Blog
For the Family: 20 Heartfelt Movies with a Meaning
Summer is winding down and school will be in session. I can probably guess that parents and children alike are feeling the summer blues knowing structure and routine will take priority. It definitely is a hard transition for families to get back into the swing of...
Coping with a Changing Climate
Managing Eco Anxiety, Climate Grief, and Climate-Related PTSD Author’s Note: When I first wrote this blog post, I did not realize just how much the start of this month would feel like a reminder of February two years ago. Experiencing new extreme weather events, or...
Parenting the Preteen
Preteens are among one of the most difficult age groups to parent. I say this with grace and understanding to all parents because parenting is already a tough job to manage. However, the unique needs of a child in this growing stage of life are often misunderstood or...
Being Present With Your Adolescent Child
Among parents and caregivers, numerous factors can pose barriers to making time to have meaningful conversations with our children during their rocky teenage years. Parents may need to work long hours or tackle everyday chores, consuming so much time and focus that it...
Four Tips for Making the Most Out of Breaks in Therapy
Many occasions can lead to a break in therapy – anything from a planned vacation or change in schedule to a sudden health emergency or change in circumstance. These breaks can be planned or unplanned, initiated by either the client or by the therapist, and they can be...
We Parent How We Were Parented
Something that I’m consistently made aware of as a child and adolescent therapist and working with their parents is that we parent how we were parented. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a “bad” kid, OR a “bad” parent. Being a parent is the hardest job...
Parent-Child Play
The American Academy of Pediatrics identifies play as essential for child development and child wellbeing. Children work through challenges, develop new skills, and communicate all through play. As my daughter has grown, she has found new ways of play to work...
4 Tips for Students with ADHD from a Tutor with ADHD
As a therapist who works with both children and adolescents, one of the many topics that my clients struggle with is the impact school has on their mental health. Simply put, school is a significant part of any young person’s life, but when compounded with the stress...
What If Making a Mistake Was, Okay? Addressing Perfectionism as a Family
I was inspired by a previous blog post by colleague, Catherine Mok, LCSW, on good enough parenting linked here. Children and the family system can benefit as a whole when the perspective of parents is shifted toward being good enough and away from achieving perfect or...
Regulating Parents’ Emotions So They Can Effectively Regulate Their Child’s Emotions
Something that I believe every parent can benefit from is finding effective ways to regulate their own emotions so that they can help their children regulate themselves. Parenting is HARD. It’s chaotic, amazing, exhausting, rewarding, expensive, and...
Suicide Prevention: Conversations to Have with Your Teen
Conversations with our teenagers regarding suicide prevention are vital in keeping them healthy and safe. CDC has reported an increase of adolescents who have had a suicidal attempt since 2020, the beginning of the pandemic (CDC, 2021). As a previous school counselor...