This blog addresses the frequent concerns that parents bring up pertaining to the content of the video games their children are playing. As mentioned in a previous blog (Posted November 2010) written by Dr. Kathleen McElhaney, parenting in the digital age is challenging. While controversial, several studies have linked exposure to violence in TV shows … Read more
Given my work as a clinical psychologist, I try my best to stay up on the latest research across several areas, so that I can help parents make well-informed decisions regarding their children’s treatment. Recently, I was tuned in to NPR and was intrigued to hear a Dutch researcher being interviewed with regard to a … Read more
We receive constant feedback from the world around us. For children and teenagers, the messages they receive about themselves from peers, teachers, coaches, siblings, and parents play a very powerful role in shaping their sense of self. Children and teens who have behavioral, emotional, or social difficulties, such as those associated with ADHD, anxiety, depression, … Read more
While wanting to be liked and needing to fit in tend to be important no matter what your age, these issues are often especially important to adolescents. Teenagers often spend a good deal of time and energy worrying about how they are perceived by their peers. And parents often spend a good deal of time … Read more
When you have a child that has anxiety, it is important to identify what type of anxiety is present. Doing so will help guide his/her treatment. Because not all anxiety is the same, treatments may vary depending on the symptoms and presentation of the worry or worries. A brief description and symptoms of the various … Read more
Divorce brings up many emotions, including anger, sadness, loss, and/or relief, and individuals often need time away from their ex-spouse in order to work through their feelings and move forward. For spouses who also are parents, however, ongoing interactions with one’s ex-spouse are inevitable. That is, even though they are not married any longer, they … Read more
The medical term for bedwetting is enuresis. Enuresis refers to the “involuntary voiding of urine” after an age by which bladder control should have been established. Developmentally speaking, most children gain bladder control by the age of four or five. Most children who have enuresis have nocturnal (nighttime) type. In other words, they wet the … Read more
Many parents feel completely overwhelmed with regard to how to manage their children’s interactions with the digital world. With the advent of cell phones, Facebook, online gaming and GPS tracking, the decisions that parents need to make are numerous and often seem very complex. It doesn’t help that many parents lack knowledge and personal experience … Read more
Within the past month, there has been an increase in the amount of attention given to the issues surrounding Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) youth, especially the effects of peer bullying. As I have touched upon bullying in previous blogs, I would like this blog to focus on the importance of family support, particularly … Read more
Empathy is one of the most important tools that parents have in helping us to connect with as well as manage our children. But it is also a tool that is frequently under-utilized and/or misunderstood. What is empathy? Empathy involves understanding another’s feelings. It is related to, but different from compassion, sympathy, and/or pity. Being … Read more
