the journal 
Real talk for parents carrying a lot
From Diana Gelfand, LCSW, as a therapist and as a parent who lives it too.
Special needs parenting · October 2026 · 4 min read
Hospital Holidays: Coping When Your Child Is Inpatient During the Season
“Saying "yes, please come" instead of "no, we're fine" isn't a failure of independence.”
Last Christmas Eve, I was admitted to the hospital with one of my kids. What that night taught me about planning ahead and accepting help.
Read the story →
start here
Find the posts written for you
special needs & medical parents
foster & adoptive parents
latest
More from the journal
Joy and grief are likely to show up in the same room, sometimes in the same hour.
Why the Holidays Can Be Hard for Adopted Kids (Even in Happy Homes)
Not instead of the joy. Alongside it.
Adoption Is a Celebration — and It’s Also Built on Loss
The harm isn't the adoption. It's discovering it was kept from you.
Talking to Your Child About Their Adoption Story
Silence guarantees nothing changes. Showing up at least keeps the door open.
I Went to Capitol Hill. And I Left Part of My Heart There.
Love provides safety. Love provides belonging. But love alone cannot heal trauma.
Adoption Is Not the Finish Line: Why Adoptive Families Need Therapy and Support Long After Finalization
For once, someone gets to ask how you're doing.
Parents, You Matter Too: Making Space for Yourself in the Busy-ness of Family Life
You are not failing your child. You are fighting for them.
Back to School Is Not Simple: What It Really Looks Like for Special Needs and Neurodivergent Families
…a parent who knows exactly what day three feels like.
The Summer Nobody Talks About: Parenting a Child With Special Needs When School Lets Out
let's get started
You don't have to keep carrying this alone.
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. No pressure, just a conversation.
Book your free callOr call 561-903-0096 · Diana@DLGtherapy.com
