Healing Hearts Family Counseling

08/18/2026

08/18/2026

✈️ FREE Young Eagles flights for kids ages 8–17 — registration is now open!

After sharing our experience with EAA - The Spirit of Aviation through the Dodge County Flyers EAA Chapter 897 this past weekend, we loved hearing from families whose kids came home excited about aviation — including kids who are now talking about becoming pilots!

That is what makes programs like Young Eagles so exciting. A free introductory flight can be the spark that gets a young person wondering, “What else is out there?”

And aviation is so much bigger than becoming a pilot. That initial curiosity can lead kids to explore an incredible range of possibilities — from piloting and aircraft maintenance to engineering, air traffic control, airport operations, ground crews and so much more.

Sometimes all it takes is one experience to ignite an interest a child didn't even know they had. ✈️❤️

The next Young Eagles Rally is:
📅 Saturday, September 19
📍 Dodge County Airport — Juneau, WI
👧🧒 Ages 8–17
✈️ FREE introductory flight with a volunteer pilot

Preregistration is encouraged to reserve your spot!

Thank you to EAA, Dodge County Flyers EAA Chapter 897, and all of the volunteers who give their time and experience to help introduce the next generation to aviation.

Check out the event below for registration information! ✈️

08/15/2026

There is something pretty incredible about watching one generation introduce the next to aviation. ✈️

This morning we attended the Dodge County Young Eagles event by Dodge County Flyers EAA Chapter 897 where 62 kids were signed up to experience aviation. Families were arriving early, kids were excited, and honestly, there were quite a few adults who looked like they would have happily taken a turn too!

But what struck me most wasn’t just the flying.

It was the people.

We met volunteers across generations and pilots with vastly different levels of experience—from those newer to flying to someone who had been a pilot for 55 years. And there was a common thread in why so many of them were giving up their Saturday morning: someone had once introduced them to aviation, encouraged their interest or given them an opportunity—and it mattered. Now they’re doing the same thing for another generation.

Watching the kids’ interest in aviation grow makes that especially meaningful to me. You never really know which experience is going to be the one that opens up an entirely new world for a kid.

One of my favorite parts today was learning about a kit-built aircraft. Someone can actually build an airplane and then fly what they built. In doing so, they also develop an incredible understanding of that aircraft—how it works, what it can do and what its limitations are.

What a way for a kid to see engineering, mechanics, physics and problem-solving come to life. It’s not just something in a textbook. Someone built this—and it flies.

Young Eagles is part of EAA - The Spirit of Aviation’s effort to introduce young people to aviation, but what we experienced today was so much more than giving kids an airplane ride.

It’s people sharing their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm so that another kid might discover something that changes the direction of their life.

And someday, perhaps one of the 62 kids who showed up this morning will be the pilot volunteering to take another child on their first flight. ✈️

08/14/2026

Ever wonder why timing and rhythm matter in therapy?

Interactive Metronome is a research-based tool we use to strengthen key areas of the brain, especially the frontal lobe. It supports lasting changes in executive functioning, focus, and emotional regulation.

For kids and adults who struggle with attention or executive functioning, this isn't a workaround. It's training the actual skill.
Curious if it's a fit? Reach out to Healing Hearts today.

08/14/2026

Last month, we shared six books our Healing Hearts therapists regularly recommend in sessions. 📚

But what if you're not a reader—or you simply don't have time to sit down with a book?

We asked our team what they're listening to, too.

These are some of the podcasts that have made their way into conversations with clients, between clinicians, and into our own thinking about relationships, trauma, anxiety, parenting and emotional health.

At Healing Hearts, we're big believers in staying curious. We're always reading, listening, learning, collaborating—and asking how new ideas might help make life a little less hard.

So we're going to keep sharing some of what we're learning along the way.

What are you listening to right now that has changed the way you think about yourself, your relationships, or your mental health? 🎧

08/13/2026

Back-to-school season can bring big feelings, and not just for kids.

A few things that can help:
Naming the fear makes it smaller. Let your child talk about what feels scary, whether it's a new teacher, a new schedule, or friends.

Practice the routine early. Walk through mornings, drop-off, or the school building before day one if you can. Familiarity calms the nervous system.

Watch the body, not just the words. Stomachaches, trouble sleeping, or clinginess can be anxiety showing up as behavior, not defiance.

If back-to-school anxiety is sticking around longer than a few weeks, that's worth a conversation. Reach out to Healing Hearts today.


Sun Prairie & Delafield, WI

08/13/2026

Loving your dog doesn't make your dog a service dog. ❤️🐾

I was eating outside with a friend when an interaction involving a dog caught my attention. I don't know the dog's history or the full circumstances, so I'm not going to make assumptions about this particular animal or its owner.

But watching the situation reminded me of something I think we need to talk about more.

We LOVE dogs. We love our Ace. And Ace is absolutely, positively not a service dog. 😂

A service dog isn't simply a beloved dog we want to take everywhere with us. Service dogs are individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability, and working in public requires a dog that can navigate an enormous amount of stimulation.

Restaurants. Strangers. Children. Other animals. Unexpected noises. People approaching quickly. Tight spaces.

That's a lot to ask of a dog.

When dogs are frightened, overwhelmed, injured, or pushed beyond what they can tolerate, they may bark, growl, lunge, or even bite. That's communication—not a moral failing on the dog's part.

So part of loving our animals is recognizing what environments they are actually prepared to handle.

It's also about respecting the people working in those environments. I watched a server have to navigate a situation that clearly put her in an uncomfortable position. I thanked her afterward and left her an extra tip. Employees shouldn't have to feel intimidated for appropriately addressing an animal, and a misbehaved animal at that, in their workplace.

And perhaps most importantly, passing a pet off as a service dog makes life harder for people who truly depend upon trained service animals.

I wouldn't walk into a courtroom and call myself a lawyer because I've read a lot about law. 😉 Loving Ace and knowing him really well doesn't qualify him to do a job he hasn't been trained to do either.

Sometimes loving our dogs means taking them with us.

And sometimes loving them means recognizing that home is the kinder, safer place for them to be. ❤️

08/12/2026

Back-to-school season can bring big feelings, and not just for kids. 🎒

A few things that can help:

Name it before it grows. Let your child talk about what feels scary, whether it's a new teacher, a new schedule, or friends. Naming the fear makes it smaller.

Practice the routine early. Walk through mornings, drop-off, or the school building before day one if you can. Familiarity calms the nervous system.

Watch the body, not just the words. Stomachaches, trouble sleeping, or clinginess can be anxiety showing up as behavior, not defiance.

If back-to-school anxiety is sticking around longer than a few weeks, that's worth a conversation. Reach out to Healing Hearts today. 💛

📍 Sun Prairie & Delafield, WI

08/12/2026

One of our favorite connections from Sun Prairie’s Night Out was meeting members of Bikers Against Child Abuse, Badger City Chapter. 🖤

Their work is focused on helping children feel safer, stronger, and more confident while facing circumstances no child should ever have to experience.

What struck us most was the power of simply showing up and standing beside a child.

Sometimes knowing “I’m not facing this alone” can make an enormous difference.

We’re grateful for this new connection—and for the people throughout our community who continue to find different ways to show up for kids.

Relationships matter. And sometimes support comes from places you might not expect. 🖤