This month, we’re highlighting guest blog posts, to bring awareness to different aspects of mental health with several of our community partners. Emily Coccia, Owner and CEO of Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop is an expert on menstrual products, care, and women’s needs beyond menstruation- through peri-menopause and menopause. Hormones are an important part of our mental health! Hormones are an invisible, shifting contributor to our well-being, or can make us feel less so. When we can d

By Lucas Watling, MSW As summer begins to wind down, families often find themselves shifting quickly back into school mode. Backpacks are packed just as much as family schedules! For some children, the return to school brings excitement. For others, it can bring a growing sense of worry. Back-to-school anxiety is common, especially when children are facing a new teacher, a different classroom, changing friendships, increased academic expectations, or an entirely new school. E

By Lucas Watling Being a teenager has never been easy. Adolescence is naturally filled with questions about identity, friendships, independence, and the future. But today's teens are growing up in a world that asks more of them than ever before. Many teenagers are carrying an invisible mental load that can be difficult for adults to recognize. Even when they appear or say they’re "fine" on the outside, their minds may be constantly juggling responsibilities, expectations, and

By Lucas Watling Every parent has experienced moments when a child becomes overwhelmed by big emotions. Whether it's frustration over homework, tears at bedtime, or a meltdown after a long day, it can be difficult to know exactly what your child needs in those moments. One of the most powerful ways to help isn't having the perfect words or immediately solving the problem. It's something called co-regulation. Before children can calm themselves independently, they first learn

By Lucas Watling If you’re parenting a child with ADHD, you’ve probably heard well-intentioned advice like, “They just need to sit still,” or “They need to try harder to focus.” However, ADHD isn’t a lack of effort. It’s a difference in how the brain develops and processes attention, movement, motivation, and self-regulation. Children with ADHD often learn best when they’re actively engaged, moving their bodies, and genuinely interested in what they’re doing. Rather than tryi

By Lucas Watling & Melanie Froemke Summer is often associated with vacations, longer days, and a long-awaited break from the routines that fill much of the year. While many people think of summer as a time to rest and recharge, it can also be one of the most meaningful times to begin therapy! Summer Slow-Down Can Allow Greater Clarity Throughout much of the year, life moves quickly. School schedules, work responsibilities, extracurricular activities, and family commitments ca

At River Grove Therapy, we believe healing can take many forms. While traditional talk therapy can be incredibly effective, words do not always fully capture our experiences, emotions, and personal stories. That is why we are excited to welcome art therapy as a service at River Grove Therapy and to introduce the newest member of our team, Mariane Coelho, LPC-R, ATR-P! Art therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that uses creative expression as a tool for communication,

By Lucas Watling As summer approaches, I often hear a mix of excitement and stress from both children and caregivers. For many kids, the thought of sleeping in, swimming, vacations, and taking a break from homework sounds amazing. At the same time, I have also seen that the transition out of the school routine can feel a little more complicated than we expect. Children thrive on predictability, even if they do not always act like it. During the school year, life often follows

By Lucas Watling When I think about the Pride movement, I don’t just think about parades, rainbow flags, or a specific month on the calendar. I think about what it feels like to belong. I think about what it feels like to be seen for who you are and know that you do not have to hide parts of yourself to be loved or accepted. As someone who works with children, adolescents, and families, I have seen how deeply acceptance can shape emotional wellbeing. At the same time, I have

By Rob Krupicka, MSW Many of the men I work with don't arrive saying they need help. They arrive saying they are frustrated. Irritable. Feeling unappreciated or stuck. Tired in a way that sleep does not fix. That exhaustion is often the first honest thing they've said out loud in a long time. Underneath it, the questions are usually deeper: Who am I if I'm not producing? What do I want from my relationships? Why does everything feel harder than it should? Therapy creates spac

By Rob Krupicka, MSW Please fix my kid. Most parents who contact me are focused on behavior. Their teenager won't do homework. Won't come out of their room. Talks back constantly or has stopped talking at all. They want to know how to get their child to do the things that need to get done. It makes sense. When a family is in distress, the friction of daily life is what's most visible and most exhausting. But in my experience, fixing the kid isn't usually the best focus. The b

By Lucas Watling You might be wondering what therapists mean when they recommend play therapy for your child. You might be thinking “is my child going to therapy to just play the whole time?” or “how is play going to help them make progress towards their goals?”. Those concerns are completely understandable. This post is designed to provide you with some insight into how play therapy can be truly transformative even when it might not look like it on the surface level. One of

By Rob Krupicka, MSW Slam, the door closes. The answers go flat. One word, or none. Connection disappears. The teenager who was right there is suddenly somewhere you cannot reach. If you are the parent of a neurodivergent teenager, you probably know this moment. You may have learned to dread it. You may have tried talking through it, pushing through it, waiting it out, or walking away. And you may have wondered, more than once, whether your child is using this to anger you or

By Lucas Watling “A mother’s love liberates.” – Maya Angelou Mother’s Day is framed as this one day where everything is supposed to feel meaningful and put together in celebration of the mothers in our lives. But in reality, the mother-child relationship is way more layered than anything you can capture in a single day. It’s not just love in the obvious sense. It’s love mixed with stress, growth, conflict, and a lot of figuring things out as you go. What I’ve noticed often is

By Rob Krupicka, MSW If you work from home, or live with someone who does, you are already navigating something that has no clear precedent in most of our families' histories. The commute that once created a transition is gone. The office that separated professional from personal identity no longer exists in the same way. For some area families this has been a genuine gift. For others, it has created quiet pressures that are easy to underestimate and surprisingly hard to name

By Melanie Froemke, LCSW, RPT-S, e-RYT200 This year, I had the privilege of participating in the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Alexandria program—an experience that brought together leaders from public service, small businesses, and community organizations for a shared purpose: growth. Each month, we gathered not just to learn, but to reflect, challenge ourselves, and support one another. Guided by Stacy Cook, Principal at Perception Learning and developer of th

By Rob Krupicka, MSW I wrote a poem recently about a trail crossing in the Blue Ridge. A couple I passed on the path was working hard to stay dry — studying the rocks, testing each step, looking for the surest way across. I crossed without pausing. Cold water through wool. A quick shock up my back. A smile I didn't plan. You'll get wet, I said. They laughed — nervously. What I was watching, I think, was the exhaustion of trying to control what cannot be controlled. The energy

By Amanda Kaliner, LPC Middle schoolers often get a bad reputation. They’re described as awkward, moody, and unpredictable. As a caregiver in any role, whether it be as a parent, doctor, therapist, or teacher, this time in a child’s life can seem intimidating. While yes, there is some truth to the emotional ups and downs of this stage, that description misses something much more important: young adolescence can be one of the most honest, insightful, and meaningful ages to wor

By Rob Krupicka, MSW | River Grove Therapy A Wall Street Journal piece published in March 2026, written by Pamela Paul and republished by the Spritzler Report under the title What Will Happen When All the Male Therapists Are Gone? asks a question worth sitting with. The article examines how psychology has shifted from an 80/20 male-to-female ratio in the 1960s to the near- complete reversal we see today, and what that means for the millions of boys and men who need mental he

By Melanie Froemke, LCSW, RPT-S, e-RYT To me, both as a parent and a therapist, I see AI as a bit of a tidal wave, and from the mental health perspective, we’re IN the tsunami. It’s here, there’s no stopping it, and we need to know what to do to make sure our kids stay safe. Unlike a tsunami, I acknowledge- we need to approach AI as a tool and a resource - not unbridled fear - with respect for the concerns we have for our kids’ mental health and well-being. AI is showing