Blog
Want to learn better coping skills? More about the ACoA experience or living with family dysfunction? How to become a healthier and happier person and live a fuller life? Explore Heather’s writings and videos on various topics of mental health.
Relational Trauma Repair: Healing Complex Trauma Through Connection & Understanding
Heather Coleman, LCSW discusses CPSTD and how to begin to heal from relational and attachment wounding in therapy and by other means.
Why are ACoAs Terrified of Conflict & Angry People?
Heather Coleman, LCSW gives her opinion on why ACoAs are frightened of angry people and conflict in relationships.
Becoming One’s Own Loving Parent: How an ACoA Can Start the Journey
Heather Coleman, LCSW, a psychotherapist practicing in NY, NJ and CT, describes the way to start working with the inner critical parent voice (or inner critic) and to develop an internal loving parental voice. The ACoA can begin the journey of reparenting themselves with care, love and support.
The Dishonesty Conundrum: Why do Adult Children of Alcoholics lie?
Adult children of alcoholics often lie when it would be easier to tell the truth. How does this happen? Parents model behavior to their own children; if you consider that alcoholism often includes deception, secrecy and twisted truths, then you can see the straight line from kids observing their parents behavior and then mimicking that behavior themselves. Moreover, in alcoholic homes, it may have been unsafe for children to tell the truth.
What is a healthy relationship?: Observing red, white (& pink) flags
Heather Coleman, LCSW discusses healthy relationships and red, white (& pink) flags found in friend and romantic dynamics
3 Reflective Questions to Ask Your Partner (or Potential Partner) Today To Get the Love You Want
Heather Coleman, LCSW discusses three questions to ask your partner around love and how to get your needs met more easily in your relationship
Why do Adult Children of Alcoholics Have Low Self-esteem?
Heather Coleman, LCSW discusses how ACoAs usually have low self-esteem and how it is workable in changing one’s relationship to one’s self
You, Your Anxiety & the Pandemic
Heather Coleman, LCSW shares tips and methods for working with and understanding anxiety in this semi-post pandemic period of Covid 19
Podcast: Ethan Nichtern & Heather Coleman Discuss Grief, Heartbreak & The Pandemic on the Road Home
Ethan Nichtern & Heather Coleman discuss Grief, Heartbreak & The Pandemic on Ethan’s podcast “The Road Home”
3 Simple Ways to Cope with Postpartum Anxiety
Heather Coleman, LCSW talks about 3 simple ways to deal with post-partum anxiety
Ambivalent Relationships & Relationship Repair — I’d Like to Get Close But Not *Too* Close
Heather Coleman, LCSW discusses the quest for intimacy in ambivalent relationships
Working with the Emotions: Hold Me Please
Heather Coleman, LCSW talks about how to be gentle with one’s emotions and how to cope with the inevitable waves of feeling
Becoming Friends with the Blues
Heather Coleman, LCSW outlines how to gently work with depressed, down or sad feelings
4 Steps to Reclaiming Our Emotions with MBCT
Heather Coleman, LCSW highlights 4 easy MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) techniques that you can use to work with thoughts and feelings
4 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Relationship
Heather Coleman, LCSW discusses some ways to practice mindfulness in relationship with others
Start your journey
The hardest part is taking the first step