“I think she/he is just too sensitive,” some parents complain. Indeed, some children are more sensitive than others. But does high sensitivity only bring trouble? Who gets to decide what is the right amount of sensitivity and what is too much? Those difficult questions take us into an important research area–HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). If you get frustrated with yourself or/and your child over their high sensitivity, this article is going to help you learn about highly sensitive people and how to best support your child.

Our dedication to others makes us well-suited for positions within helping professions; whether you’re a fellow therapist, a medical provider, a first responder, a humanitarian aid worker, the ability to meet humans with unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding is key. Compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout can affect the best of caregivers.

This is a recommendation I provide all my clients experiencing anxiety and depression, to put up a “fight” with their negative thoughts. I do not want this internal dialogue to be in contempt, but rather provide your mind with the alternative perspective- one that a parent may provide a child. You are the parent. You are in charge. Your anxious thoughts are your inner child. Your job- and it takes practice- is to explain to the “child” why their concerns are not actuality or that should they become actualized that they- you- can handle it. This models the value of thought reframing and prevention of catastrophizing. So here are a few examples.

Everyone makes mistakes, but after the event, some of us continue to think about what we could have done better. We beat ourselves up about small things. If you find that you are your own worst critic — harder on yourself than others — maybe, it’s time to show a little self-compassion.

“Treating” their employees sometimes means providing alcohol at these gatherings. After all, alcohol is a more expensive offering that many people recognize and appreciate.  Having said that, making alcohol available at these gatherings can present unexpected challenges for your employees who are in recovery.  After 7 years of working in drug and alcohol treatment and years of providing therapy to professionals in recovery, here are some things for companies to know as they plan their company’s events. 

It’s not uncommon for some companies to have alcohol available at their holiday parties or large annual gatherings.  While the company itself might see this as a nice treat for their employees, the availability of alcohol can present unwanted challenges for people who are working really hard to maintain their sobriety.  Additionally, there are a number of other reasons why employees might not be interested in consuming alcohol at their company gatherings (religious beliefs, health reasons, medications, etc.).  Here are 6 strategies companies can use to be mindful of employees who do not drink alcohol when planning their next corporate gathering. 

Sometimes the thoughts that pop into our heads are ones that make us worry about the future or feel bad about ourselves. And some of these thoughts can be particularly irritating in that they like to stick around or pop up frequently. When we’ve experienced certain thoughts repeatedly, there can be a point in which we actually start believing that they are true, even when they most definitely are not. If you’ve ever struggled with depression or anxiety, it’s likely that you’ve experienced lots of these annoying thoughts.  If you’re a human, it’s 100% likely that you’ve experienced some unhelpful, self-critical thoughts too. 

Many of us have never been taught that therapy was an option for preventative care or times of emotional distress. In fact, many of us have received harmful messages that dissuade people from seeking services that have the potential to help them. Here are a few of the most common reasons we hear for why people don’t seek mental health therapy. We’ve thrown in our own thoughts on these reasons for good measure!

Many people feel stress wrapped up along with their holiday cheer. The holiday season, as wonderful as it can be, can also be full of demands, expectations, financial strains, resurfaced grief and fatigue. Here are five ways that you can prioritize your well-being and manage these stressors effectively.

The out transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) populations are among the fastest-growing populations in the United States. What this means is that you are likely to know someone who identifies as TGNB. They could be your neighbor, a family friend, they could even be your child.  So now what? How do you treat them with dignity, respect, and worth as human beings? How do you learn to respect their individuality and be a supportive person in their life?

According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, we are responsible to respect the dignity and promote the wellness of our clients. What does this mean for therapists when working with TGNB clients? This means that we must make it a priority to have at least a baseline understanding of what it means to be TGNB and an understanding of how we can support their well-being.  As with most marginalized communities, the TGNB community is often discriminated against, mistreated, misunderstood, and faces psychological trauma as a result. In light of this, what can we do to be trans-inclusive and gender-affirming therapists?

Holidays are generally associated with family and friends gathering. For many, it is a time for love and connection. However, in reality, it is inevitable to experience ups and downs throughout one’s life. And as we all know, life does not have a schedule for happy/painful moments. 

“你对这个诊断怎么看？”我几乎每接待一位新来访者，都要问他们这个问题。尽管心理健康服务者早已对心理障碍的诊断习以为常，但每一位来访者经过初步咨询，得知自己所得的心理障碍是什么的时候，每个人的反应都是不同的，这背后是不同的想法、感受和经历。

“How do you feel about receiving a diagnosis?” That is a question I almost always ask when doing an intake with a new client. Although diagnoses are something therapists deal with on a daily basis, everyone may have different feelings, thoughts, and experiences around diagnoses, especially when they receive one from a professional during the intake meeting.

Coping skills are adaptive actions that people take to bring themselves comfort and control.

Many of the books listed feature coping skills being taught within therapy sessions. These include the utilization of breath, mindfulness, mindset reframing, utilizing support systems, and acknowledging worry rather than pushing it away.

This post is a valuable resource to parents looking to make changes at home to best support their children while in therapy and beyond. Many of the recommendations that are discussed in this blog are overarching routines and practices that can be beneficial for all children, no matter the current difficulties that they are experiencing. Please keep in mind how valuable it is to have open communication with your child’s therapist, identifying any stressors that may be affecting your household, so that you may receive additional individualized, tailored advice.

Are you worried that your child is too worried? That in and of itself may suggest that scheduling an appointment with a children’s therapist is not a bad idea, but if you are still on the fence please read on. Everyone worries! Research suggests that in part, it’s evolutionary, a function of survival. As our environmental factors have changed in time, so have our reasons for anxiety. Anxiety stems from biological factors, psychological factors such as temperament, and environmental factors. The question is: when does worrying become more harmful than helpful?

A good night’s sleep helps the body and mind recharge; improving mood, increasing one’s ability to concentrate and think clearly. It has been proven to lower anxiety levels, elevate mood, and improve overall functioning. As one can imagine, better relationships are formed due to clear minds and elevated moods. So how is it achieved? Here are some tips that I have found in research and within my experience in working with children and adolescents.

This post is for the parents on the edge, wondering if their child would benefit from therapy and what therapy for children and adolescents even looks like. I hope that this article will answer any questions that you may have, keeping in mind that every child and family is unique and should you need a more personalized conversation, please call our office for a more tailored conversation. 

With the increased access to telehealth services, parents now have more options available to them when looking for a mental health provider to work with their child. Telehealth, however, won’t necessarily be a good fit for everyone.  Within this post I hope to address any questions you may have in determining whether telehealth services will best meet the needs of your child.