The Notes From Home Blog

You have prepared your child to navigate the swirling waters of life with the help of out-of-home treatment and long-term family involvement. You have followed all the steps to better outcomes – parental involvement in treatment and at-home after-care that includes the structure of daily routines. You recognize that healing from the trauma is a […]

Twenty years ago, as a graduate student in Marriage and Family Therapy, I co-presented my first family seminar.  My target audience was what was referred to in the literature as “The Sandwich Generation.”  This four week class targeted people in their 40’s and 50’s who’s lives were being squeezed like a sandwich with the demands […]

Twenty years ago, my wife and I were vacationing in San Diego with my in-laws.  We went to see a dear family friend, who happened to be a Holocaust Survivor and psychotherapist. We had one of our children with us.  As you may know, traveling with a baby isn’t easy, and our toddler was tired, […]

There is always a gap when a student in treatment looks at going home or on to living independently.  They are tired of the rules and boundaries of treatment, but they have also learned the ropes and are comfortable too. Families also get a little dizzy when viewing the gap that exists between the therapeutic setting of a […]

As you’ve learned, treatment programs are designed to be highly structured environments in which a lot of nurturing takes place. Everything in that particular “world,” is designed to encourage growth and nurture improvements along the way. A greenhouse serves much the same function. It’s a place for seeds to sprout, reaching for sunlight, forcing roots into […]

I remember talking to a mother one day who apologized for the disastrous state of her living room as the floor was covered with Legos. She said “I didn’t clean today…I spent it playing with my youngest instead.” I was shocked…and impressed. Plato said “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in […]