Knowing the Signs of Trauma in Children
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Recognizing signs of trauma in children is an important but challenging task for parents, caregivers, and educators. Traumatic experiences can deeply affect a child’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Since children often lack the language or coping skills to...
Healthy Approaches to Using Social Media
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
In today’s world, social media plays a central role in how we communicate, share information, and connect with others. However, there can often be cons to social media and our use of it as well. It is essential to...
Strategies to Manage Symptoms of Depression
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Living with depression can be incredibly challenging, but there are effective strategies that can make a significant difference in managing its symptoms. First, establishing a routine can provide stability and a sense of control, which can be helpful with...
Why Building Resilience is so Important
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Resilience involves maintaining an encouraging mindset, perseverance, and the ability to learn and grow from adversity. Resilient individuals display mental and emotional strength, allowing them to cope with and navigate difficult situations successfully. Students who are resilient are better...
Preparing for Finals
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
As finals are approaching, it is a common time where students might get overly stressed and burnt out. Here are some tips to help prevent burnout and reduce stress. Since this is a higher-pressure time, it’s unreasonable to think...
Helping Your Child Deal with Anger
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Anger and temper tantrums/meltdowns in young children, especially under the ages of 7-9, are to be expected and even healthy for a child. It is important for children to be able to experience all emotions. Having these hard emotions...
Setting Screen Time with your Kids and Teens
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Screens are now an essential part of our daily lives whether you are an adult or child. Children and teens now must use either computers or tablets while at school to get work done, do learning activities, and turn...
The 5 Senses Technique for Self-Regulation
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
When feeling overwhelmed and upset, it can be hard to calm down and think through your situation. I often recommend a mindfulness technique that uses the five senses to help you calm yourself when you’re feeling dysregulated. It’s simple:...
Why Play Therapy
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
If you have a child who is elementary age or younger and may be struggling with behavioral or emotional challenges, play therapy is likely the best fit for them. Play Therapy has been developed over the years as a...
De-Catastrophizing Your Thoughts
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Sometimes what can cause us to feel anxious is our own thoughts. A common thought process we have when feeling anxious is going to the worst possible outcome in our heads for a situation that is coming up. This...
Letting Go of Perfectionism
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
One of my favorite researchers, Dr. Brene Brown, describes perfectionism as “a way of thinking and feeling that says this: ‘If look perfect, do perfect, work perfect and live perfect, I can avoid or minimize shame, blame and judgement.’”...
Parenting: Using Encouragement Over Praise
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
When your child gets a good grade, figures out how to do something, or completes something we often respond with praise such as “Great job!”, “Excellent”, “Way to get an A on that!”. This is defined as praise. While...
The Importance of Gratitude
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Practicing gratitude in our daily lives can have multiple benefits on our mental and even our physical health. One definition of gratitude that I like is, “the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself and represents a...
Positive Parenting: Setting Limits with your Child
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Whether your child or children express it or not, rules and limits are good for them. Children thrive off consistency, and a great way to help provide consistency to your child is when you are setting limits for them....
Managing Stress & Anxiety
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
As I am sure we have all felt, the past months have brought on multiple stressors. In dealing with the global pandemic, working from home, your child’s school schedule changing, an economic depression, racial injustice, and many more, it...