Thinking about how to stick to all those New Year's resolutions? Check out this guest post by Meladie Burke, LPC. Every night I think, “I’m going to get up and exercise in the morning”, but I just keep hitting the snooze button. I know I should keep walking by that dish of candies without stopping, but I just can’t help myself. I know I need to get to bed by 10:00 PM to feel rested, but I then I find myself watching just one more ...read more
Starting Therapy: How to Prepare Your Child
For many parents, it’s difficult to imagine how to tell their child that she is about to begin seeing a child psychologist. While every family is different, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when planning this conversation: • Be honest It’s crucial that kids begin therapy with a foundation of trust. They need to feel they will be a respected part of the process and understand that you and their therapist can be trusted. ...read more
The ABCs of Getting Your Child to Talk About School
How often do you hear about the importance of being involved in your child’s school life? That it’s crucial to know what happens during your child’s day and talking to your child about the important events that have occurred with teachers and peers? These are essential, but in order to do so your child has to talk - and it’s not always easy to get kids to do so. How often have you asked your kid what happened in school and heard simply, ...read more
Help! My Child is a Bully.
When parents hear that their child has been bullying other kids, some have the impulse to deny the problem. Others panic and worry that their child is doomed to be a serial killer or just plain mean. Yet others find themselves defending their child without investigating what really happened. Most parents fall somewhere in between. So what can you do to address the problem? First and foremost, remember that even if your child has bullied ...read more
ADHD or Anxiety: How Can You Tell the Difference?
Anxiety and ADHD (or ADD) may seem like completely different disorders, but they actually have a lot of symptoms in common. In both, people suffer from restlessness, distractibility, difficulty concentrating, disturbances in sleep, and hyperactivity. Because of the overlap in symptoms, it's sometimes difficult to determine if ADHD or anxiety is causing symptoms in you or your child. If you're trying to sort out whether the cause of you or ...read more
Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Social Workers and Counselors – What’s the Difference?
If you've ever wondered what the difference is between types of therapists, you're not alone. Here's a quick primer: Psychologists – Psychologists have doctorates, specifically either a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology). Both degrees require 4-7 years of training, clinical training placements, and a year-long, full-time internship. Traditionally, Ph.D. programs train psychologists in both clinical practice and ...read more