Blog
Social Skills
After over a year of togetherness with family, social distancing, and online learning, children and teens have a big challenge ahead: returning to the classroom and their social worlds. For some kids, the move back to larger social groups, school routines, and time with peers will be a relief and source of joy. Yet, for … Read more
5 Tips for a Mentally Healthy Summer for Kids & Teens
The Memorial Day holiday marks the start of the summer for many students. While summer usually means lower stress levels without the pressures of school and extracurriculars, it can be the perfect time to focus on mental health. Here are five ways to support kids’ and teens’ mental health this time of year: Make a … Read more
Re-Entering Work After The Pandemic
As more adults receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the possibility of returning to “business as usual” is starting to feel real. While some jobs may remain remote indefinitely, many of us face a challenging transition back to in-person work at an office or shared workspace. This brings with it the difficulty of moving from the comfort … Read more
Behavioral Activation for Teens
Behavioral activation (BA) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, designed to treat depression. It is a targeted, uncomplicated behavioral treatment that targets patterns of avoidance and sets us up for opportunities for positive reinforcement (or “pleasant experiences”). BA is a program that is brief and teen-led. Your therapist is available to provide you with … Read more
The COVID-19 Cycle: Social Anxiety and Withdrawal in School-Aged Kids and Teens
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, for more than a year. Spring just doesn’t feel the same. Many families are managing anxious and depressive symptoms in … Read more
Using Reinforcement to Promote Child Behavior Change
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 the behavior results in access to something desirable, thereby increasing the chance that the behavior will happen again. For example, … Read more
Telling Thoughts Apart in OCD and Depression
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 sad, afraid, and panicky. You spend hours a day on these thoughts, and they are making you unable to engage … Read more
Psychotherapy and Chronic Pain
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 that no matter what you do, a sensation you hate will be present, or an ability you used to have … Read more
How Pets Can Help Us Manage Stress and Anxiety
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 we interact socially with animals (e.g. feed them, talk to them, train them) we experience a release of oxytocin (the … Read more