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Playful Wisdom Blog
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The Marble Jar of Trust: Why the Small Moments Matter Most
If you’ve ever listened to Brené Brown, you may have heard her talk about trust in a way that is deceptively simple: as a jar filled one marble at a time.
Each marble represents a moment—tiny, often forgettable on their own—when someone shows up for us. A small kindness. A kept promise. A gesture of understanding. A pause to really hear us. None of these moments build trust instantly, but together they accumulate into something solid, steady, and safe.
Amy Pittman LMHCA & Cary Hamilton LMHCS
14 hours ago3 min read
Setting Boundaries for Joy: Finding Gratitude & Glimmers This Holiday Season
We are all about encouraging boundaries in relationships because they foster healthy connections and improve self-esteem and self-compassion. But here's what we're learning about boundaries and mental health: when we protect our time and energy through healthy limits, we create the capacity to actually notice the good moments—what trauma therapist Deb Dana calls "glimmers."
These small moments of warmth, connection, and joy are everywhere during the holidays, but we can o
Cary M Hamilton
Nov 276 min read
Thriving (not just surviving) During the Holidays
‘Tis the season, after all! Promoting gratitude as a stress-reduction tool as we head towards Thanksgiving may sound trite, and many studies have demonstrated that practicing gratitude supports mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being. Intentionally identifying things that are going well and that we are grateful for can shift our mindsets and moods, reduce stress, improve sleep and interpersonal interactions, and over time, can even train our brains to look for mom
Katrina Swenson
Nov 53 min read
Living and Understanding ADHD: A Journey Through the Maze—From Both Sides
October is here, and with it comes ADHD Awareness Month. As someone who sits in a unique intersection—a licensed mental health counselor and child mental health specialist, registered play therapy supervisor, clinic owner, AND a mom to neurodivergent kids with ADHD and SPD married to a neurodivergent partner—I can tell you that ADHD awareness isn't just professional knowledge for me. It's a lived experience.
Here's the twist: I'm neurotypical.
Cary M Hamilton
Oct 1612 min read
When the Storm Hits: Why Your Child's Mental Health Can't Wait for After-School Hours
Here's what every parent needs to understand: stressed brains don't learn. When a child's nervous system is overwhelmed—whether by anxiety, depression, trauma, or neurodivergent challenges—their brain literally cannot access its higher-level functions needed for academic learning.
The science is clear: chronic stress affects brain structure and function. The amygdala, our fear center, becomes hyperactive, while the hippocampus, vital for learning and memory, becomes compro
Cary M Hamilton
Aug 235 min read
The Value of Continuing Therapy in the Summer Months
Therapy is like watering a plant. The growth you see today was nurtured weeks or months ago, and ongoing attention is what keeps that growth alive. Summer breaks can disrupt a child’s therapeutic rhythm, leading to regression in areas such as emotional regulation, social skills, and coping strategies.
Even skipping just 6–8 weeks can undo hard-earned gains. Continuing weekly or even bi-weekly sessions helps maintain momentum and reinforce the safe, consistent space your ch
Cary M Hamilton
Jun 43 min read
Gratitude As A Lighthouse
Life is often like navigating a restless sea, full of surprise currents, sudden storms, and the constant tug of distractions.
Cary M Hamilton
Nov 26, 20243 min read
Finding Glimmers This Fall: Embracing Small Moments of Joy in the Messy Middle
Here’s the thing about life—it’s messy, unpredictable, and beautifully imperfect.
Cary M Hamilton
Nov 7, 20244 min read
Putting a Freeze on the Holiday Meltdowns
While we love to fantasize about winter wonderlands and the holiday spirit, any parent knows that meltdowns are just as prevalent as snowfla
Olympia Therapy
Nov 4, 20244 min read
Parenting Sensory Processing Neurodivergence.
Alright, listen up. Parenting today—it’s like you’ve been handed a manual that’s missing half the pages, but you’re expected to be an expert
Cary M. Hamilton
Oct 4, 20246 min read
Navigating Teen Stress in a World Without Phones at School
This year, our local school districts and schools across the country have started cracking down on cell phone use, implementing stricter...
Cary M Hamilton
Sep 9, 20245 min read
Embracing Diversity and Love
As the vibrant colors of summer bloom around us, we step into a month of celebration, reflection, and advocacy: Pride Month.
Cary M. Hamilton
May 31, 20243 min read
Gratitude Can Be A Lighthouse
We often find ourselves adrift in the delightfully unpredictable journey of life, awash with a tsunami of tweets, texts, and TikToks. Ah,...
Cary M Hamilton
Nov 21, 20233 min read
Navigating the Labyrinth of Labels: Unpacking the ADHD, Anxiety, and SPD Triad
Navigating the tangled web of labels like ADHD, Anxiety, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) for your child can be both confusing and emot
Cary Hamilton
Oct 29, 20234 min read
The Value of Continuing Therapy in the Summer Months!
As the school year comes to an end, many parents may be wondering if they should continue their child's therapy sessions during the...
Cary M. Hamilton
Jun 30, 20233 min read
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is more than just “play.” It heals children in their own language.
What is Play Therapy?
Cary M Hamilton
Feb 3, 20235 min read
Gratitude is learned at home
What most parents, including myself, hope for their children is that they will be grateful for and acknowledge what they have.
Cary M Hamilton
Nov 16, 20223 min read
Six Ways to Ease Transitions- Back to School 2022
The seasons are changing, and we’re headed back into one of the biggest transitions -- going from summer to the school year.
Morgan Teachworth White & Cary Hamilton
Aug 31, 20224 min read
FALL into Your Interoception Sense
Our interoception sensory system works to bring awareness to the inner workings of our body and regulate our internal physical states
Celia Courser and Cary M. Hamilton
Nov 16, 20214 min read
FALL into Your Gustatory Sense
Fall is the season that brings out my favorite treats, and many are enjoyed during my family’s Thanksgiving feast.
Celia Courser and Cary M. Hamilton
Nov 2, 20214 min read
FALL into Your Auditory Sense
I am not sure about your home on thanksgiving, but my home is rather loud with talking, laughter, and children running around; this is...
Celia Courser and Cary M. Hamilton
Oct 29, 20214 min read
FALL into Your Olfactory Sense
Our olfactory (smell) system is a powerful one. As many people know, it is common for fragrances, odors, and other smells...
Celia Courser and Cary M. Hamilton
Oct 27, 20214 min read
Even Superheroes & Rockstars have to lower their expectations sometimes.
Parents, it’s May.
We’ve made it through 14 months of a pandemic. Do you remember last summer? We literally made it through wildfires...
Carrie Pipkin
May 19, 20213 min read
The pandemics' greatest impact has been on our children's mental health.
We are a year into the pandemic and we can really see the impact of the last year on our children. We can FEEL it too.
Cary M. Hamilton & Sarah Moran
May 10, 20218 min read
The information contained on this site, blog posts, videos, and interviews are for general education purposes and do not constitute professional advice. If you are a provider, it’s important to seek training, continuing education, or clinical supervision. If you are a parent, I encourage you to seek direct help from a qualified provider for your child and family. All identifying information, including names and other details, has been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
*The photos used are personal or are stock photography models and do not represent specific individuals in any way.
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