Julie Cipes, LPC, LLC

04/13/2026

Most parents are trying really hard to teach their kids about feelings…

“Why are you upset?”
“Use your words.”
“Talk to me.”

And while those moments matter, they can also feel like a lot—for both you and your child.

Here’s a simpler (and often more effective) approach 👇

👉 Talk about other people’s emotions

When your child sees someone frustrated, anxious, or upset, try:
“I wonder how they’re feeling?”
“Why do you think they reacted that way?”
“Would you have felt the same?”

This small shift:
• Takes your child off the “hot seat”
• Builds empathy naturally
• Expands emotional vocabulary
• Strengthens emotional intelligence

You don’t need to create extra teaching moments.
They’re already happening all around you.

Car rides.
Playgrounds.
Grocery store lines.

When you start noticing, the opportunities are everywhere.

💛 Save this for later

Julie Cipes, LPC
Child & Adolescent Therapist
Farmington, CT

03/10/2026

03/08/2026

Anxiety and OCD look similar on the surface (they both involve WORRY), but are very different from a treatment-based perspective. If you suspect that your child is experiencing OCD, you will need a professional who specializes in this disorder. When OCD is treated like generic worry, not only does it not get better, it can get worse. A therapist who does not have a nuanced clinical lens can easily overlook compulsions, and encourage them instead of addressing them. If you suspect that your child may have OCD, please DM me for more information.

03/07/2026

You are likely doing better than you realize. Hang in there.

06/22/2024

Respect is a slippery slope. It’s a private experience that may, or may not, pair with a matching outward expression. Parents of a certain age (🙋‍♀️) have been trained to believe that respect is obedience and an acceptable tone of voice. These parents are quick to demand respect (a behavior) without garnering the coinciding internal expression. The hard truth is, honest emotional expression in children and teens LOOKS like disrespect. We must be careful not shut down strong feelings at home, operating on the misbelief we are teaching respect, because what we are really teaching is emotional suppression, and that’s a hard lesson to undo.

04/04/2024

03/23/2024

I know there’s a lot of Gen Xers that think our parents did something right when they gave us the message that strong feelings were not to be tolerated, but learning how to manage, as opposed to stuff, emotions are two entirely different processes. If your child is not afraid to talk with you about big feelings, you are doing something right. And, if your child is not afraid to show you big feelings, regardless of how unappealing the sequential behavior might be, you score major brownie points in the area of emotional connection, which is at the crux of all healthy and sustainable relationships.

03/07/2024

PERIODT

03/02/2024

Does this sound like anyone’s anxiety, because it sure sounds a lot like the Worry parts I’m familiar with. compares anxiety to a cult leader, and I don’t think this comparison could be more spot-on. HOW does one remove themselves from a cult? Question the leader, consider alternative perspectives and connect with others outside of the group. Whatever you do, don’t agree with what the leader says. Even though they may appear to have your best interest at heart (“Don’t do that, it COULD be dangerous!”), they really only have their self-interest in mind. Worry is a self-involved narcissist with one goal…to grow itself. It’s game: get YOU to pay attention to its content. Your move: pivot and go in the opposite direction. What other metaphors could you use to help your young one understand how Worry works?

02/27/2024

12/18/2023

Can anyone relate? 🙄🙄🙄