Life Phases of Women
Parenthood and Society
Parent/Adult Child Communication
Widowhood in Later Years.
About Deborah
Deborah received her doctorate in Counseling from George Washington University. Her dissertation was the stimulus for her follow-up study which is the basis for The Roads Taken. In addition to being an at-home mother, Deborah served as Deputy Director of a Virginia Probation and Parole Office & Assistant Director of the National Coalition for Jail Reform.
Latest Blog Posts
Mothers and Daughters: Oh My!
In an earlier blog (https://deborahakahn.com/2025/05/28/navigating–communication–with–ouradult–children/) I wrote about some of the challenges we parents have communicating with our adult children. While communicating with adult children is different for each child no matter the gender, it seems that mothers have a harder time or, let me diplomatically say, more challenging time communicating with daughters. Please visualize your thumb and index finger together in a pinching motion…
The Role of “No” in Communication
I recently came across a few instances in which “no” was used or strongly implicated in communication. Given that “no” can be a conversation stopper, I started thinking: What is behind that “no?” When is it best used? What is the effect of that response, and are there alternatives? “No” is used in many situations for a myriad of reasons. Two-year-olds seem to love the…
Feeling Invisible and the Need to be Noticed
Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote is one of my all-time favorites: “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” I love this quote because it really speaks to me. It serves as a check on feelings of rejection which I get when people do not readily respond to an email/text. Their silence may actually have nothing to…
The Roads Taken
When women become mothers, every decision becomes more complex and every question opens new paths: Do I remain employed? Do I stay at home? The Roads Taken: Complex Lives of Employed and At-Home Mothers is a non-judgmental, warm and informative read.
