Women's Health: Making Time for Connections

Making Time for Connection

by Diana Brummer

Licensed Clincial Social Worker. MSW. Owner, Good Mental Health LLC

Fall is such a busy season. It marks the beginning of a new school year, the start of fall sports, and the building excitement for the holidays. Compared to our long, lazy summer days filled with hanging out around the pool, the fall season brings tighter schedules, more responsibility, and less time for meaningful connection as we’re rushing to get to our next appointment.

As parents and partners, the most important investment we can make in our families is through open, calm, supportive communication. Instead of the hurried “how was your day?” barked as we’re loading and unloading the car, we can choose to become more deliberate with our words, our interactions, and the environment we create to support communication within our families.

In the same way that spouses and partners need dedicated time to talk with each other and connect, our children need that time with us as well. Securely attached, healthfully connected parents aim to be the emotional support their children need.

MAKE TIME FOR CONNECTION: TRY THESE STRATEGIES

WALK THE DOG TOGETHER, OR JUST GO FOR A WALK, ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE. Walking side by side lessens feelings of confrontation. Make walking and chatting enjoyable, friendly, and fun. Go often enough, and at regular intervals, so that your child knows that even if they choose not to discuss a certain topic today, they will get another chance soon. By creating space for communication, we invite communication.

CELEBRATE THE END OF THE WEEK TOGETHER. Friday afternoons are a great time for all of us to decompress following a demanding work week. I like to call it Milkshake Friday. Choose your favorite ice cream spot, order your favorite treat, and enjoy together while debriefing about the week that just passed. We can all go out into the world and give it our best effort if we know that afterward we can also relax and recharge with the people who love us best—just for being us.

SHARE SOME OF YOUR OWN VULNERABILITIES. As adults, we may think we need to have all the answers, all the time, to present as good leaders. In a family setting, authenticity is much more meaningful than leadership. Our children will imitate the behavior we model for them. It’s important to show them that emotional connection is important. Needing advice and support from the people you love and respect is part of the gift of being a member of a family. By leaning on our kids in age-appropriate ways, we will also teach them how to lean on us.

Good Mental Health, LLC is a counseling and coaching practice located in St. Johns, Florida, offering individual, couples, and family counseling to adolescents and adults. With sessions available face-to-face and online, we hope to provide the tools and skills necessary to heal past wounds, grow healthy relationships, and build stronger families. For more information find us online at

GoodMentalHealthLLC.com.

• behavioral health • psychotherapy • mind-body wellness

As a therapist, I help clients from all walks of life feel, function, and communicate better; teaching them the skills they need to access their own resiliency and strength, empowering them to be their own best advocates and to mindfully create the lives they desire. Diana Brummer, MSW, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Appointments Availalbe online and in person 20+ Years Experience in Mental & Behavioral Health for Children, Teens, Adults & Families

157 Hampton Point Drive, Suite 1, St Augustine, FL 32092 904-325-6105 | goodmentalhealthllc.com