Recognizing Signs of Anxiety in Children: A Short Guide for Parents
The First Step is Recognition Anxiety can be tough for anyone, and it can be especially scary for parents when their child experiences these difficult feelings. However, with the support of family, a trusted support system, and professional help...
Understanding ADHD in Teens
Jessica Gross , M.A.
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. The essential feature of ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity...
Co-Parenting After Divorce
Janet Fluker , M.Ed., M.S.
The goal of healthy co-parenting after divorce is to minimize the conflict between the parents. Research shows that it’s the conflict between the parents, not the divorce itself, that has the greatest negative impact on the children. What are...
The Visual Aid: an Invaluable Tool to Help Children Manage Their Emotions
Samantha Scalabrino , M.A.
Recall the last time you witnessed a child having a temper tantrum. Did it help to tell them to just “calm down?” Probably not. In fact, it most likely made the tantrum worse. Now, what if you had tried...
Size of the Problem: Helping Children Match Their Feelings and Reactions to a Problem
Samantha Scalabrino , M.A.
Size of the Problem (SotP) is a tool used to help individuals think critically about how their feelings and responses to a perceived problem impact themselves and the people around them. Simply put, it helps people understand how big...
How to Talk to Your Child About School Shootings
Alyssa Kiss , M.A.
It grieves me to be writing this blog regarding a topic that so deeply affects our students, parents, school staff, and community today. The anxiety and confusion surrounding school shootings is prevalent for us all. This is made more...
Helping Your Student with Back to School Feelings
Kara Cunningham , M.A.
With summer quickly coming to an end, children and teens in your home may be experiencing familiar and competing feelings like excitement, dread, anticipation, and anxiety. Often, these feelings may not be expressly spoken, but there are clues your...
What You Need to Know About ASD
What Exactly is ASD? According to the DSM-5-TR, the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is comprised of Asperger syndrome and the other autism-related diagnoses which make up the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder...
Benefits of Authoritative Parenting
You may have heard of the term parenting style. There are four main parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and distant. Authoritative parenting is known as a balanced approach and is widely regarded as the most effective parenting style, because...
How to Support Emotional Regulation in Your Teens
Jessica Gross , M.A.
What is emotional regulation you might ask? Emotional regulation is the “ability to exert control over one’s own emotional state.” It is quite common for teens to struggle with emotional dysregulation due to the flood of hormones rushing through...
What are the Types of Attachment in Child Parent Relationships
Allison Bates , M.S.
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
Allison Bates , M.S.
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...
Parent Child Interaction Therapy and Childhood Cancer
Facing cancer is an immense challenge for anyone, but for children, it means grappling with their mortality at an age meant for dreams of being a princess or a superhero. For their parents it is a terrifying ordeal to...
Fostering Independence
Eva Salazar Torres , M.S.
“It’s a tough world out there, and my children need to be provided with every advantage so they can be competitive in the college or job market.” The above is a parent trap. As parents it is normal to...
What is Social Media Telling Me?
Line Fleming , M.A.
Keeping up with our teens and their social media use can be a challenge. There are so many platforms and apps that can be explored. It can be difficult to keep up with them all. One thing we can...
Creating a Values-Based Summer Plan
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
One of the tenets of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is identifying your values, or the things that are most important to you, and taking action steps toward living out those values in your everyday life. With the semester...
How ADHD Can Impact Emotions
Shaquanta Danjoint , M.S.
We are accustomed to looking for the common symptoms of ADHD. In the health care field and the school systems, we commonly look for symptoms that include, fidgeting or restlessness, difficulty managing time, impulsive behavior, difficulty focusing, getting easily...
The Power of Play Time
Many children are involved in increasingly rigorous academic programs. Parents who want their children to have a better life often focus intensely on academics and neglect play. Neglecting to prioritize play can have the opposite effect that parents want...
“Will My Child Grow Out of It?” The Crucial Role of Early Intervention for Young Children with Behavior Issues
As parents, we often find ourselves wondering whether our child’s challenging behavior is just a passing phase or something more significant. The common belief is that children will grow out of biting, defiance, tantrums, destructive, aggressive, hyperactive, or anxious...
My Child is Struggling with Their Body Image – How Can I Help Them?
Sarah Mixson , M.S.W.
Anyone can struggle with body image; Research shows that children as young as 3 years old can have body image concerns. As a therapist who works with children and teens, this question comes up a lot from parents. And...