Hello, I am William Mulcahy.
I am a Psychotherapist. I am an Author.
Most importantly, I am someone who is interested in sharing stories.
So, if you would, pull up a chair, sit down. Let's share a story together.
Here's mine.
My life as a Psychotherapist
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Certified Employee Assistance Professional and a level II EMDR therapist with advanced training, practicing in downtown Waukesha and Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
If you’d be interested in sharing your life story with me within the process of therapeutic counseling, I can be reached at Family Service of Waukesha. Whether it be grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, work/life, relationships, or some other issue, your story is uniquely yours. I’d be honored to walk with you on your journey of growth, change, and healing.
Zach Gets Frustrated
Zach and his family go to the beach, but Zach is having a lousy day. First, he dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. Then his best friend went to someone else’s birthday party instead of joining him. But most frustrating of all, he can’t get his kite to fly! Zach kicks sand, yells angry words, and asks his dad if they can just go home now. Instead, his dad teaches him a simple, three-step approach to get a handle on frustration and find a way to enjoy himself even when things aren’t going his way: (1) name it (why are you frustrated?); (2) tame it (self-regulation exercises such as deep breathing or visualization); (3) reframe it (change your thoughts to change your feelings). The three-point strategy is presented as the three corners of a triangle and is illustrated using the corners of Zach’s kite. Kids will easily understand and remember this tool.
“Zach does rule—these books are fun! They make important life skills easy to understand and do, and kids will get such a kick out of Zach, they won’t even know they’re learning.”—Dr. Michele Borba, parenting expert and author of No More Misbehavin’ and The Big Book of Parenting Solutions
Zach Apologizes
When Zach shoves his little brother to the floor, he knows he did something wrong. Even so, it’s hard to apologize. Like any seven-year-old, Zach tries to ignore the problem, but finally, with his mom’s help, he learns the four steps to apologizing: (1) say what you did; (2) tell how it made the other person feel; (3) say what you could have done instead; (4) make it up to the person. The apology strategy is presented as the “four-square” apology, which is illustrated with prompts that kids will easily understand and remember.
“Zach Apologizes is a wonderful skill-building resource to help young children easily learn how to make a sincere apology. I highly recommend it for both the home and the classroom!” —Trudy Ludwig, best-selling author of Sorry!
About me as a writer
My short stories have appeared in several publications. The Zach Rules series books are my first books for children, which merge my passions for good storytelling and providing counseling-like tools to help children live healthier, happier lives. I have three sons who played their own role in the creation of the Zach Rules series.
News & Events
Media
“The Zach Rules series does an impressive job covering the issues of anger and frustration—and the consequences that come with acting on them—in child-friendly terms. These books are a must-read for parents, educators, grandparents, and anyone who cares about helping young people become responsible, resilient, and compassionate human beings. I highly recommend this series.”
—Barbara Coloroso
Best-selling author of Kids Are Worth It! Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline