Don’t Just Recount. Reflect. Working with older teens at this time of year, there is often discussion in my office about the College Application Essay. Many teens find this to be a daunting task, feeling the high-stakes pressure of wanting to get into the right college. The pressure comes in part from the writing itself, … Read more
Harboring a fixed mindset
can lead to feelings of self-doubt and defeat, and it generally precludes one from even wanting to try at something unless they can envision immediate success.
Helping Your Child to Make Friends It is a new school year! Hopefully the transition back to school has gone smoothly for your family. One concern that is often raised by parents at this time of year involves what to do when their child does not seem to be adjusting well socially. It can be … Read more
Quick and Easy Breathing Exercises to Calm Anxiety Many of us experience anxiety in our daily lives, whether situational or chronic. However, there are breathing practices we can use in the moment of heightened distress or as a regular daily self-care practice to reduce stress, relax us, and promote both psychological and physical well-being. Below … Read more
Understanding and Managing Social Anxiety: Tips for Parents I have seen an increasing number of children and teens with social anxiety over the last few years. Although it is a common issue, it can be challenging to manage. Let’s talk about what social anxiety is and what you as parents can do to help. Social … Read more
Coping with Relocation Moving to a new place is one of the most stressful life events a person can go through. Research suggests that is the third most stressful event behind the death of a loved one and divorce. Surprisingly, even when it is a desired move and what you feel will be an exciting … Read more
Anger, though it may feel intense and hard to handle in the moment, is a normal human emotion. It signals to us that something is not right, and we need to pay attention to it.
As parents, we have no doubt observed our children (of all ages) experiencing big feelings. Big feelings are bound to happen, and big feelings are tough! I have been thinking about parent mindfulness a lot these days. The act of being mindful of ourselves as caregivers and being aware of what is going on in our bodies helps us be the calm, secure presence our kids need when big feelings come up for them. It is important to know what is going on in our own bodies and care for ourselves to meet the needs of our kids.
Most visits to a medical doctor involve a similar sequence of events; the patient presents their
symptoms and the provider goes through a mental checklist and/or administers a series of tests
until they eventually deduce the reason for the patient’s ailment – a broken bone, an ear
infection, a ruptured appendix, etc.
Don’t Make It Worse We all experience life differently, yet one commonality among us all is that we are all going to experience distressing events, as well as physical, emotional, and mental pain, at some point in our lives. Some of the distressing/painful experiences will be things that we can control, such as choosing to … Read more
