By Kirsten Infinger, LICSW April is Stress Awareness Month, a time to pause and take a closer look at something that quietly impacts nearly every aspect of our lives—our health, our relationships, our work, and our sense of self. Stress is often minimized. We say things like “I’m just stressed”, “It is what it is”,  or “It’s been a busy week”  as if stress is a temporary inconvenience rather than a meaningful signal from our body and mind. But stress is not “just stress.” It

By Kirsten Infinger, LICSW Each April, you may notice bright blue pinwheels appearing in front of schools, clinics, and community spaces. They’re eye-catching, hopeful, and easy to overlook if you don’t know what they represent. But those pinwheels carry an important message. What Do the Blue Pinwheels Mean? The blue pinwheel is the national symbol for Child Abuse Prevention Month , an initiative supported by organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America through the Pinwheel

The reality of the holidays in New England is that while everyone's Instagram feeds are filled with images of cozy sweaters, twinkling lights, and hot cocoa by the fire, those pictures often hide some truths. They don’t show the 4:30 PM sunsets that make it feel like bedtime, the fourth family obligation in one weekend, or the nagging feeling of "why don’t I feel magical right now?" If you find yourself struggling through December, feeling more “bah humbug” than festive, you’