Many kids, despite what they say, really enjoy school. They like seeing their friends, their teacher and learning. However, some kids are not as excited and even worried about going to school. Many of these kids were bullied last year and they are afraid of being bullied again this year. Often when a child is…
When we share our stories, what it does is, it opens up our hearts for other people to share their stories. And it gives us the sense that we are not alone on this journey. – Janine Shepherd Everyone has a story and everyone’s story is important. Our story is about how we ended up…
Many of the teenagers that I see for psychotherapy come to therapy believing that no one loves them. They tell me their parents don’t love them, their siblings don’t care about them and no one at school cares about them. They feel they are unloveable and no one cares if they live or die. Because…
A new behavior for teenage and tween girls has been identified by an adolescent psychologist. The behavior that has been identified is called “Camouflaging.” This behavior left unidentified can lead to low self-esteem, depression, cutting etc. Camouflaging is when an adolescent girl changes how she looks, her opinions or things that she does in order…
In today’s society many people including teenagers view cell phones as a necessity of life. However, it’s a privilege and we need to remember that fact. Many people have forgotten that cell phones are privileges especially teens and children in Middle School. This is a common argument I encounter between children and parents. The other…
Practice-base studies show that cognitive-behavioral techniques are effective in the treatment of children’s mental health problems such as depression, generalized anxiety, school refusal, social phobias, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma and sexual abuse, and eating disorders. Two phases of CBT treatment in children includes: 1) Psycho-education, where children learn to recognize…
Today is two days before Christmas. I’m not sure how that happened. One minute it’s summer, and the next Christmas carols are wafting up the stairs at work. Frankly, the weather hasn’t been very cooperative in this venture. It’s in the sixties outside and raining… not what you’d ordinarily expect from Georgia in December. If…
I remember well the day that I chose to leave my last job. Things had been stressful there, and I knew it was time to move on, but the decision was difficult to make. Despite the stress, I had a regular salary. I was never going to get rich off of it, but I was…
Take a minute to think about what you expect from a loving relationship with a partner. Does your list contain any of the following common expectations? Healing past woundsMeeting all of your current emotional needsFulfilling fantasies and idealizations of how life should beMaking up for other less rewarding aspects of life / making your life…
How to Deal With an Angry Spouse John Gerson, Ph.D, It is important to differentiate the spouse whose anger is a healthy response to various partner insufficiencies, such as lack of attunement, inadequate empathy, neglect, poor partner functioning -in short anger as a protest to loss of love and safety – and anger which is…