Allison Bates

What are the Types of Attachment in Child Parent Relationships
June 12, 2024

Attachment is a facet of parenting many people can forget about or deprioritize with the infinite other responsibilities of parenting; however, attachment with a caregiver is one of the most important things a parent can give their child. The...

Improving Attachment in Parent/Child Relationships
June 12, 2024

Attachment between a child and parent creates the roadmap of how a child interacts with others and themselves, often for the rest of their lives. If a child is securely attached to a caregiver, they are more likely to...

My Child Won’t Remember That…. Will They?
October 30, 2023

As many children do not hold memories before 2-3 years old and even then, memory is often pretty vague, parents tend to be more lenient about what they say in front of their child before that time period or...

How to Support Your Child’s Behavior Over Holiday Breaks
October 19, 2023

As the holidays are fast approaching, one thing parents often state their frustration about is behavior regression or increased outbursts during breaks from school. Children thrive when they understand expectations and know boundaries and limitations. The holiday season can...

How to Help a Loved One with Suicidal Thoughts
April 25, 2023

In the United States, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals aged 10-14 and 25-34, according to a 2020 study by the CDC. Suicide has become such a common topic for kids and teens in these...

Opioid Use, It’s Effects on Children, and How to Identify Misuse
April 25, 2023

On average, 130 Americans die from opioid overdose (including prescription- Oxycodone, Codeine, Morphine, and Fentanyl, and illicit opioids- heroine) EVERY DAY. This statistic affects the children in our community, as 2 million children annually have a parent who uses...

Effects of Medicating ADHD in Children
October 12, 2022

According to some pharmacies, antidepressants for teenagers have risen 38% from 2015 to 2019 (while adult prescriptions only rose 12% during that same period). As that study was pre-pandemic, the results now are expected to be dramatically higher. Many...

‘Why does it feel like I am always so much unhappier than everyone else?’
July 12, 2022

‘Why does it feel like I am always so much unhappier than everyone else?’ This is a frustration that therapists hear quite often. But why is it almost a universal experience that we are in a constant state of...

Mental Health as an Investment
March 31, 2022

When most people think of their top priorities, they think about family, work, friends, money, health, house, car, and the list go on. Often their own mental health does not even make the list. Why is that? It helps...

What is Play Therapy, Exactly?
January 24, 2022

The subgenre of play therapy is one that has many sceptics due to the subjective nature of play. Many people (including therapists of other subgroups) struggle with feel like ‘playing’ is a valid and beneficial form of therapy; however,...