Making Sense of Big Behaviors
One of the most challenging phases of parenting can be when there are big, explosive behaviors happening with our little -and not so little- children. This can be an exhausting and humiliating experience (especially when it happens in public places!) and it can create a sense of helplessness for everyone affected.
My Best Friend Is Depressed and Suicidal
Ask a Therapist: My best friend is depressed and suicidal. How do I help her? Advice from a therapist on how to help your friends who are struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide.
Mental Health and Shared Custody: Tips for if you’re struggling with co-parenting
Dr. Julie Hanks recently appeared on Good Things Utah with tips on the mental health of parents who share custody of their children.
Ask A Therapist: Will My Therapist Have To Tell My Parents When I Cut Myself?
Many teenagers wonder what therapists are required to tell parents. The fact that your parents are taking you to therapy to get help tells me that they are concerned about you, that they care about you, and that they acknowledge that you are in pain and need professional help.
Five Do’s and Don’ts of Separation Anxiety
If you have a child who is struggling with separation anxiety you’ve probably been searching for separation anxiety tips to help ease their struggle. Here are five do’s and don’ts for helping your child with separation anxiety.
Technology Has Changed You!!!
According to a recent study conducted by the market research group Nielsen, American adults average 11 hours per day reading, listening, surfing, posting, or interacting with media. Find solutions and ideas for counteracting the negative effects of excessive social media us on families.
Tips & Ideas to Help Your Child Navigate Difficult Times
Stressful times can be challenging to navigate, and children do not always have the words to express their feelings. Children are perceptive, and they feel the effects of change. Here are some ways to help your child navigate difficult times.
Tips for Parents of LGBTQIA Youth
If you are a parent of an LGBTQIA youth moving towards accepting your child's identity read this to learn the importance of familial support to LGBTQIA youth as well as practical actions to support your child through this moment.
Tips to Get Your Child Back-To-School Ready
As summer break draws to an end, the excitement of a new school year can sometimes be accompanied by feelings of anxiety for children. School anxiety and school refusal are common issues children face this time of year. Such behavior may become a routine problem in a small percentage of students. Some children with school refusal may have an earlier history of separation anxiety, social anxiety, or depression.
How Self-Awareness Can Help You as a Parent
What you go through in childhood impacts how you show up as an adult today. Experiences that hang out in our brains and bodies without being fully processed become unresolved issues. Sometimes a state of avoidance and/or dissociation can be preferred; it might feel safer to ignore past experiences or maybe you have a hard time recalling that experience altogether. The tricky thing about trauma, is that even though it seems like you've disconnected from hurtful experiences, the pain is still there and may trigger unexpected or unwanted emotional responses.
Give the Gift of Love
While there are many parenting books, there is not one way to parent a child. Children are unique, and therefore, need to be parented in different ways. What works for you may not work for your sister or your neighbor.
Worry Monster Part 2: Trust your Child will Survive Being Scared
After reading Worry Monster Part 1 you better understand that your child has an extra sensitive alarm system that is triggering fight or flight unnecessarily. Now that you understand the underlying mechanisms, it is time to jump into what we can do that will actually help address this underlying system that is wreaking havoc.
Books for Bonding with your Child
Parents looking to help their children become emotionally self-sufficient should start integrating weekly hangout time with their children. If starting this new routine feels uncomfortable, beginning the first few hangouts with expressive art books together is easy.
Finding Connection with Your Teens
When our cute little kids turn into teenagers a lot of changes take place developmentally. There is a strange new odor in the air, moods may swing (sometimes amazingly quick!) and one of the harder relational aspects of change is it is common for teens to stop seeking or accepting physical affection and they often stop talking to their parents. While they communicate plenty with their friends, unfortunately, they may not do the same to their parents. This can be a painful and sometimes abrupt change for a parent to make sense of and it is normal to experience hurt feelings. Who knew our kids could hurt our feelings so much?!
5 Skills to Improve Communication with Your Child
Christina Da Costa, CSW, writes about Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and its benefits.
How to Help Your Child Become More Empathetic
Lesli Mortensen, AMFT, writes about how to teach kids empathy.
Worry Monster Part 1: Understanding Your Child’s Fears and Anxieties
Amy Lambert, LCSW, writes about how parents can better understand their child’s worries.
My kid is lying! What now?
Olivia Nash, CSW, writes about what to do when your child lies.
Communicating With Your Teenager
Darrell Benson, LCSW write a blog about communicating with teenagers