Parenting can be one of the most meaningful and fulfilling roles a person can take on. It is also one of the most relentless. Unlike most other demanding roles in our lives, with parenting there is no clocking out, no vacation days, and no performance review that tells you how you are doing. Over time,…
The Wildflower Blog
Venture into the heart of therapy with the Wildflower blog. We delve into topics that matter, blending therapeutic expertise with genuine stories of hope and transformation. *Please note that our blogs are designed to inform only and are not intended to diagnose or treat mental health disorders.
Grief Has Many Faces: The Emotional Realities of Infertility
Infertility and grief belong together. For many people in the midst of efforts to conceive, it can feel strange, or even wrong, to acknowledge this fact. After all, hope has not been lost and you are actively fighting for the future you imagined for your family. However, the presence of hope does not cancel out…
10 Things to Say to a Friend Going Through Infertility
Infertility can bring profound grief, depression, anxiety, and isolation – and can impact nearly all realms of someone’s life. Even well-meaning friends and family often don’t know what to say or how to support someone going through this. As a perinatal psychotherapist, I’ve heard both sides of this – people who feel unsupported by…
Self-care as a mindset and a practice: Redefining a misunderstood concept
“There is simply not enough time for everything” is probably the most common complaint I hear in my psychotherapy practice from busy moms, busy executives, busy students, busy colleagues. The other day as I helplessly looked at my mile-long task list, I caught myself yearning for a quick fix — a magic pill that could…
Preparing for Your New Baby: A Guide for the Non-Birthing Partner
The arrival of a new baby is one of the most profound and transformative experiences that a family can go through. While there is an enormous amount of attention (rightfully so) paid to the birthing partner during the perinatal period, the non-birthing partner’s experience is frequently overlooked or minimized (Eddy et al., 2019). The reality…
Therapist Spotlight: Tawnya Blanford, LCSW, I/ECMH-C
Tawnya Blanford (she/her) is a psychotherapist at Wildflower. In her clinical practice, Tawnya draws from evidence-based modalities including Parent Child Interaction Therapy, Parent Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers, and Child Parent Psychotherapy. Her therapy is based on Psychodynamic Theory, Attachment Theory, Strengths-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Social Learning Theory, and Developmental Approaches. Tawnya works with…
Couples Intensives at Wildflower: A Faster Way to Get Your Relationship Back on Track
Relationships do not break down overnight. Over time, many couples find themselves repeating the same fruitless conversations, facing the same frustrations, and wondering why nothing ever seems to change. When life is busy and schedules are full, it can be hard to find the time and space to actually work through what is happening. That…
5 Easy Grounding Exercises for When Life Feels Overwhelming
One of the lesser-known effects of anxiety and depression is how they distort our experience of the present moment. Anxiety can drag us into an imagined future, while depression or trauma can send us spiraling into the past. When this happens, we often lose touch of what is actually happening in the here and now.…
Transgender Embodiment and Bodily Autonomy: What Everyone Can Learn from the Transgender Experience
Gender diversity has existed across cultures and throughout recorded human history. Transgender history is rooted in the struggle against colonial powers, indigenous freedom, and many other struggles for self determination. Transgender people are a diverse group, holding many different views and opinions but sharing in the experience of resistance to oppressive gender binaries. This shared…
Remaining Grounded in Tumultuous Times: A Pragmatic Guide to Action
Many folks participating in psychotherapy are struggling with injustices currently happening in our world. From across the oceans to within our own neighborhoods, people are rightfully scared and angry, whether from directly experiencing injustice or witnessing it. It is very difficult for people to know “what to do” right now. However, here are a few…
