by Nina H. Frost, Dr. Kenneth C. Ruge and Dr. Richard W. Shoup
Our Director, Dr. Richard Shoup has coauthored a new book with Dr. Kenneth Ruge (also of The Counseling Center) and Nina H. Frost.
The three are colleagues in a career transformation group known as the Vocare Group.
What is this book about? Well, it’s about you. When you are done with this book, you will have a greater sense of your ture welf than ever before.
Soul Mapping gives you a playful and profound way to capture all the parts of you – past and present – and also helps point you toward a future that is authentic, vital and inner directed.
Thanks to this inner-directed process, Soul Mapping is a self-help book with a difference – rather than urge you to follow a specific
formula or subscribe to the authors’ views, Soul Mapping helps you emerge with a thorough and surprising grasp of who you were, who you are, who you are becoming, and what parts of yourself you may need to retrieve. The fruits of this book will be different for each reader.
At the Vocare Group, we specialize in helping people discern their calling – the work they are meant to do. As counselors, we work with the psychological aspects of change and transition. As theologians, we are also vitally interested in the spiritual aspects of discovery and renewal.And as workshop leaders, we are always looking for exercises and tools that help people see themselves in new ways and make connections. Soul Mapping combines our three approaches: the psychological, the spiritual and the practical.We conceive it to elicit epiphanies and reveal connections between the various parts of your life. It’s confessional, directional, revealing, and healing. It’s also fun. Here’s how it works:
Part One: Creating your Soul Map
The first part of the book has ten chapters on key themes, each filled with thought-provoking exercises that help you sketch out who you were, who you are, and who you most want to be in terms of that theme. The ten resulting small maps form your large, always revealing Soul Map. The Introduction spells out the process in detail.
Part Two: Living Your Soul Map
This second part helps you integrate and implement the results of this book’s exercises. It looks at fear’s role in your life and teaches you how to read you overall map for the spiritual direction if provides.
The poet Raniner Maria Rilke once wrote: “And then come the knowing that in me there is a space for a second, large, and timeless life.”
That is the life Soul Mapping speaks to – in all its timelessness, mystery, and sheer singularity. Welcome to the discovery process; welcome to new ways of knowing yourself.
From the November 2000 Counseling Center Newsletter
A July/August 2001 review of Soul Mapping
“This extraordinary book takes a radically new approach to self-help. It presents a wonderful blend of left-brained psychology and right-brained spirituality. ‘Soul mapping helps you emerge with a thorough and surprising grasp of who you are, who you are becoming, and what parts of yourself you may need to retrieve,’ the authors write.
The process of soul mapping draws upon 10 ‘maps,’ including maps to there here and now, childhood and family, recreation and hobbies, life stories, favorite travels, envy, self-limiting belief, desires and dreams, and life surprises.
Nina H. Frost is a career counselor, and Dr. Kenneth C. Ruge and Dr. Richard W. Shoup are psychotherapists and ministers. They jointly run The Vocare Group, which presents workshops about career, calling, and values. The three authors include practical, thought-provoking exercises to explore every facet of readers’ past, present, and future experiences and to promote spiritual growth and healing. They also examine ways for readers to utilize the information gained in practical ways in their lives.
The Vocare Group is an organization designed to help people find their life’s purpose, so it is not surprising that Soul Mapping emphasizes individual mission. The authors write in a friendly, easygoing style that complements the supportive tone of the book. A rich resource list in the back of the book notes other books, audiotapes, and resources for further self-examination. Readers will appreciate the objective clarity Soul Mapping brings. Display the book with serenity fountains and tools for meditation or journeying.”
by Tayannah McQuillar
Independent reviewer
New York N.Y.
for the New Age Retailer.
by Dr. Richard W. Shoup with Barry Lenson
This book looks at luck, karma, chaos, fate and grace in ways that really make sense. Instead of thinking of yourself as a passive player in life, Shoup inspires you to take risks, try new approaches and put yourself in luck’s path.
The book gives fresh, new ways of looking at the life’s trials and roadblocks. The message here is take advantage of life’s opportunities and take responsibility for your role in life’s drama.
It is written with a sense of humor, wise choice of quotations and demanding (yet fun) exercises.
It is a book which anyone who feels “stuck” in their life, whether it be in their career, marriage, or health, could benefit.
By Pia Scaglione, Psy.D., The Counseling Center
When we mention boundaries in relationships, many often think first of romantic relationships—boundaries that keep us physically and emotionally safe in potentially toxic intimate encounters. However, setting boundaries can be an important part of any relationship. Which boundaries we need to be healthy are unique to each person and situation, and may change over time, making them complex and dynamic. Maintaining healthy boundaries can be a powerful and loving act for us, both as individuals and for our relationships.
The purpose of healthy boundaries is to protect not only our selves but also the quality of our relationships with others. Boundaries are important in keeping oneself safe and separate in order to consider and meet one’s needs. In setting boundaries, we identify the line between our self and others, offering support but not taking on the other person’s emotional work.
There are different kinds of boundaries—between co-workers, friends, parents and children, and these can vary within and between cultures. Some boundaries are physical or emotional; others have to do with how we spend our time. It’s the responsibility of the person setting the boundaries to identify, communicate and enforce them.
An example of boundary setting between co-workers might be if one person is calling a colleague often outside of work hours, or requesting excessive help with a project, and limits need to be created. When one worker insists on bringing her “whole self” to work, she might want to share personal aspects of herself that her co-workers don’t necessarily feel comfortable receiving or reciprocating in a professional setting.
Sometimes friends need to understand and set boundaries. High school students transitioning to college who may be accustomed to immersive relationships in which everything is shared and agreed upon among their friends might find that new friends in college want space to feel or think differently, to define themselves separately.
The boundaries between parents and children often need to be renegotiated as children grow and become adults. For example, a daughter becoming a new mom, eager to establish her own routines and parenting style, might need to set boundaries with her own mother, who may show up unannounced to help or is eager to explain, “This is the way I did it.” However loving and well-intentioned, such behavior can feel controlling; setting limits, despite the fear that one’s mother will feel rejected, can be difficult but important.
Boundary setting can feel like a rejection in a relationship if the boundaries were previously absent or fluid, or previous attempts at boundary setting were not respected. Setting those limits might save the relationship from deteriorating into one of conflict and resentment.
Some boundaries can be physical, such as when one is visiting one’s family and the old but familiar dynamics are challenging. A person living away from their family of origin may decide to visit for a few days but not for a week or stay in a nearby hotel rather than the family home. Or, if established boundaries are crossed, one might give oneself permission to leave the situation.
Other boundaries can be emotional. One might love one’s family but hate their politics and keep that subject permanently off limits to preserve the peace. Other topics that pose emotional triggers might also be called out of bounds.
Setting time limits can apply to one’s professional life (I will answer texts and emails during X hours but not during Y hours) or to one’s love life (I’ll check in with you twice a day but not throughout the day).
Cultural differences can result in conflicting expectations regarding boundaries, even within families. The children of immigrants might not want to adhere to their parents’ traditional boundaries regarding authority, courtship, lifestyle, or degrees of independence. Similarly, immigrant families navigating an unfamiliar culture might come into conflict over misunderstandings about where boundaries lie. This can also be evident when colleagues from various backgrounds come together and expectations regarding behavior differ.
Relationships that may be at risk of estrangement can often be preserved when thoughtful boundaries are established and maintained. Over time, as conflict is minimized, resentments fade, and trust is reestablished, boundaries can sometimes be renegotiated. Relationships with healthy boundaries established often emerge stronger and more enduring.
Setting boundaries may be difficult at first, but once you begin to think about them, you might begin to see their benefit in many situations—and experience them as loving acts, for all the parties in the relationship.
By Ellen Edwards, Board Member, The Counseling Center
March 20, 2024: The Counseling Center, a nonprofit group of mental health care professionals based in Bronxville and serving lower Westchester and the Bronx, has the great privilege of honoring social justice advocate Mary Mackintosh at its Spring Gala, to be held on May 3rd at the Siwanoy Country Club at 6 p.m. Cocktails and a sit-down dinner will be followed by a live auction and paddle raise.
A longtime resident of Bronxville, Mary has advocated for youth and the underserved in a variety of positions over many decades. Mary and her husband Stuart live in the Bronxville home they bought in 1987 where they raised three sons who are now in their late 20s. Currently, Mary is Director of Missional Engagement at the Reformed Church of Bronxville (RCB), where she designs and manages service programs with local and international mission partners and rolls up her sleeves to serve alongside people working in their own neighborhoods.
Mary seeks to engage Bronxville residents in recognizing the challenges faced by our surrounding communities in lower Westchester and working with nonprofit organizations to improve the lives of our close neighbors. Mission volunteers at RCB, led by Mary, currently work with over 20 mission partners in southern Westchester and several organizations overseas. She especially enjoys the chance to engage with people of all backgrounds in our wider community and find ways to link the needs of mission partners with the gifts of church members and others in the Bronxville area. “Working as Director of Missional Engagement at The Reformed Church pulls together my legal and social work background, as well as my nonprofit connections, and adds a spiritual element to serving others in our own southern Westchester communities,” says Mary.
After law school, Mary spent six years as a corporate attorney before transitioning to manage a Fulbright program for black South African lawyers at the Institute of International Education. From there, Mary became Legal Counsel to Student Advocacy, a White Plains-based nonprofit, and later, Legal Counsel to Pathways School, an Eastchester school for children on the autism spectrum. Mary’s legal representation of children and families led her to understand the profound emotional challenges faced in raising a child with special needs. Nearly twenty-five years after graduation from law school, she pursued her master’s in social work and launched a career in the mental health field, working at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and in the inpatient adolescent unit of New York Presbyterian Hospital in White Plains. She was a clinician and clinical supervisor of a community mental health clinic in New Rochelle and served their clinic in the Yonkers Probation office.
Throughout her working life, Mary has been an active volunteer. She has served as a Trustee of World Learning, the Near East Foundation, and the Bronxville Library. For the past twenty years, Mary has advocated for students and their families in her position as Trustee and volunteer for the East Harlem Tutorial Program, a K-12 afterschool program that now includes five charter schools, including the first state-of-the-art high school in Harlem. Mary also worked with Judge George McKinnis to develop Bronxville’s Community Restorative Justice program, which sought to provide support services rather than jailtime for convicted youth.
You might say that Mary’s involvement with Crossing Thresholds, a long-time RCB mission partner, which builds schools and supports children in the poorest neighborhoods of Kenya, began when she was a child and fell in love with the African Continent while reading her grandparents’ National Geographic magazines. Mary studied at the University of Ghana and worked in Tanzania and Botswana when she was in her 20s, nurturing her commitment to support education and child development in Africa. As a trustee of Crossing Thresholds, she makes about two trips to Nairobi each year, engaging in work that includes encouraging teachers to promote the social and emotional wellbeing of students by replacing outmoded methods of discipline with supportive approaches that address trauma and other causes of misbehavior.
Mary loves her work at the Reformed Church, which she says, “brings together elements of everything I have learned and experienced in my eclectic career.” She shares laughter and tears with those she serves and experiences the pangs of separation when they move on to fuller lives. The connections she makes, the partnerships she forms, reflect a living out of our call to love our neighbor—whether that neighbor lives across the street, in the next community, or on the other side of the world.
Mary keeps renewed and focused with a daily morning run, and by spending downtime that includes lots of reading, much of it nonfiction, and walking every afternoon with her flat-coated retriever Dickens. Mary loves the time in nature, though she does not share Dickens’ passion for swimming in the Bronx River!
For its 53rd anniversary, The Counseling Center is thrilled to honor Mary Mackintosh’s many decades of service. In every aspect of her work, Mary seeks the wellbeing of the human family, a communal flourishing that is achieved by serving one individual after another. In that way her work mirrors that of The Counseling Center.
“The Counseling Center’s commitment to serving all people seeking emotional wellness aligns with my strong belief that mental health services should not be a luxury only for those who can afford it,” says Mary. “My own work to support young people, advocate for those in need, and build bridges in our community dovetails with the mental health care services provided by The Counseling Center. I especially endorse the Center’s fee subsidy program, which offers therapy to scores of clients who could not otherwise afford it. This vital resource changes lives, providing relief to people in pain and hope to those who have lost it.”
Funds raised at the gala will support The Center’s fee subsidy program, which allows the staff to provide essential services, including psychotherapy, marriage counseling, and family and child therapy, to those who are unable to afford full-fee treatment. The Counseling Center offers assistance to members of the community who are struggling with consuming anxiety and difficult life issues; it seeks to help clients transform their greatest challenges into opportunities for growth, empowerment, and fulfillment.
Not all of this year’s live auction items have been finalized, but so far, they include tickets to this spring’s hot Broadway show “Cabaret,” a multi-course tasting menu with wine for six people at Underhill’s Crossing, lunch with our own Mayor Mary Marvin, and two suite tickets plus parking to a regular season game for either the New York Giants or New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Once again, professional auctioneer Erin Ward will also lead a spirited paddle raise.
The Counseling Center wishes to express its enormous gratitude to the generous benefactors, underwriters, and sponsors of this year’s Spring Gala. Please see the names of donors at the end of this article.
There are several ways to purchase tickets to the gala or make a donation: Go to https://TCCGala24.givesmart.com, call The Counseling Center at 914-793-3388, or scan this QR code with your camera.
The Counseling Center in Bronxville offers therapy for individuals, couples, and families, both in person and through telehealth (online or by phone). Please feel free to reach out if we can help, by calling Dr. Jennifer Klein, 914 793, 3388. To keep abreast of ongoing information and activities at The Counseling Center, please visit our website at https://counselingcenter.org/.
By Richard W. Shoup, D. Min., and Virgil Roberson, L.P., M. Div., NCPsyA, Executive Director, The Counseling Center
Couples seek help all the time with a relationship in deep trouble. They may not be headed for immediate separation or divorce, but they know that things are not nearly as good as they used to be, and some precipitating event usually occurs that makes them think they need help working on their relationship. Many couples hope to make the relationship better, others want help in figuring out if this is the right relationship for them going forward, and still others are pretty sure they need to break up because their hurts are too deep, the patterns of destructive behavior are too ingrained, and the relationship is going nowhere.
We couples therapists often turn to the research of Dr. John Gottman, American psychology researcher and expert on coupledom whose book The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse describes four behaviors that can be warning signs of a deteriorating relationship: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.
Criticism arises when either partner resorts to “you are” or “you did” statements, rather than “I feel” statements toward the other. A discussion that starts out to try to solve a problem turns into a mutual blame fest and character assassination. It often escalates higher and higher in intensity and volume until the couple is bashing each other.
Contempt can appear as non-verbal methods of expressing judgement. When one person is speaking, the other one is sighing deeply, making a face, or rolling their eyes--showing that they do not accept one word their partner is saying. Gottman says this particular horseman is indicative of the probable outcome of the relationship; he assumes the couple will separate unless, with help, they can break out of this pattern of behavior.
The sarcastic postures that express contempt can evolve into the third horseman, defensiveness, an automatic defense of one’s behavior. One or both parties will not accept the points made by the other and will try to deflect them or push them away. Fights often result in which each partner returns the criticism, even escalating it, without taking responsibility for any part of the interaction. In other words, each member of the couple sees the other as fully responsible for what is not working in the relationship. This, too, will prevent the couple from getting anywhere.
Couples are rarely able to hear and relate to each other once the communication becomes either/or, black/white, right/wrong. The fourth horseman, stonewalling, can then come into play. Stonewalling involves a conscious shutting down, an emotional withdrawal, a “flight” response, and a blocking out of what the other person is saying. Leaving the room, not listening, texting, or just plain ignoring the other person, especially when they are trying to make an important point, are all examples of stonewalling.
All of these patterns of behavior can be improved with conscious effort and the help of a trained couples therapist. If you recognize one of the above behaviors in your relationship now and then, it may not indicate a serious deterioration; but if you recognize all of them often, the relationship needs emergency help! So don’t delay. Three good people working together can make a relationship better!
Photo courtesy of Virgil Roberson.
By Virgil Roberson, L.P., M. Div., NCPsyA, Executive Director of The Counseling Center
June 12, 2024: Last fall, I set out on a one-hundred-mile trek in Spain, the famous Camino De Santiago, anticipating glorious days of hiking across a sunny landscape. Instead, I encountered weather conditions that challenged every footstep I took—day after day of torrential rain, lashing winds, and wildly fluctuating temperatures.
Everything I’d read in preparation for the trip suggested that spending time in the natural world would improve my physical and mental well-being. Science has now documented that when people spend time outdoors, they experience lower blood pressure and a slower heart rate. Since the beginning of recorded history, writers have described the positive effects of being in nature.
Even more than physical wellbeing, I was looking for an extraordinary experience that would connect me with something deeper. A quote from Joseph Campbell, the renowned author of The Hero’s Journey, kept running through my mind: “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.”
I was hoping for a lot from my immersion in nature.
Yet, as a society we in the U.S. spend very little time outdoors—only 7% according to the Environmental Protection Agency. People living today spend far less time in the natural environment than previous generations did. Experts have described an epidemic of dislocation from nature. It shows up in a loss of well-being associated with indoor living, including rising incidents of depression, loneliness, and anxiety.
In The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, environmental journalist Florence Williams reports on the neuroscience of human/nature interactions. Studies conclude that humans are biologically programmed to respond to other living things. Reams of data tell us that we are happier in an all-green or otherwise natural environment than in an urban landscape, and being alone in nature makes us even happier than being with other people. Yet we consistently underestimate how good being outdoors will make us feel.
Brené Brown’s description of the natural world in her book Braving the Wilderness resonates strongly with me: “The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it’s the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.”
As my group slogged along the Camino De Santiago in inclement weather, our guide said, “Walking is taking your soul around the body of the world.” A nice idea, but often I was convinced I couldn’t keep going. In fact, sometimes I wasn’t sure I could take the next step!
Then the thought came to me: “Nature itself tells us that being flexible makes all the difference!”
I thought of palm trees bending deeply in the wind. I pictured the waves rolling ceaselessly toward shore. I imagined the constantly changing moon and the never ending rising and setting of the sun.
The palm trees taught me that by accepting the inevitable, I could bend without breaking. The waves made me realize how powerless I was against them, yet still I could learn to surf. The moon showed me it was perfectly fine to go through many phases. And the sun promised that its rhythm of light and dark was a pattern I could emulate, an elastic push-pull that might allow me to cast away certainties and embrace flexibility.
I found I could keep walking, and on the tenth day, I reached our destination. How? I believe that the key was in developing an ability to adjust, accept, and be present in the current moment, despite the discomforts and inconveniences. By casting aside all expectations and embracing what nature taught me, I had the strength to endure and the freedom to live fully. There were even times when the wind and the rain became beautiful to me, and joy filled me.
I believe this experience has made me a better therapist. Frequently, I encourage my clients to spend more time outdoors, to discover what nature can teach them, how it can alter and expand their perspective, how it can relieve them of stress and bring a sense of renewal.
I find great satisfaction in my work at Executive Director of The Counseling Center, which can keep me indoors, but now whenever I step outside, no matter what the weather, I take time to absorb where I am, appreciate the moment, and breath in the many benefits that nature has to offer.
The Counseling Center in Bronxville, a nonprofit organization, offers therapy for individuals, couples, and families, through video platforms, telephonically, and in person. Please feel free to reach out if we can help, by calling Dr. Jennifer Klein, 914 793 3388.
To keep abreast of ongoing information and activities at The Counseling Center, or to make a donation, please visit our website at https://counselingcenter.org/.
By Virgil Roberson, L.P., M. Div., NCPsyA, Executive Director of The Counseling Center
June 26, 2024: In our goal-driven society, making a commitment often involves committing to achieving a specific goal. In this view, you might not commit to the goal until you’ve got a clear idea of what it is and how to reach it, plus the confidence that you can do it.
There’s another way to consider commitment—as a surrendering to a desire, as an opening of oneself to a process. In this view, the path to the goal might not be clear; in fact, the specifics of the goal itself might be uncertain. But the very act of making the commitment sets you toward a place of discovery and fulfillment.
Let’s say you’d like to run a marathon, a daunting task. You decide to reframe the situation: you’ll simply start a training program. You don’t know where it will lead but you make the commitment to train and you start doing it. Soon you find yourself setting specific, short-term goals. Eventually you may find yourself preparing for that marathon. Or maybe not.
Maybe through the process of regular training you realize that running a marathon isn’t for you after all; your desires and commitments are leading you in new directions. It’s all good! You discovered something about yourself and you’re continuing to move forward. All because you made that initial commitment to begin a training program.
Why not take a moment to consider the places in your life where you might make a commitment but hesitate to do so. Is it regarding a relationship? A current or new job? A schedule of exercise? Beginning an art project you’ve long wanted to tackle? Having children or moving to a new town? Often we become naysayers to taking that first step; we stay frozen. Yet the power of committing can open us up to more answers, more possibilities, more potential.
Making a commitment when there’s uncertainty requires courage! But you don’t have to do it alone. A trusted friend or family member can act as a sounding board. A therapist can become a witness and ally, and help you work through the doubts. It’s the therapist’s job not to push you in one direction or another but to accompany you along the way.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you consider an area of your life that might become open to new possibilities when you make a commitment.
-Can you identify one place where you are fearful of commitment?
-What might be holding you back?
-In contrast, are there areas where you have made a commitment and are living out that process?
-Can you take a moment to give yourself credit for that?
What would it look like if you went all in and made a commitment? You needn’t propose marriage to your girlfriend, but you might begin to discuss a possible future together. You don’t have to put your house on the market, but you might arrange to spend a few days in the “perfect” town where you’ve always wanted to live. Breathe and imagine yourself being fully immersed in this commitment. Does the idea of no longer holding back inspire a feeling of freedom?
Can you name the worst that could happen if you go all in? Let’s say you’d like a new job. You’re not going to jump and accept the first job you’re offered; instead, you’re going to seek out people in fields related to where you work now, or where you might like to work, to ask questions to learn about what’s available, what qualifications are required, what salary and benefits you might expect, etc. Starting the process puts little at risk. It doesn’t box you in. Yet it sets in motion circumstances that can suggest new directions to explore and may bring tentative answers that help you refine your search. Eventually your commitment might even lead you to a place and time where you know exactly where you want to go and how to get there.
Remind yourself that making this kind of commitment still gives you the freedom to make a different choice. For example, in therapy you might commit to exploring some aspect of who you are, or where you’ve come from, only to realize you’re not ready to go there; it feels too uncomfortable and complex. That’s ok! Whether or not you return to this particular exploration at another point in your life, you’ve made that valuable realization because of your initial commitment.
It may seem counterintuitive but by making a commitment without guarantees, you open up possibilities. W.H. Murray, Deputy Leader of the 1951 Scottish Expedition to Climb Mt. Everest said, “The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would have never occurred otherwise. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no one could have dreamed would have come their way.”
Murray goes on to quote the German philosopher Goethe: “Whatever you can do/or dream you can/Begin/Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
Murray ends by saying, “Begin it now.”
By letting go of control and making a choice to commit yourself fully, you can create opportunities rather than staying comfortable with what is familiar but static. There’s more to gain than to lose! Begin it now!
By Lynn Evansohn, L.C.S.W., The Counseling Center
July 10, 2024: We live today in turbulent and rapidly changing times. It can be difficult to feel secure and grounded in a world divided, when we’re often confused and fearful.
How do we find the motivation and resilience to address the many conflicts that face us? How do we continue to process tragedies reported on the front page and in our newsfeeds every day? How do we keep from falling into cynicism and despair, throwing up our hands in resignation when confronted with the juggernaut of technological change and problems both personal and public that seem to defy solutions?
One way is with the power of hope. Hope can be a formidable force. But what does hope actually mean?
Vaclav Havel, the Soviet dissident who became the president of a democratic Czech Republic, says, “Hope isn’t optimism which expects things to turn out well, but the belief that there is still good worth working for.”
Hope does not provide assurances, but it does help us find strength and direction in adversity.
Whether we are challenged with conflict in a relationship or workplace or considering the social or political conflicts of our times, hope rejects cynicism and despair. Hope allows for possibility; it imagines a better outcome. Hope opens an opportunity for vital new ways of growth and resolution. Hope believes that good exists and is worth pursuing.
Hope may exist where you don’t expect it. It can take the form of a child challenging parental authority, with the potential to gain independence and maturity. It may involve a nation unsupportive of one’s values, with the opportunity to look harder for a tribe of like-minded people with whom to build meaningful bonds.
To be human is to experience conflict. How we handle conflict, loss and disappointment informs the changes we make in our lives, in our communities, and in the world.
The historical Howard Zinn comments, “Human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, courage and kindness.” What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will shape our lives. If we embrace inclusivity, we will be included. If we promote wellbeing, we are more likely to find our own wellbeing. If we care for others, we may be cared for when we need it most.
Our individual hope not only supports our personal choices, but also engages the people around us. By acting from a wellspring of hope, we can inspire hope in a group or a community, and initiate change that gains momentum.
Hope can spur us to action—in fact, it’s fair to say that hope by its very definition inevitably leads us to do something. Together, we can collaborate in work that reflects our shared values and desire to care for the world. With hope we can start to create the world we want to live in.
Addressing conflict can feel overwhelming. As individuals, we can start with small steps. Every step has value and meaning. Whether we choose to reach out to an estranged relative, engage in environmental activism, work with refugees, or devote time to understanding a particular conflict, we are making the choice to improve not only our own lives, but also those of others.
Along the way, it can be helpful to seek and share inspiration from those who have gone before us. Daily meditations, lines from our favorite poets, the music of beloved songs, and art of any form that stirs us can offer comfort, consolation, and give us courage.
Perhaps you’ll find meaning in this excerpt from, “For Love in a Time of Conflict” by Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue: “When no true word can be said, or heard,/ And you mirror each other in the script of hurt,/ When even the silence has become raw and torn,/ May you hear again an echo of your first music.”
Even a faint echo can be enough to get us through a time of conflict when we have hope.
By Jennifer Naparstek Klein, Psy.D., The Counseling Center
Aug. 7, 2024: Parents watching their own children participate in sports often feel some mixture of anxious, elated, and furious, depending on the circumstances.
Take a look at the 2012 video of Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman’s parents watching their daughter perform her floor routine. You can find it on YouTube under “Crazy Olympic Parents.” One can relate to these squirming, anxious parents! If you have had a child compete in sports, you have likely had the powerful desire for them to, well, win. You’ve shared their elation and their crushing hurt; it can be a wild ride.
Here are six guiding principles to help you survive the bumps with your own mental wellbeing, and that of your child, intact.
Understand Your Feelings as a Parent
*You’re hard wired to protect your child from physical and emotional harm.
*It’s natural to get caught up emotionally in your child’s successes and failures.
*Become aware of your parenting style: some parents are more comfortable with an “it takes a village” approach to raising their child; others dislike interference and take offense when their child is criticized.
Trust Coaches and Trainers To Do Their Job—But Remain Aware
*In allowing your child to join a sports team, you are conceding some authority to a coach or trainer (even though that person might be a parent volunteer) who has specialized knowledge you want your child to absorb. As a general principle, let coaches do their jobs.
*Allow your child to develop a desire to please their coach and succeed.
*Get to know the coach’s style—some combine praise with criticism; others are more sparing with their praise and harsh with their criticism. Learn to recognize what is usual for the coach.
Assess the Coach’s Behavior and Your Child’s Response
*When the coach gives negative feedback, assess whether it stays within appropriate bounds or becomes too aggressive and potentially damaging. As expectations for performance—and the stakes—rise, coaching can become more aggressive. Be aware.
*To protect your child’s mental wellbeing, you must draw a red line—rejecting hateful or profane criticism; physical or sexual abuse; physically harmful strategies that could result in injury, nutritional loss, growth issues, or eating disorders; and all performance enhancement medications. More likely, you’ll need to determine the impact of statements such as “You don’t have the drive for this,” or “You are the weak link on the team.”
*Consider whether your child absorbs criticism and is hurt by it or can let criticism slide off more easily.
*Keep open communication with your child to determine how they’re being impacted by their experience and to pick up clues to whether a coach is crossing a red line.
Keep Your Feelings Off the Field of Play
*It can be difficult, but parents should always stay cool, positive, and supportive. Coaches universally want parents out of the emotional mix, and child athletes must find their own way to deal with the highs and lows of competition.
*Modeling good sportsmanship is strongly advised. Clap and cheer for other people’s children. Demonstrate perspective and humility. Show an appreciation for the sport.
*Participation in a sport is not always a gateway for your child to professional or even college level competition, but it is a gateway to understanding fair play, team mentality, personal fortitude, decorum, and a myriad of other positive character traits. It is a template on how to win and lose well. As a parent, you can help your child act in ways that reflect these qualities.
Support Your Child Who is “Being Benched” or is “Not Starting”
*Consider the age and performance level of the child, as well as the goals of the league or team. For younger children, where the level of seriousness is low, coaches and parents should give every child a chance to participate so they gain a positive experience of athletic play, team membership, and personal accomplishment and improvement. If that isn’t happening, polite advocacy is permissible. By late teens, on teams the child has tried out for, the coach is charged with creating a successful team. Parents are discouraged from advocating for their child; the coach must determine who plays and when.
A parent can help the older benched teen interpret the situation, perhaps explaining that the coach appreciates the depth of talent they bring, but that decisions must be based on the goal of winning. If the child is truly unhappy, it’s best for the child to speak with the coach; this can be a good opportunity for the child to learn to voice their perspective and wishes. The desired outcome may not be achieved, but the child will learn to act on their own behalf.
Keep Goals in Perspective
*The primary goal of the child athlete is participation, exercise, social interaction; success is secondary.
*To determine the best team for your child, discuss the choices with them: do they prefer to be a big fish in a small pond, where success is more likely; or are they serious enough to seek out the most challenging, competitive opportunity?
*Guidance from coaches can also help parents and their child make the best choice.
*A child who struggles with disappointment early on might, over time, become better able to handle the stresses of competition, requiring new priorities when choosing a team.
With this guidance in mind, it’s possible to navigate the wild emotional ride of parenting a child in sports. It’s a simple truth that parents identify with their child’s successes and failures. Yet they can find joy in developing a spectator mentality, watching in amazement as their child matures into their own version of a champion.
The Counseling Center in Bronxville, a nonprofit organization, offers therapy for individuals, couples, and families, through video platforms, telephonically, and in person. Please feel free to reach out if we can help, by calling Dr. Jennifer Klein, 914 793 3388.
To keep abreast of ongoing information and activities at The Counseling Center, or to make a donation, please visit our website at https://counselingcenter.org/.
