In the Media - Becky Bernard Stuempfig

Grief and Loss

How to Grieve Loved Ones No Funerals
The 10 Best and 10 Worst Things to Say to Someone in Grief: When we know someone is grieving, it can be really hard to know what to say to them. Often times, we are so scared to say the wrong thing that we don’t say anything at all and instead, avoid the person who is grieving. This is very common and one of the reasons grief can become isolating. Here are some resources that can make conversations about grief and loss a little bit less intimidating.
Grief & The Holidays
64 of the Best Things Ever Said to a Griever
What Grieving Friends Wish You’d Say
This Is What Grief Physically Feels Like
How To Talk To Your Kids About Miscarriage: The loss of a pregnancy can be devastating for the entire family. Many couples struggle with whether to tell their children about it and if so, how to have that conversation. This article provides advice on navigating those difficult decisions.
6 People Reveal The ‘Signs’ They Received After A Loved One’s Death

Positive Communication Tips

How Nannies Handle Holidays with Different Beliefs: I was a guest contributor to this article that provides tips for nannies on communicating with their employers. The nanny/employer relationship is so critical to smooth family functioning and I encourage my clients to engage in open, honest communication on both sides to reduce stress. This article specifically discusses how nannies can handle communication when they work for families with different beliefs and traditions than their own.
Positive Parenting Happiness: This is a straight-forward list of communication tips for parents. I especially appreciate tip #9 that encourages parents to “fill their own tanks” in order to be present for their children.
What To Say When Someone Is Having a Bad Day: This is a helpful article on effective ways to reach out to friends and loved ones when they appear to be having a bad day. There’s no “right” way to reach out to someone, but this article provides tips on ways to help the people in your life feel more supported.
How Parents Can Set Boundaries With Their Own Parents And In-Laws: Boundaries are critical to healthy communication within families. This is an article I contributed to that delves into maintaining boundaries with parents and in-laws – a subject matter that many couples and families find challenging.
Understanding Your Partner’s Communication Style is Key to Strengthening Your Relationship – Here’s Where to Start: This article offers a helpful breakdown of communication styles within relationships and provides tips on using assertive communication within relationships, which is the most effective way to express your feelings and have your needs met.
Supporting vs. Enabling: How To Recognize The Difference: This piece highlights the important differences between supporting and enabling someone, two behavioral patterns that are often confused as there is a fine line between the two.

Pregnancy and Postpartum

My Baby Is A Year Old & I Still Have Postpartum Depression: This article discusses postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms that continue after the child’s first birthday. People often do not expect to have PPD symptoms at this point and as a result, feel even more isolated and alone. This article highlights that reality and various ways to get relief.
How to Be Your Own Mental Health Care Advocate: This article discusses the importance of advocating for yourself at medical appointments along with helpful tips to prepare yourself in advance.
10 things you will (and won’t) miss about being pregnant: This piece includes lists of things you will and will not miss during pregnancy. Women sometimes do not feel comfortable talking about things they miss or won’t miss about pregnancy. Pregnancy and postpartum are similar to grief in that there are so many losses that need to be properly grieved, but many people hesitate to speak openly about them out of fear of being judged. I appreciate how this article normalizes those feelings.
PSI Online Support Meetings: I am so happy to share this wonderful list of free, online support groups offered by Postpartum Support International (PSI). These are 90 minute peer-to-peer groups and they offer a wide range of topics including NICU parents, mindfulness during pregnancy and support for pregnancy/infant loss.
Sparking a movement to change the way we care for mothers: Spark Mama is an organization formed by two San Diego based therapists who specialize in maternal mental health. Their mission is to prioritize the well being of moms by offering tangible ways they can feel supported and nurtured.

Anxiety and Depression

8 Signs Your Stress Is Actually Leading To An Anxiety Disorder, According To Experts: This article highlights some differences between stress and anxiety disorders. It is important to distinguish between the two since we will always have stress in our lives, but we don’t have to allow stress to turn into chronic anxiety. We don’t need to go through it alone!
Experts Explain Why Mondays Are So Psychologically Hard: Many people struggle with transitions in life and this article describes why Mondays in particular can be a tough transition psychologically.
How To Maintain Friendships If You’re Dealing With Anxiety Or Depression: This article addresses the sad reality that when someone is suffering from anxiety or depression, their friendships can suffer as well. Suggestions are offered for how to prevent this from becoming a permanent loss and how to garner social support while living with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Empowering Young Adults

One of my specialities is working with “twenty somethings”. I love this area because it is a time of tremendous reflection and growth. Below are some articles that relate to empowering young people and preparing parents to help their young adults launch:

5 Ways to Get Your Young Adult Ready to Fly Out of the Nest: Tips for parents of teens that are preparing to leave the nest.
Dating Apps Mental Health: With the rising popularity of dating apps, many young adults struggle with the impact on their self-esteem. This article lists some helpful coping strategies.
Our September Issue Is For Everyone Writing Their Own Rules: I love that Bustle has devoted a monthly issue to “rule breaking” women. There’s a lot to be said for breaking the rules in a positive way!
The U.S. Girls Bill Of Rights Reveals The Top 10 Issues Gen Z Girls Care About: Important article that includes a girls’ “Bill of Rights” that I think is wonderful!

Technology and Kids/Families

This is an area that I am always interested in due to the enormous growth and addictive nature of smart phones, social media and dating apps. Let’s face it – these things are not going away. If anything, their popularity will only rise. I enjoy working with clients on how to maintain boundaries with technology so that it does not negatively interfere with relationships. It is a tough balancing act, yet vitally important to our mental health. Here are some useful articles on this topic:

8 Ways to Clear Your Mind of Work Stress and Be More Present: I contributed to this article on strategies for being more present with your family.
Cell phones in school: Let’s talk about the pros and cons: This article discusses pros and cons of kids having cell phones at school.
Kids & Tech: Tips for Parents in the Digital Age: Tips for how to manage technology in your home. I like the idea of creating a “Tech Free Zone”!
What To Do If Group Texts Are Stressing You Out: When we look at our phones and discover that countless notifications have come in within just a matter of seconds, it can feel extremely overwhelming. Group text chats can cause symptoms of anxiety and panic. This piece discusses ways we can take back control and ease the stress caused by group texting.

Mental Health During the Holidays

Common Family Holiday Arguments: I was excited to contribute to this piece on common family arguments and solutions to prevent those dreaded interactions during the holidays.
How To Make Sure Your Relationship Survives The Stress Of The Holiday Season: The holidays tend to bring on a great deal of stress for most people, particularly for couples with children. Families are pulled in many different directions during the holidays and can be left feeling emotionally and financially drained at the end of the holiday season. Here’s an article that I contributed to that offers relationship tips specifically for the holidays.
6 Little Things You Can Do For Someone Who Is Grieving At The Holidays: It can be hard enough losing someone you love, but the holidays often exacerbate grief symptoms. I contributed to the following helpful piece regarding how to support someone when they are grieving during the holidays.