Nobody prepares you for how much it hurts to lose a friend. We have entire cultural scripts for romantic breakups—songs, movies, rituals for healing, friends who rally around you with ice cream and solidarity. But when a friendship ends? You’re supposed to just move on quietly, as if the person who knew your daily life […]
Teens
Setting Boundaries with Difficult Family Members: A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Children’s Mental Health
As parents, managing relationships with problematic family members while protecting our children’s emotional well-being can be incredibly challenging. This comprehensive guide explores evidence-based strategies for handling difficult family dynamics while maintaining healthy boundaries and supporting your children’s mental health. Understanding Family Dynamics and Their Impact The Ripple Effect of Difficult Relationships Family relationships significantly influence […]
Mitigating Meltdowns in Children with Autism
For children on the autism spectrum, meltdowns can be a common and distressing experience. These intense emotional outbursts, often triggered by sensory overload, communication difficulties, or changes in routine, can be overwhelming for both the child and their caregivers. However, there are strategies and techniques that parents, teachers, and therapists can employ to help mitigate […]
The Link Between Autism and Depression
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, behavior, and sensory processing. While ASD itself presents a unique set of challenges and strengths, individuals on the autism spectrum are also at a higher risk of experiencing comorbid mental health conditions, particularly depression. Understanding the factors contributing to this increased […]
The New Age Communication Challenge
In an era where smartphones are ubiquitous, it’s ironic yet increasingly common for Gen Z—those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s—to experience phone anxiety. Despite their digital fluency, many in this generation find traditional phone calls intimidating or stressful. Understanding the root causes of this phenomenon and exploring ways to address it is […]
Should You Be Concerned About Social Media?
Why is social media a new concern for parents? It’s 2024 and teens are becoming more dependent on technology. So much so that they’ve created multiple accounts on various social platforms. Adolescents enjoy social media because they are able to communicate with their friends, families and their favorite celebrities. Why is social media dangerous? We […]
Children and ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a disorder that affects millions of kids around the world The estimated number of children aged 3–17 years ever diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national survey of parents, is 6 million (9.8%) using data from 2016-2019 (CDC,2023). ADHD can be extremely overwhelming for parents. Many struggle to control their […]
What You May Not Know About Autism
Once upon a time.. Autism was defined by two types: Asperger’s and low functioning. As time progressed researchers have discovered that Autism is a spectrum. What does that mean? Imagine regular blue Crayola crayon instead of just dark blue and light blue. You have an array of mixed shades of blue. Each adult and/or child […]
Caffeine, Anxiety, and Addiction
According to the Food Insight organization “Nine in ten (93%) Americans report consuming caffeine (Food Insight, 2022) ”. Can you really blame us? We are constantly moving and we need an extra pick me up to get through the day. Many of us can’t survive without a cup of joe. Now look at the statistics […]
You’ll Need These Coping Skills if Your Child Has ADHD
What is ADHD? The American Psychological Association defines ADHD as; “a behavioral condition that makes focusing on everyday requests and routines challenging”(APA, 2023). Children diagnosed ADHD have difficulty focusing, and tend to be very impulsive. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disorder, we can only treat the various symptoms. Children with this disorder can […]
Conduct Disorder
You hear about all these different types of mental health diagnoses and some providers assume you are an expert. It can be nerve wrecking especially when the diagnosis is for a loved one. Have you ever heard of Conduct disorder? The Child Mind Institute defines Conduct disorder as; “a condition in which children and teenagers […]
Addressing Aggressive Behavior in Children
We all have difficult moments, some more than others. As adults we have learned numerous coping mechanisms to treat our negative behaviors. Children, on the other hand, require more simplicity. Meaning that we need to communicate at their level. Aggression is a series of behaviors that can cause physical and/or emotional harm According to Kendra […]
Finding Your Purpose
Surrounded by Purpose Many of the people I know seem to have a deep sense of purpose. Well that’s what it appears on social media. I see many appearing to have it all together. Their job, the family pictures, the perfect shaped life. They went to college, they travel, they seem so happy. But is […]
It’s Okay to Be Selfish
What do you do to take time out of your busy week? If you’re anything like me, you are constantly being pulled in many directions. Don’t get me wrong if my days were not filled with sport runs, school lunches, baths, meltdowns, meal preps I honestly would miss the chaos. I guess you can say […]
Social Media and Mental Health
Habits I do not know the number of times I pick up my phone and scroll through my social media platforms, out of habit. I start my day by reaching for my phone and I end the day by reaching for my phone. If I can’t sleep I reach for the bastard. If I am […]
