Online Social Anxiety Therapy Group for Texas Teens Our popular teen social anxiety group has moved online! This group is a great fit for teens who experience anxiety in social and evaluative situations. Common social and emotional symptoms of social anxiety among teens include the following: Fear of situations in which the teen may be … Read more
Lessons Learned in Teletherapy: A Psychologists’ Reflection on Practicing During the COVID-19 Crisis by Erika J. Vivyan, PhD The past several weeks have been some of the most rewarding and frustrating in my career as a Licensed Psychologist. Not only am I managing my own anxieties and moral dilemmas related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but … Read more
STAYING UP WHILE STAYING IN Social distancing and shelter-in-place orders are vital for the health of our communities right now AND they are difficult adjustments to make. We are all social beings at our core, despite where we fall on the introversion/extroversion scale, and being isolated can lead to dips in our mood. Try to … Read more
Managing Anxiety and OCD During COVID-19 Written By: Amanda Hilberg, Psy.D., Ellie Jin, Ph.D., Samantha Myhre, Ph.D., Rebecca Suffness, Ph.D.. Lauren Weathers, Ph.D. Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows Many individuals, with and without anxiety alike, are experiencing heightened levels of stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. Individuals with anxiety may start to engage in unhelpful behaviors to … Read more
written by: Dr. Erika Vivyan The assessment process for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often confusing. While most children with ASD symptoms are identified at school and evaluated for Special Education Services or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), many are also identified by pediatricians, therapists, or even friends and family members. Getting the most accurate … Read more
Written by: Dr. Erika Vivyan New Year’s resolutions often fail. Maybe you’re not meeting the goals that you set for yourself. Maybe you’ve experienced major success this year! To re-energize your 2020 resolutions, refine them using the SMART goals system: S stands for SPECIFIC. Often, our New Year’s resolutions sound something like this: “I want … Read more
Written by: Dr. Erika Vivyan HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES HELP & HURT I had a conversation the other day about the pros and cons of a psychological diagnosis. In the psychology world, a diagnosis serves many purposes, but this particular conversation reminded me of the many drawbacks that people might see related to naming a particular … Read more
Coping with Unpleasant Emotions written by Rebecca Suffness, PhD Imagine that your teen is mad that you won’t let her go to a party with friends. Imagine that your child is sad because you stepped on his favorite toy and broke it. How do you react? Your reactions to your children’s unpleasant or negative emotions … Read more
Detecting Depression in Youths written by: Rebecca Suffnes, PhD We all know the classic image of someone with depression. You see it in commercials, television shows and movies. He or she feels sad all the time, cannot get out of bed, and disengages from life. While this is not an incorrect representation of what depression … Read more
Feel Like You Are Spinning Your Wheels? Try S.M.A.R.T. Goals! Written by: Dr. Samantha Myhre Picture this: It is January 1 and you are excited about the upcoming year. You think about all of the things you did not accomplish in the previous year and decide “this is my year, this is when it will … Read more