Mary Jo Rapini, LPC - Articles

Articles by Mary Jo

Relationships, Parenting, and Emotional Wellness

The Good Life Isn’t Always an Easy One

The Good Life Isn’t Always an Easy One

If you feel as though life has become a roller coaster, you aren’t the only one. Groups of friends, colleagues, and family members are all sitting around the table discussing recent upheavals, wondering when it will end. Disease, fires, floods, riots, and political unrest - these types of uncertainty unsettle us, and we begin thinking deeper about our lives. We wonder about our purpose or brings us happiness. That is, what constitutes a “good life?” When you talk to friends a

5 Ways to Cope with COVID-19 Mom Shaming

5 Ways to Cope with COVID-19 Mom Shaming

This pandemic has been challenging, and parenting has incurred even more unexpected demands for keeping children emotionally and physically healthy. What is considered safe seems to change daily, creating even more uncertainty and stress. Parents naturally look to other parents to evaluate what is best in their situation. Since not everyone is doing the same thing, you may feel judged whether you go back to work, stay home, send your child to school, or keep them home for onl

A 4-Part Plan to Stop Arguing with Your Partner About Pandemic Safety

A 4-Part Plan to Stop Arguing with Your Partner About Pandemic Safety

Since the pandemic began, most people worried about contracting it. After all, no one wants to experience an unknown and uncertain virus. When you feel vulnerable, you begin looking to those closest to you for protection. However, couples are getting into heated arguments and debates about safety and boundaries. Can we go out to eat? Can our children attend school? Is it safe to take a vacation or are we confined to our backyards and balconies indefinitely? Couples may have b

How to Keep Your Child’s Love of Learning Alive

How to Keep Your Child’s Love of Learning Alive

No matter where you live, what grade your child is in, or what school they attend, “back to school” has been a challenge this year. Schools have resumed with class size changes, remote learning, and a variety of masks, face shields, and goggles. We assume children are flexible and will accommodate change, but they do this best with the encouragement of their parents. Meanwhile, stressed parents are trying to balance careers, online learning, and ever-changing classroom polici

5 Things Happy Couples Know About Social Media

5 Things Happy Couples Know About Social Media

It’s natural to want to share photos and updates of the ones you love with others. Many of us look at happy couples online and compare, wondering if their relationship is happier or deeper than ours. However, research from Northwestern University found that individuals who posted excessively about their partner on social media felt more insecure with their relationship. Although their posts are full of smiling faces and inside jokes, it can often hide a lack of communication

Celebrating Labor Day by Giving Thanks to Workers

Celebrating Labor Day by Giving Thanks to Workers

Typically, Labor Day is celebrated by relaxing with family and friends over the three-day weekend, but this year has not been typical. Labor Day takes on a new meaning this year as we appreciate those with jobs that have helped us keep our families safe at home. Brainstorming with your children ways to express gratitude to the people whose jobs we depend on is teaching your child the importance of kindness. This reinforces the fact that we depend on each other in challenging

How to Survive and Love Someone with NFD (Need for Drama)

How to Survive and Love Someone with NFD (Need for Drama)

Maybe you know or even love someone that needs constant drama in their lives. They run to one crisis to another and often drag you into the middle of it. They are generous about sharing all the details about their latest terrible situation and workplace feud. People with “NFD” or the “need for drama” create most of their own crises, because their personality predisposes them to seek an adrenaline rush or sense of power. They are classified under Cluster B personality disorder

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