Here we are, almost a year into the COVID pandemic. This time last year, we knew it was serious. We knew it was spreading. But we didn’t yet know that we would soon go inside and have yet to come back out. This time last year, most of us didn’t even own a mask. This […]
Corona virus concerns seem to be everywhere: the television, the internet, the news, and our homes. Our children are out of school, and our college students are likely home early. And it seems like there are no clear answers or ways to help. These concerns represent a lot of uncertainty, and as a result, cause us a lot of stress.
The holidays are coming…. When you hear that phrase, does it strike fear and panic? Does it remind you of family stress? Or does it bring up warm memories of time with your family, eating pie or other goodies in front of a warm fire? If you are like most people, you probably have mixed […]
Many people have anxiety or a child or family member who is anxious. It might be that there is a history of worrying or stress. Maybe the person avoids doing things that are scary, like approaching dogs, making speeches, or driving. Maybe the person tends to be overly careful or repetitive about hand-washing or cleaning. If the anxiety is distressing to the person, or interferes with the way s/he wants to live her life, she may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are common, and recent research has found that 1 in 3 people are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
There have been many tragic events in the news lately. Whenever we even look at headlines, we are alerted to heartbreak, both locally and abroad. Because of the 24-hour news cycle, messages about shootings, plane crashes, assaults, abuse and human rights violations are always present.
The news can be violent, depressing and emotionally-charged. It may feel like our world is deteriorating quickly, even when it’s not.
Depression is serious business, particularly in children and adolescents. Depression impacts about of 20 percent of teens prior to adulthood, and research supports that these numbers are increasing. Sadly, when depression rates increase, so do rates of suicide, self-injury, and substance abuse. Many times, as parents, we struggle with how to help and what to […]
Perfectionism, or the tendency to want to do everything flawlessly, is often associated with increased stress and anxiety. Perfectionism combines excessively high personal standards (“I have to do my best at everything”), as well as feelings of failure if the person falls short of those benchmarks. Oftentimes, our need to be perfect stems from fear. […]
Ideally, preparation for the beginning of the school year should start a few weeks before that moment. A lot of things help a child prepare for that time, and as parents know, it’s not just about the school shopping.
Being a kid with social anxiety isn’t easy. As adults, many of us still have difficulty sitting down at a table and introducing ourselves to a group of strangers. In fact, many of us can say that if given the choice, we would likely choose not to be in that situation. Remember that your child […]
Many children experience anxiety from time to time In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the number of children with anxiety disorders continues to increase over time, as well as the intensity of anxiety symptoms. Many things contribute to the stress children experience today. Our culture demands more time and energy from both children […]
What is Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)? Trauma-Focused CBT is relationship-based. Your therapist will get to know you and your child, and work with you to feel better. Children and their parents attend sessions together. Also, it uses trauma-sensitive therapy along with with cognitive behavioral, family, and humanistic work. Importantly, the focus is to help […]
Achoo… cough….snort…! The sounds of allergies are everywhere, it seems. Many of us cannot escape allergies this time of year. According to the American College of Allergy and Immunology, ragweed pollen usually reaches peak levels in mid-September, impacting up to 23 million Americans with allergy symptoms, roughly translating to 20-30 percent of people. But what […]
