Does My Child’s Bedtime Matter During the Summer?
Sarah Mixson , M.S.W.
When school is out and summer begins, it’s natural for routines to shift. Bedtimes are often stretched later, screens stay on longer and sleep habits can fall by the wayside. While summer brings more freedom and fun, consistent sleep...
Parenting Through the Teen Years
Anna Marie Jackson , M.S.W.
If you’re raising a teenager, you’ve probably had moments where you’ve wondered, “What happened to my sweet, talkative kid?” One day they’re telling you everything, and the next they’re answering every question with, “I’m fine.” It can feel frustrating,...
Helping Children Cope with Divorce
Caroline Buttrey , M.S.W
Divorce is one of the biggest changes a family can experience. While every child responds differently, it’s common for children to feel confused, worried, angry, sad, or even relieved depending on their family dynamics. There isn’t a right way...
Is It ADHD or Just Typical Childhood Behavior?
Caroline Buttrey , M.S.W
One of the most common questions I hear from parents is, “Is this just normal kid behavior, or could it be ADHD?” It’s a great question and one that doesn’t always have a simple answer. The truth is that...
Does My Child’s Bedtime Matter During the Summer?
Sarah Mixson , M.S.W.
When school is out and summer begins, it’s natural for routines to shift. Bedtimes are often stretched later, screens stay on longer and sleep habits can fall by the wayside. While summer brings more freedom and fun, consistent sleep...
Sensory Tools for Emotional Regulation
Samantha Scalabrino , M.A.
In addition to providing cognitive development skills and encouraging creativity for children, sensory stimulation is a useful tool for emotional regulation skills. By exploring their five senses in a fun way, sensory stimulation activities help children reduce their anxiety,...
Systems Generated Trauma
Janet Fluker , M.Ed., M.S.
As a parent of an adult with disabilities and an advocate in the disability community, I try to keep up with the latest research in this area. I recently read an article that stopped me in my tracks. Cerebra,...
What is Parent Child Interaction Therapy?
Margaret “Maisy” Kelley , M.S.
Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a modality of therapy focused on strengthening the parent-child relationship and reducing problematic or attention seeking behaviors. Treatment for PCIT is highly structured. There are two key phases: Child Directed Interaction and Parent...
Rethinking What Counseling Means for Kids
Caroline Buttrey , M.S.W
When most people hear the word therapy, they often picture trauma, or a problem that needs to be fixed. But for children, therapy is so much more than that. It’s not just about healing, it’s about learning, growing, and...
Naming and Taming Big Emotions
Caroline Buttrey , M.S.W
If you’ve ever seen your child go from calm to melting down in a matter of seconds, you know how powerful emotions can be. For kids, big feelings like anger, sadness, or frustration can feel confusing and even a...
Supporting Your Teen Through Suicidal Struggles: Why CAMS Can Make a Difference
Kara Cunningham , M.A.
As a mental health professional trained in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) protocol, I specialize in helping teens and adolescents navigate one of the most difficult challenges they—and their families—may ever face: suicidal thoughts and behaviors....
Strengthening the Parent-Child Relationship
Samantha Scalabrino , M.A.
Parenting can feel a bit like a juggling act. Shuttling kids around to all of their events, while also trying to work, take care of the home, and manage your own time is daunting on the best of days....
How to Listen to Teens
Korina Calbay , M.S.
Teenagers often feel misunderstood by their parents, and parents feel like communicating with teenagers can be a mystery. When parents punish their teens, they may feel like it is the only consequence that makes sense. Based on the book,...
Big Changes, Big Feelings
Aleisha Parker , M.Ed.
Kids and teens are still building their sense of identity and safety in the world. When a major life change occurs like moving, changing schools, divorce, a new sibling, or even graduation to middle or high school, it can...
The Procrastination Effect
Alyssa Kiss , M.A.
Procrastination is a common issue that all of us deal with throughout our lives. It is human nature to push things off that are unpleasant, boring, or mundane. This problem can be especially difficult for middle and high school...
Tips for Defiant Behavior
Shaquanta Danjoint , M.S.
If your child is struggling with defiant, aggressive, impulsive, irritable behaviors and can be especially difficult with obeying rules and respecting authority these may be signs of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms. Raising kids can be challenging but it...
Does My Child’s Bedtime Matter During the Summer?
Sarah Mixson , M.S.W.
When school is out and summer begins, it’s natural for routines to shift. Bedtimes are often stretched later, screens stay on longer and sleep habits can fall by the wayside. While summer brings more freedom and fun, consistent sleep...
Talking Tips for Teens 3
Stephen Walters , M.Div., M.A.
So far in 2025, I have been giving parents some tips on how to talk to their teens, and last time I started giving teens tips on how to talk to parents. My hope is that communication in the...
And They’re Off! Emotionally Preparing for Middle School
Samantha Scalabrino , M.A.
It is that time of year again when we acknowledge our children’s hard work and celebrate their transition from one chapter of their life to another with graduation ceremonies and parties. While the word “graduation” typically evokes thoughts of...
Catching Your Child Green-Handed
Kara Cunningham , M.A.
The Parent Trap “Once again, you didn’t do your chores like you were told!” “Hitting your brother when you are mad is not okay.” “What have I said about your dirty dishes? It is your responsibility to rinse and...