Exclusive Content:

Friend Says “Of All People, You Should Get Why Someone Would Abort a Cleft Baby”—Dad’s Reply Is Perfect

"My ‘friend’ said, ‘Come on, of all people, you should get why someone would want to abort a cleft baby.’ That shocked me. Why would he think that?"

How I Saved My Marriage With One Question

He asked her just one question every single morning. Two weeks later, he asked the same question, and her eyes welled up with tears...

During a Kitchen Dance Party, Foster Mom Hears Heartfelt Words: ‘I Miss My Other Daddy’

"I felt the tug on my sleeve and looked down to find him standing motionless. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t make out his words. His quiet body in the noisy room caught me off guard. I bent down to find his voice."

Gretchen Schmelzer

Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who has worked for twenty-five years with the complex issues of trauma, integration, and behavior change across every level, from individuals to groups to large systems and countries. She has more than a decade of experience working with traumatized children and adolescents in residential treatment and psychiatric units. She is the founder and editor of The Trail Guide, a web-mag featured on gretchenschmelzer.com dedicated to healing repeated trauma and the author of Journey Through Trauma.

The Letter I Wish I Could Write You. Love, Your Teenager.

"I used to know who I was, who you were, who we were. But right now I don’t. Right now I am looking for my edges and I can sometimes only find them when I am pulling on you. When I push everything I used to know to its edge. Then I feel like I exist and for a minute I can breathe."