Birthdays are a special time, marking a completed year of adventure, learning, and growth. They are an achievement, something to look forward to and celebrate. For a day, you are the center of attention, as loved ones shower you with gifts, well-wishes, and love. This, we hope, is the case for everyone—regardless of socioeconomic situation, birth place, or birth date.
As summer comes to an end, we want to acknowledge all of you who have summer birthdays. Chances are, throughout your life, you have experienced that feeling of missing out, as friends and family may have been on summer vacation or at camp during your celebration. Unlike others who had birthdays during the school year, you might not have been able to share a treat with your classmates or were called out during morning announcements.
It feels good to be appreciated and recognized by friends and family, and you deserve that moment of recognition—if only on that one remarkable day each year—to remind you that you are special, valued, and important.
And while birthdays are a significant reminder of our shared human connection, wouldn’t it be great if this were communicated to you every day with a kind smile and warm eye contact? Although it can seem daunting or even inconsequential, taking the slightest risk to be present with others is a simple reminder of how special each person is in this world we share.
Take good care, Jane
UPCOMING GROUPS
You can learn more about each group and sign up on our website: https://www.abalancedlifellc.com/groups
Parenting the Love and Logic Way
Mondays, October 7 – November 11 (no class October 21)
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Learn six principles to raising happy, secure children. This Love and Logic (r) relationship-based curricula is specially formatted for parents of kids, tweens, and teens. It’s never too late to: lovingly set and enforce healthy limits; help your kids, tweens, and teens learn from their mistakes; learn to stay calm and avoid power-struggles and arguments; enjoy raising responsible family members who contribute.
UPCOMING CLASSES
Classes are held at A Balanced Life LLC:
6155 Oak Street, Suite B, Kansas City, MO 64113
Please sign up by emailing Jane directly.
Sand Tray Focus Group:
Introducing the Kawa Model Assessment
Thursday, October 3
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
A sand tray focus group for clinicians wanting to explore, learn, sharpen, and share skills in sand tray therapy. The purpose of this focus group is to learn about using the Kawa Model in assessment and to provide feedback about its applicability in sand tray therapy. All materials for this group will be provided. Cost: Free.
PPRC Perinatal Support Group Facilitator Training
Monday, October 7
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Coffee, tea, water, snacks provided. Please bring a sack lunch if you would like. You will receive the support group workbook and the electronic workbook with permission to make copies for support group participants. Cost: $75.
SPOTLIGHT: TERRY PAINE, LCSW, LSCSW, RADC
Terry approaches therapy from a humanistic point of view. It is her belief that every person is made up of unique traits that are molded by the experiences they have had in their lives—positive as well as negative. She has worked extensively with adults who struggle with addiction, dual diagnosis, and/or the effects of traumatic events. To contact Terry, please click here.
MONTHLY MEDITATION: UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
How often do you slow down and truly understand how you are feeling and why you are feeling that way? In conversations, do you take the time to appreciate how the other person is feeling and take steps to help them feel understood? This is emotional intelligence: awareness of your emotions and an empathetical recognition of the emotions of those around you.
"Emotional intelligence is a popular term that's often thrown around in conversations dealing with effective communication and fostering long-lasting, healthy relationships," Georgina Berbari writes for mindbodygreen. "However, developing a robust amount of emotional intelligence ... could present as overwhelming, especially if you're not sure where to start or what the term actually means."
Read on for five tips to boost your emotional intelligence.