Nancy Maes

Blazing a trail in art therapy, pioneer benefits from its healing power too

June 16, 2018 at 2:20 p.m.

Harriet Claire Wadeson loved to create works of art when she was growing up, but she never considered pursuing the solitary career of an artist. She was determined to be...

Self-injury seems to make no sense, but a psychologist says people do it in an attempt to feel better.

Those who self-injure actually want to feel less pain

August 19, 2019 at 8:17 a.m.

Humans instinctively avoid physical pain, but pain has a positive purpose for those who deliberately injure themselves, most commonly by cutting or carving their skin, embedding objects under their skin,...

Summer interns, like Birte Heinecke, from Germany, come to work for a summer at DreamAcres' off-the-grid farm to learn about organic farming. Heinecke carries a bushel of fresh-picked beans.

Farmer and actress: Eva Barr lives off the land and on the stage

June 15, 2018 at 3:43 p.m.

Actor and farmer might seem like divergent career paths, but not for Eva Barr. Barr, 48, a founding member of Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Co., spends much of her time living...

Your child’s imaginary friend is a good thing

August 19, 2019 at 8:11 a.m.

Fiction has not been kind to children's imaginary friends. In films such as "The Shining," based on the book by Stephen King, and the current ABC TV series "The Whispers,"...

When teens roll their eyes, it can be exasperating for parents. But understanding what motivates the behavior, and not revealing how annoyed it makes you, can defuse the behavior's power.

Defusing the teenage eye roll: Expert advice for frustrated parents

August 19, 2019 at 8:07 a.m.

When teens roll their eyes, the meaning of their nonverbal message is not hard for parents to decode. And when it first starts appearing, it often ushers in a new...

The most basic language, dance, brings out the unutterable

August 19, 2019 at 8:05 a.m.

For eons societies around the world have used dance to express feelings and to help people heal. Those concepts are embodied in contemporary dance/movement therapy that was founded as a...

Those who become parents through natural means aren't the only ones who can experience depression as new caretakers.

Depression among new parents is not limited to those who go the childbirth route

June 16, 2018 at 1:14 a.m.

Adopting a child is supposed to be a joyous event, but for some mothers it is far from a Hallmark moment. The adoptive moms feel powerless, worthless and hopeless, they...

The Little Red School House Nature Center in Willow Springs has three miles of trails, where birdwatchers might spy red-headed woodpeckers, wood pewees and osprey.

Five kid-friendly nature areas to visit in Chicago and suburbs

June 16, 2018 at 2:21 a.m.

The Chicago region offers a multitude of places where families can discover the natural world. In his book, "How to Raise a Wild Child" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), paleontologist Scott Sampson...

Parents can take an active role in introducing kids to the wonders of nature, author Scott Sampson says.

Connecting kids with nature: ‘Wild Child’ author shares tips for parents

March 30, 2019 at 8:07 a.m.

Scott D. Sampson, host of the PBS Kids television series "Dinosaur Train," still has vivid memories of wading in a pond full of bloblike tadpoles when he was 4 or...

Taking your hands off the bike, literally and figuratively, can be a scary decision for some parents, but will ultimately empower kids.

‘Permission to Parent’ author’s tips for raising happy, empowered kids

June 16, 2018 at 3:32 a.m.

Although the term "helicopter parents" has recently taken hold in our language, nearly every parent is overprotective at times. But in her book, "Permission to Parent: How to Raise Your...

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