When Therapy Fails Domestic Abuse Victims: Why So Many Therapists Miss Coercive Control
By Maria R. Riegger, Attorney and Certified Trauma-Informed Parenting Coach We are often told that when a relationship becomes unhealthy, the solution is to seek professional help. Go to couples therapy. Learn to communicate better. Work on conflict resolution. Take responsibility for your part in the relationship. These recommendations may be entirely appropriate for couples […]
Constructive Isolation: When Coercive Control Leaves You Too Exhausted to Have a Life
By Maria R. Riegger, Attorney and Certified Trauma-Informed Parenting Coach When we think about isolation in an abusive relationship, we often picture an abuser who explicitly forbids their partner from seeing friends, visiting family, going to work, or maintaining relationships outside the home. Sometimes the abuser monitors phone calls, restricts travel, or becomes angry when […]
Why a Prenup Isn’t Enough: How to Protect Your Wealth When Moving In Together or Remarrying
If you’re considering moving in with a partner, blending families, or getting remarried, you’ve probably heard the standard advice: Get a prenup. As an attorney, I agree that prenuptial agreements, and cohabitation agreements for unmarried couples, can be extremely valuable. But there’s something I wish more people understood: A prenup is not a magic wand. […]
What If We’ve Been Asking the Wrong Question About Parenting? The Research I Couldn’t Ignore
As an attorney, I was trained to follow evidence, not assumptions. Good lawyers don’t begin with conclusions. We begin with facts. That same approach shaped the research I conducted while preparing my 2024 TEDx talk on teenagers and healthy boundaries. I wanted to understand what actually helps young people become emotionally resilient, confident, and less […]
Why Is My Gemini Tween So Picky? 10 Smart Ways to Handle Gemini Mood Swings
If you’re raising a Gemini middle schooler, you already know they can be brilliant one moment and baffling the next. One week they’re obsessed with anime; the next, they “don’t like it anymore.” Yesterday’s favorite meal is suddenly “disgusting.” This is not straight-out rebellion, although it certainly feels like it. It’s partly the growing need […]
Book Review: Essential Life Lessons in The Enlightened Passenger
I am thrilled to announce the publication of The Enlightened Passenger, written by my friend and fellow author and speaker, Corey Poirier. Corey has been a Tedx speaker FOUR TIMES and is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Amazon and B&N best-selling author! Corey’s book has already been endorsed by Neale Donald Walsch, Lisa Nichols, […]
Talking about self-worth and advocating for your kids on the Sacred Rebellion podcast
Many thanks to Lora Solomon and Kim Andryc from the Sacred Rebellion podcast for having me on the show! On this episode we discuss: How astrology can help you in understanding yourself as well as your interactions with the world and those around you. Building connections with your children and strengthening that relationship through the […]
LAUNCH DAY: Midnight Lasagna and Other Stories, a collection of family-centered, holiday-themed short stories
Today is RELEASE DAY for my latest book, Midnight Lasagna and Other Stories, a collection of Christmas-themed, family-friendly short stories. *What does lasagna taste like after midnight? *What happens when a mime attacks? *What does it feel like to not keep up with the Joneses? *Can a brother and sister find common ground through video […]
Romance Readers: Love Kissed Book Bargains Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!
Over the next week I’m participating in Love Kissed Book Bargains’ Grow Team Giveaway. Love reading & reviewing? Like finding new authors? Want to join a review team/street team? We have romance authors of varying genres who would love to find new readers! Why join a team? (Or lots of teams?) There are so many […]
Monday Flash Fiction: Dirty Dishes
Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash Dirty Dishes I won’t remember dirty dishes and piles of laundry, Or dust bunnies lurking in dark corners, Or fingerprints on a window. Or a stray sock on the bathroom floor. I don’t care too much about a cheap broken glass, That slipped through your small fingers During your first attempts at […]