private practice in the northwest suburbs of Chicago where she helps others through both counseling and yoga classes that are designed to ease the intensity of mental health symptoms.
In this episode we talk about:
Demonstrating dealing with big feelings/negative feelings in a healthy and safe way for our children
Be aware of your child’s emotions
Recognize your child’s expression of that emotion as an opportunity to teach them something
Listen with empathy and validate their feelings
Give their emotions a name
Escalation and de-escalation
How to stop the cycle
Notice triggers in yourself
Figure out what coping skills work for you
Mothering and Mental Health
Being in the midst of a pandemic mental health issues can become heightened
Don’t be alarmed if you are experiencing this…if there is something going on in your head, it is probably related to the pandemic/quarantine
Telehealth options are available
Most insurance companies have expanded their plans to include Telehealth counseling if they didn’t cover it before
There are free or low cost/sliding scale therapy options available
Where to find a therapist:
Book recommendations
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman
The Body the Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk
The Whole Brain Child – Siegle
Best way to get in touch with Marie:
Marie’s Private Practice: Embody Mental Health
Website: embodymentalhealth.com
Instagram: @embodymentalhealth