Karen Norris, LPC

10/11/2024

Would love to have you join me!!

07/25/2024

I just finished this book and it’s so good! But I’ve referred it to several friends, who say it’s too triggering to read. Here’s my advice: if you’re not sure if phones are contributing to our kids mental health, read the whole thing. If you already believe that phones & social media are having a negative impact on our kids, skip to the parts that describe what we can actually do about it!

💛Kids need more free play & more real world communities to connect with.
🟡No smart phones until high school, no social media until 16.

These things are hard to change alone, but if we as conscious parents can band together we can help protect our kids and youth from the mental health challenges that Gen Z has suffered due to unrestricted technology. Speak up at school and with friend groups. Our kids need us 💕

*Updated: I didn’t explain the graphs 🤦🏻‍♀️. 2010-2015 is when smart phones got into every pocket and social media started. That’s why there’s a grey column highlighting those years. And as you can see the mental health problems sky rocketed during/after those years.*

06/17/2024

I'll be attending the amazing Restore: A Faith Matters Gathering. Faith Matters Foundation Let me know if you're planning to attend so that we can say Hi! 👋
Or register now and join me at the event! https://whova.com/portal/registration/resto_202410/?preview_image=2&referral=social_post_registration

- via event app

2024-09-05, Sandy, UT

10/27/2023

“Happiness Is Not the Goal, and Unhappiness Is Not the Enemy”

I can’t stop thinking about this Quote is from the book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur Brooks and Oprah.

The first section is devoted to this topic. As humans we run from pain and seek pleasure. We all want to be happy but we don’t really know HOW. I loved how they spell this out and give practical tips for building the life you want and getting happier. I highly recommend!

07/14/2023

When my daughter was in kindergarten, she asked me “why is it OK to say someone is skinny but it’s not OK to say they are fat??” When I asked what prompted this question, she said that she heard two adults at school one compliment in the other on how skinny she was, and how happy the receiver of that compliment seemed.

I told her that some people think skinny bodies are better than bigger bodies. But that we should never treat someone different because of their size. It really struck me how much these young kids pick up on. Kids notice everything.

We recently saw someone we have not seen for a couple years and my son asked me in private “why they get fat??” I told him that he was right to notice the shift and that bodies change and thats ok. I did not rush in and say “don’t call her fat” because it’s the truth and it can be a neutral descriptor. I followed that up with “it’s not polite to comment on other peoples bodies without their permission.”

I just finished reading Virginia Saul Smith’s book Fat Talk: parenting in the age of diet culture. She breaks down fat phobia, and all the myriad of ways it shows up in our lives. She also read claims the word fat as a neutral descriptor. She emphasizes health at any weight, noting that a persons BMI is no indicator of health. She presents evidence why diet do not work. Any goal with the intent to lose weight is destined to fail, with the person gaining it back, and then some. (Healthy weight loss may come as a byproduct from other goals & behaviors, but that’s another topic!)

I did not agree with everything in this book. I’m still trying to process how much is my own internalized fear and conditioning around healthy vs. fat or how much is just my own opinion.

Have you read it?? Or even heard her speak on a podcast or something. What’s your take?

06/27/2023

Is God like a King? A cold and distant figure, comfortable in his palace, not very involved in our lives

A judge? Both the prosecution and the judge who lets us know all the ways we have failed and gives us our sentence? And if he's feeling merciful, will only give us the minimum sentence?

A Father? what kind of Father? A Father who is sometimes loving and sometimes cruel? One who beats you up and then says, “I only hurt you because I love you” This sounds super abusive.

The way I imagine it, God is like a therapist. God gives us unconditional love and support. God understands the entirety of our experience and meets us where we are, without judgment. He heals our wounds. He can help us become a better person, overcome trauma and adversity. He does not use shame or coercion. He is always there and loves us unconditionally.

He is not waiting to love us. He is not irritated at our human imperfections. He chooses to love us and to be vulnerable to that love. We love him because he loved us first.

06/13/2023

Rereading this gem from Thomas McConkie and I feel this double bind all the time. After my last post on LGBTQ issues I’ve had so many awesome meaningful conversations, soul talks. This is what I live for. I can’t do small talk anymore 😜 so I’m going to put it out there. Thanks for being on this journey with me ❤️

“I write from the constrictive cords of this double bind. I want to share my perspective-the very perspective that makes it possible for me to call myself Mormon and continue forward in faith. Ironically, it is the same perspective that risks alienating me from my community. In writing this book, I am living out the same struggle that nettles so many of us in modern Mormon culture.

Namely, I'm trying to reconcile a desire to share my faith and perspective more sincerely while fearing that my perspective is not mainstream enough to constitute appropriate sharing. What's a Millennial Mormon to do? Express myself authentically and hope for the best, I suppose.”

06/08/2023

In honor of pride month I’m sharing my favorite LGBTQ resources for LDS Families 🌈

06/08/2023

05/28/2023

A good apology is not about you, it’s about the person who was hurt. Sometimes we don’t want to apologize because we didn’t mean to hurt someone. Or sometimes we just straight to “sorry!” and just try to end the conversation.

I love what Molly Howes has to say about what really goes into a good apology. It takes time to understand what injury was done. This can be very humbling, but super healing for the relationship. Then we need to make a sincere apology. Take responsibility for restoring trust. Be accountable for what you did or didn’t do. And make a solid plan to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

What’s important to you in an apology?

05/10/2023

Did you grow up in a household where “be grateful” was code for “be quiet and stop complaining” ??

If so it’s likely hard to feel true gratitude without that lump of guilt. Or we compare ourselves to others and minimize our own pain, “I shouldn’t feel this way, I should feel grateful.”

Emotions are just information. There’s no *should*. You are allowed to feel your feelings. Sometimes we are upset and sometimes we feel grateful.

We can cultivate more gratitude with daily practice, but not at the expense of some of the other more painful emotions.

What are you grateful for today? I’m grateful for the spring flowers 🌸

04/28/2023

Being kind and compassionate with yourself changes everything 💜✨