Thrive Forward Therapy

12/12/2025

The holidays are here! Consider giving 12 Days of Confidence to a child or teen in your life! 🎁

Give the gift of confidence this season with self-confidence building gift tags and a thoughtful gift guide! Perfect for:
✨ Holiday surprises 🎄
✨ New Year celebrations 🎉
✨ Birthdays 🎂
✨ Everyday moments that deserve a little extra love 💌

The 12 Days of Confidence are easy instant downloadable gift tags that can be used like an Advent calendar with a fun twist of confidence. The download gives you:
- 12 confidence building gift tags
- Gift guide for each tag
- Bonus: Discussion guide to further build confidence in your child

The gift tags and guides are designed by family therapists to highlight 12 traits that help build self-confidence in your child through a caring gift giving experience they will not soon forget.

Available in our online store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/thriveforwardstudio

Let’s make giving extra special this year. 💝.

12/11/2025

The holidays often bring a strong sense of tradition. Many families carry rituals passed down through generations, while others are still discovering what feels meaningful for them. Traditions create rhythm, identity, and a sense of belonging within a family. They ground us during busy seasons and offer familiarity through times of change.

For new parents, traditions may begin to look different. Even with very young children, traditions matter. Repeated moments of warmth, safety, and connection lay the foundation for secure attachment and emotional security as they grow. Traditions become emotional anchors that children come to rely on during change, stress, and transition.

Starting small is often the most meaningful approach. Cozy PJs, a special breakfast on Christmas morning, a winter family walk, or lighting a candle together each evening can become powerful rituals over time. These moments do not need to be elaborate. What makes them last is the consistency, the presence, and the emotional connection behind them. Over time, these traditions become the stories your child grows up knowing. They become the emotional rhythm of your family.

It is never too early to begin building a sense of belonging, comfort, and connection through tradition.

12/10/2025

As the holidays approach, many parents notice a shift in their children’s focus toward gifts, excitement, and expectations. While this is developmentally normal, it can also be a meaningful opportunity to gently guide children back toward gratitude. Gratitude is a mental health skill that supports emotional regulation, resilience, empathy, and overall well-being.

Children learn gratitude through experience, modeling, and repetition. One of the most effective ways to teach it is by allowing them to notice both what they have and how it feels to give. Simple practices such as reflecting on one good moment from the day, involving children in giving to others, or expressing appreciation out loud as a family help create emotional awareness around gratitude rather than treating it as a forced behavior.

It is also important to remember that overstimulation, excitement, and schedule changes can make it harder for children to access gratitude during the holidays. When this happens, connection comes before correction. Slowing down, listening, and validating their feelings helps create the emotional safety needed for gratitude to grow naturally.

Gratitude is not something children master in a moment. It develops over time through consistent experiences of reflection, generosity, and meaningful connection. The holidays offer a powerful space to begin planting those seeds.

12/09/2025

Only 22 days left to vote!✅

We are so excited to be up for . Our team of counselors love pouring into Gwinnett families and couples! Please consider voting for us😊

You can vote at our direct vote page here: https://www.guidetogwinnett.com/georgia/suwanee/health-medical/thrive-forward-therapy

12/05/2025

Family Traditions: for Newly Married Couples

The first holiday season as a newly married couple can feel exciting, meaningful, and sometimes a little overwhelming. You’re blending two histories, two sets of expectations, and two visions of what “home” feels like.
We often encourage couples to use this season intentionally. Traditions aren’t just activities, they’re rituals that shape connection, security, and shared identity. The traditions you build now become the emotional foundation your future family grows from.

Here are a few ways to begin creating traditions that feel authentic and truly yours:

• Talk about what mattered most in each of your childhood homes, and what you’d like to carry forward or release.
• Start one small ritual that belongs only to the two of you. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, consistency is what makes it meaningful.
• Blend old traditions thoughtfully. Choose what to keep from both families based on joy, not obligation.
• Protect couple time. Holidays can be busy; schedule moments just for the two of you to slow down and reconnect.
• Capture memories intentionally. Whether you write a yearly letter, take a photo in the same spot, or save mementos, these moments help build your shared story.

Traditions help couples feel aligned, supported, and connected. More importantly, they help you build a home that feels emotionally safe, no matter how busy the season becomes.

12/04/2025

On the Protect Youth in the Digital Age podcast, Jennifer Wilmoth, LMFT, emphasizes a powerful truth: Parents need to set limits and monitor when it comes to their children’s technology use.

Kids are navigating an online world filled with risks they often can’t see, which means they can’t be the ones leading the decisions. Parents have to be the boundary-setters.

And the most effective way to do that, is to parent as a unified team.
When both parents agree on digital rules, consequences, and expectations, children experience consistency and safety. There’s less confusion, fewer loopholes, and more emotional stability.

If tech boundaries have been a struggle, you’re not failing - you’re learning. And teamwork makes the process so much easier.

To hear more about threats present on Minecraft, Roblox, Snapchat and online chats from Homeland Security Special Agent Dennis Fetting listen to the podcast starting at 21:00 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/protect-youth-in-the-digital-age-expert-panel/id1474681355?i=1000736644906

12/02/2025

Every family has its own patterns, shaped by roles, communication styles, unspoken rules, and past experiences. We call this family dynamics, and understanding them can be one of the most powerful steps toward breaking cycles, healing relationships, and building healthier futures.

Family dynamics begin forming long before we notice them. The way care was given, how conflict was handled, who took responsibility, who avoided emotion, and how love was shown (or withheld)—all of these experiences shape how we relate to others today.

Understanding family dynamics matters because:
• Patterns repeat until they’re understood.
Many behaviors we think of as “just personality” are actually learned responses.

• Identity develops in relationship.
Self-worth, trust, boundaries, and emotional regulation all trace back to early family interactions.

• Awareness can lead to change.
Noticing your family’s patterns, both strengths and challenges, gives you the power to choose what continues into the next generation.

Family dynamics aren’t about blame - they’re about insight. With compassion and curiosity, you can understand where certain patterns began and learn how to create healthier ways of connecting.

If you’re interested in exploring your own family dynamics, therapy can help you untangle the pieces, make sense of your story, and build the kind of connection you want for your life and family.

11/28/2025

The holidays often bring us closer together. We slow down, share meals, create memories, and feel more connected. But genuine family closeness doesn’t have to end when the decorations come down.

Connection is something we build through small, consistent moments. When families stay emotionally engaged throughout the year, communication improves, stress decreases, and relationships become more resilient.

Here are a few ways to keep that connected feeling alive long after the holidays end:
• Schedule simple, shared moments
• Create predictable weekly rhythms
• Check in emotionally, not just logistically
• Stay curious about each other’s inner world
• Keep practicing healthy communication

Family connection supports mental health for both adults and children by nurturing safety, belonging, and understanding. Even small steps can strengthen these bonds in meaningful ways.

If you or your family are navigating challenges, stress, or old patterns that feel hard to break, therapy can offer support and a place to rebuild connection with intention.

11/27/2025

As we move into this day of gratitude, we want to take a moment to acknowledge you. Our clients and our community who make our work meaningful, and it is an honor to support your well-being. We are grateful for the trust you place in us and for the opportunity to walk with you through seasons of growth, healing, and change.

The holidays often bring a mix of emotions, experiences, and expectations. However you choose to spend this day, whether in the company of others or in quiet rest, we hope you find moments of connection and comfort.

Thank you for trusting us with your care.
We are truly grateful for you.

Wishing you a happy and meaningful Thanksgiving!

11/26/2025

This time of year often brings people together, but “family” and “tradition” look different for everyone. Whether your gatherings include relatives, friends who feel like family, or a small circle you choose intentionally, connection still has powerful benefits.

From a therapist’s perspective, here are a few reasons why gathering is so meaningful:

❤️ 1. Shared Moments Strengthen Bonding
Being together increases oxytocin, the bonding hormone. Laughing, storytelling, or cooking together creates emotional “glue” that strengthens relationships over time.

💬 2. Gathering Encourages Healthy Connection
Healthy social contact is one of the strongest protectors against loneliness, seasonal stress, and emotional fatigue. Even brief moments of warmth—eye contact, a hug, a simple check-in—can nourish us deeply.

🌿 3. Traditions Give Us Meaning
Rituals help us slow down and reconnect with what matters. They remind us of our values, create memories, and anchor us during fast-paced seasons.

If your family dynamics are complicated, you’re not alone. “Gathering” doesn’t have to be large, picture-perfect, or traditional. It can be a quiet dinner with one supportive person, a chosen-family celebration, or a ritual you create for yourself.

Connection is beneficial in many forms, choose the version that feels good and grounded to you.

11/22/2025

The holidays can feel magical, but also overwhelming. If you're craving a season with less chaos and more connection, this guide is for you.
In her newest holiday blog, Jennifer Wilmoth, LMFT, shares simple ways to create calm, comfort, and meaningful togetherness with your family.
“What if your family had a holiday filled with actual connection—not just photo-worthy moments, but ones that feel good on the inside too?”
Explore easy ideas, gentle reminders, and thoughtful gift suggestions that help you slow down and enjoy what truly matters.
Read the full blog today. 💛

If you’re a parent, you already know the truth: the holidays can feel magical and they can also feel like you’re trying to wrap joy with tape that won’t stick. Between school events, gift lists, and the ever-growing pile of glitter that somehow follows your kids everywhere, it’s easy to slip...

11/19/2025

People-pleasing often looks like connection on the surface,but often comes from fear, guilt, or the belief that your worth depends on keeping others happy.

As therapists, we often see people confuse kindness with self-betrayal. True connection never requires you to silence your needs, ignore your limits, or reshape yourself to avoid disappointing others. In fact, real relationships strengthen when you show up honestly.

Here are some signs you may be moving from connection into people-pleasing:
• You say “yes” quickly, then feel resentment or burnout
• You worry others will be upset if you set a limit
• You avoid conflict at all costs
• You apologize even when you did nothing wrong
• You base decisions on what others want - not what feels right

How to stay connected without losing yourself:
• Pause before agreeing to something - check in with your needs
• Practice honest, direct communication
• Set small boundaries consistently
• Tolerate the discomfort of someone else’s disappointment
• Build relationships where your “no” is respected
• Offer connection - not compliance

Healthy connection is reciprocal. People-pleasing is one-sided.
The more you honor your own needs, the more authentic and lasting your relationships become.