Many kids going through traumatic events may lack some of the emotional tools to deal with them. As a caregiver, you can help equip your child with the skills and language needed to help them move through the healing process. Remind your child that all emotions are ok. Kids may react differently than we expect …
I often see younger clients brought in over concerns about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) with parents asking: how to know if you have ADHD? Caregivers and schools see signs such as poor attention, memory issues, distraction, irritability and fidgeting that are commonly associated with ADHD. Often, these symptoms mimic those of anxiety. Think about …
A strong correlation exists between good sleep and mental health. Adapting our lifestyle to prioritize sleep can lead to lessened anxiety and depression and better focus and performance at work and in school. Fatigue can lead to poor behavioral choices such as devaluing nutrition and exercise. This becomes a cycle where as we make unhealthy …
Sometimes we get caught off-guard with anxiety. Symptoms may “attack” when we are speaking to others, driving, at the doctor’s, or are triggered by what some may find innocuous (snakes! heights! an email with no subject!). While anxiety is common, sudden symptoms such as a racing heart, dizziness/vertigo, nausea, and a feeling of physical and …
Stop and Smell the Roses: Calming Anxiety with Breathing and Grounding Read More »
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a diagnosis I see frequently when working with all ages. Trauma (primarily threats to one’s life or safety, or proximity to threats to another, as well as sexual violence) impacts each person differently. Common symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of triggering experiences, insomnia, unwanted thoughts, and hypersensitivity to stimuli-particularly …
An attachment disorder is the result of a broken attachment in early childhood. In children, this is known as reactive attachment disorder, or RAD. Some infants and young children do not have a secure attachment to a primary caregiver (be it a parent or other stable source of care). This may look like neglect, such …
Change is an inevitable and natural part of life: we change jobs, homes, and hobbies, gain and lose friends and partners, adopt a dog, move to a new town. Some changes are welcome while some may be less so, and adapting to change is a key part of mental well being. When a life change …
