For students, spring brings the excitement of end-of-year celebrations: prom, graduation, and the promise of summer. This year, however, many of those same students have been in and out of classrooms, both virtual and in-person, … Read more
From a behavioral psychological perspective, behavior is maintained by positive and negative reinforcement. This means that behavior is more likely to occur as the result of the consequences that follow it. Positive reinforcement occurs when … Read more
You’ve gone to a therapist, and you want help. You have been diagnosed with OCD and depression; what now? You are down and cannot stop these looping thoughts in your head that make you feel … Read more
Developing chronic pain can interfere with your enjoyment of life, your ability to work, and your relationships with the people you love. It is a helpless feeling knowing that pain is an unavoidable reality and … Read more
Physical touch Petting and cuddling our animals has a soothing effect by lowering the body’s release of cortisol. When we hug an animal, it can relieve stress and provide a sense of safety. Additionally, when … Read more
“Rumination” is something that we all do. Ruminating is when we replay a memory of something (usually negative) in our minds, even though the actual negative moment has passed. These kinds of thoughts could include … Read more
Online school has altered the nature and degree of parental involvement in their children’s schoolwork. As children have had to take on more independence, many parents have struggled to know how much to involve themselves … Read more
Reflecting on the last year of Telehealth practice with clients from preschool through graduate school, there have been many instances where Telehealth is an amazing mental health tool. There have also been some clear examples … Read more
A certain degree of parent involvement is necessary for most children to engage in online school sufficiently. However, too much parent involvement can backfire and hinder children’s academic and behavioral development. So, how much is … Read more
Everyone experiences anxiety in some form. Each of us have different situations or things that trigger an anxiety response (e.g. spiders, airplanes, giving a speech, wearing a bikini at the pool, etc.). For children and … Read more
Diagnosable depression (e.g. Major Depressive Disorder) is the most common mental illness across the world. In children, depression looks different than it does in adults. Children often present with lower energy and more irritability. Depression … Read more
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has two flavors: inattentive and hyperactive. Some children present with one more than the other, and some present with both. What was once called “ADD” is now part of the overarching … Read more
Grief is a normal reaction to the death of a loved one, which is experienced across cultures. Grief can manifest in many ways, based on the bereaved person’s developmental stage, family/cultural norms, relationship with the … Read more
During the COVID pandemic, many people are struggling to maintain healthy sleeping habits for a variety of reasons. Our work and social lives increasingly rely on screens, our homes (and sometimes bedrooms) may now be … Read more
Over the past year, parents have been taxed with the immense challenge of navigating the pandemic while also ensuring that their children’s needs are being met. For many parents, this has meant juggling work from … Read more
As COVID-19 cases in the area decrease, a growing number of children are returning to in-person school. Many children are excited to return to school in person. However, for scores of children and adolescents, that … Read more
As we approach the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 uprooting our lives as we knew it, most people are eager to return to their pre-pandemic routines and activities. However, the reality is that it will likely … Read more
March 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the end of life as we knew it. Over the past 12 months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we and our kids have adapted to … Read more
Though Valentine’s Day has passed and the end of Black History Month is upon us, the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, racial reckoning and winter storms have left much of the United States in a state of … Read more
As children, teens, and their families continue to navigate both online school and in-person classes with masks and physical distancing, the management of mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic has proved particularly problematic. How … Read more