In a world overflowing with voices, podcasts, notifications, opinions, and perpetual noise, genuine listening has quietly become a rare act. Kate Murphy’s book You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters steps in as a gentle yet urgent reminder: listening isn’t just hearing. It’s connection, understanding, presence, and sometimes even love.

Struggling with anxiety but acting calm? Learn how “girl whatever” energy hides high-functioning anxiety and discover proven, evidence-based ways to manage stress and feel genuinely at peace.

The New Rules of Marriage: How to Make Love Last

Unlock Your Best Love Life: Matthew Hussey’s Dating Rules Explained

How to Avoid Narcissists on Dating Apps: Evidence-Based Best Practices

Green Flags in Online Dating: How to Spot a Healthy Partner Early

What Divorce Can Teach Us About Love

Red Flags of Cheating: How to Recognize the Signs and Understand What “Cheating” Really Means

Surviving Narcissism: Insights from Dr. Ramani Durasula’s Work

Friendship Matters: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults

Parenting with Purpose: Evidence-Based Tips for Raising Resilient Kids

Supporting Your Teen Through Self-Harm: A Guide for Parents

The Hidden Risks of Pornography Exposure for Kids and Teens

App Safety for Kids and Teens: What Parents Need to Know

Parenting a teenager is never simple, but when your child is struggling with an eating disorder (or showing signs of disordered eating) the stakes feel higher, the worries sharper, and the path forward less clear. You may find yourself walking on eggshells, unsure whether to step in, step back, or how to help at all. If you’re in this place, you are not alone, and there is hope.

Why Focus on Grand Rapids?

Sex trafficking isn't a distant or abstract threat, it affects communities close to home. In Grand Rapids and Kent County, the average age of entry into commercial sex trafficking is just 15.2 years, a stark and sobering figure! Every month, approximately 85 new individuals are advertised online for coerced commercial sex, translating to around 1,000 new victims each year in our region.

Recent reports also reveal that local law enforcement is identifying more trafficking cases than ever. In 2024, the Kent County Sheriff’s Department discovered over 90 victims, up from 60 the previous year, and projects nearly 120 by year-end. Alarmingly, more than half of those are girls aged 17 or younger.

For today’s children and teens, smartphones and the internet aren’t optional, they’re woven into daily life. From staying connected with friends to completing schoolwork, screens are everywhere. But with opportunity comes risk.

Research shows that while digital devices can support learning, creativity, and social connection, they also expose young people to dangers like cyberbullying, sleep disruption, exposure to inappropriate content, and threats to privacy (Livingstone et al., 2017).

The challenge for parents, educators, and mental health professionals is finding the balance: How do we allow kids to reap the benefits of technology while keeping them safe online?

If you’ve ever tried to ask a teenager to put down their phone, you probably know the look, part panic, part disbelief, as if you asked them to cut off a limb. For today’s adolescents, social media isn’t just a pastime; it’s a central part of identity development.

Psychologists have long recognized adolescence as the stage where identity formation takes center stage (Erikson, 1968). But in the era of Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, that process looks very different. Today’s teens are building, testing, and broadcasting their identities online and disconnecting feels nearly impossible.

If you’ve noticed that young adults today seem to take longer to “launch” into full independence, you’re not imagining it. Many are delaying milestones like finishing school, living on their own, or starting a family. Psychologists call this phase extended adolescence (sometimes called emerging adulthood).

It’s not a failure or a flaw, it’s a developmental stage that reflects how our culture, economy, and life expectancy have changed. But while extended adolescence can provide valuable time for self-discovery, it also brings unique mental health challenges.