You & Your Family

What Is Family Therapy?

Family therapy emphasizes the idea that a child lives and grows in relationship to others, particularly in relationship to members of his or her own family. There are many different family therapy approaches.

Helping Kids Fit In At School

For a good part of third grade, I sat by myself in the school cafeteria during lunch.

I don’t exactly recall feeling lonely during those isolative moments with my peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, but I certainly feel sad as I look back today.

I just didn’t fit in—and that’s a truly awful feeling.

Why Chores Are Important for Kids

Chores.

We all remember them.

Some were associated with allowance, others simply mandatory. For many kids, and I bet for most of us, they were often an intrusion on other more important things to do.

Q+A: Is ADHD Overdiagnosed?

I’m often asked if ADHD is “overdiagnosed.” Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common – and some might argue one of the more impairing – childhood disorders.  Approximately three to five out of every 100 school-aged kids meet criteria for ADHD.

Could Screen-Free Week Backfire? Finding The Middle Ground

We are now in what I believe is the 19th annual “Screen-Free Week” in the United States and abroad. This is a much publicized and highly laudable movement that asks us to take a week—an entire week—to get our children to unplug whatever they happen to own with a screen.

Nutrition and Mental Health: It’s More Complicated Than You Think

The fact that March is National Nutrition Month makes me think of rats.

To be more specific, I think of two particular rats that lived in my first-grade classroom.

The Psychological Effects of the Flu

I call my mom once or twice a week to check in. When I called her yesterday, she took a second or two longer to speak than usual. Then, when she did speak, she sounded pretty awful.

“Welcome,” she whispered,

<raspy breath>

“To the house,”

<cough, wheeze>

“Of pesti—<cough>—lence.

New Year’s Evolution – Shrinking It Down

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Coping With the Wintertime Blahs – Shrinking It Down

You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and most podcast apps.

It’s cold. It’s gray. It’s dark. This time of year, a lot of folks feel pretty blah. And not just those with depression or other mental health disorders. It can affect anyone.

A Closer Look at Autism

Autism, more formally referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), are conditions where individuals struggle with social relationships and communication. People with autism also often face challenges in handling changes to their normal routines, or attempts to expand their usually narrow range of interests.