Feelings such as denial, anger, loneliness, and grief may presently flood your entire being. You may wonder if you will ever feel normal or happy again. How will this affect your interactions with family or friends, or more importantly affect your relationship to yourself? These overwhelming thoughts and feelings may take you out of balance and control the way you interact in relationship to everything outside yourself. It is essential to realize that self-care and family care are just as important as advocating for your child. Thoughts & Feelings are going to be an active part of each family member’s life, but learning to acknowledge reactive and fear-based thoughts and feelings through Mindfulness-based strategies can make all the difference of seeing each day with optimism and as a challenge to overcome, rather than fall into hopelessness. Keep in mind, the healthier you and your family become during this journey, the more support you can offer to your child and advocate for him/her from the healthiest place of your being. This is not to discount the bumpy road that may lay ahead, but the bumpier the road, the more opportunity for reflection and self-care to maintain you and your family stay in balance. There are many suggestions that we can offer, however, a few ideas you may want to consider are - spend time in nature, sit in stillness for 5-45 minutes, take a walk alone or with your spouse to talk about things that are going really well in your life, join a support group, journal, find an activity or exercise and stick to it regularly, fill your mind with positive affirmations, have weekly family meetings, learn a new language or instrument, keep the lines of communication open and respectful.
Please refer to the 'Consultation Services' link to view services offered to support individual and family well-being.
