We want to shield our children from pain, difficulty, and trauma. This is natural. But we do our kids a disservice when we succumb to enabling. What is enabling? This is when we, as parents, inadvertently encourage unwanted behavior. Case in point: when we give in to a tantrum in order to avoid a scene…
After over a year of quarantine and social distancing regulations, almost all of us are familiar with telehealth and online or video doctor appointments. But what about therapy? Are online therapy programs good for teens? What about younger kids? It’s crucial to find a good fit between your child and his or her therapist, and…
And when are sensory issues a symptom of something else, such as autism? This is the question parents ask themselves a lot when seeing the signs of sensory processing disorder in kids. What is sensory processing disorder? Sensory processing disorder (SPD) affects how your brain processes sensory information such as things you see, hear, smell,…
First of all, anxiety can come in many forms, and there are several types of anxiety your teen may face. But once your child is diagnosed with anxiety, you may be faced with a decision: ‘talk’ therapy, medication, or both? If you go with the ‘both’ option, your next question will be: which anxiety meds…
When we think of anxiety, we usually think of panic attacks, breathing into a paper bag, and intense fear. But there are many types of anxiety in teens and in the general population. If you’re like me, you may be surprised by how many forms anxiety can take. When my teen son was diagnosed with…
Also known as a type of ‘talk therapy’, cognitive behavioral therapy for kids can be a really useful tool for children who have depression, anxiety, OCD, or ADHD, and autism. Because CBT focuses on thoughts and behaviors, it’s actually great for anyone, and I’ve benefited from it alongside my children. When you recognize unhelpful thoughts…