While the media (television, radio, print, and the internet) can help inform and educate you and your children about the recent shootings and violence, media coverage unfortunately also has the potential to upset and confuse. As parents, you can protect your children by helping them with these six tips from the National Child Traumatic Stress […]
When Do You Seek the Help of a Mental Health Professional for Your Child?
How do you know when it’s time to get help for your child? It’s a tough call for any parent. Parents and school staff are usually the first to recognize that their child has a problem with emotions or behavior. Still, the decision to seek professional help can be challenging for all involved. While there […]
Help Make Happier Holidays for Children of Divorce
Handling the holidays can be challenging for children of divorce. Where there used to be one main family gathering for the child, there are now two or more. Imagine the stress a child feels having to juggle multiple family events that have different people, locations, rules and expectations. To help reduce the strain on the […]
Talking With Your Kids About Tragedy
With the horrific news coming out of San Bernadino, California, we often get questions at our clinic from parents about whether they should talk with their children about tragedies like this. Here are some recommendations and suggestions from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on what you can do as a parent: Start the conversation. […]
Survive & Thrive During the Holidays
The holidays are quickly approaching, and stress levels are getting higher as parents begin buying gifts, families are getting ready to host parties, and travel plans are being made to spend time with relatives. I talked to Laura Meemken, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Solutions Counseling, about the differences between stress and anxiety and how to […]
Hypno-what? Can hypnosis really help your mental health?
Recently we added a new service to our mental health clinic, hypnotherapy. This was new to me as a mental health professional and was interested to see how it worked in practice. Probably like many of you, I had a visual of the pocket watch being swung back and forth while a Freud-like bearded character […]
Talk To Your Kids About Bullying
Learn the signs your child is being bullied, what to do if they are, and what steps to take if your child is the bully. During the school year, one of the problems we often see impacting kids is bullying. Bullying can be both physical and verbal and occur in any number of places including […]
Help is Available, Make It OK to Get It
I was shaken and saddened by the news of a double homicide that occurred blocks away from my family earlier this month. My heart goes out to the family of the victims, their friends, and the community impacted by this tragedy. While I don’t presume to have any knowledge about the situation that occurred, I do […]
When Traumatic Events Occur: What to Look For and How to Help Our Kids
A fundamental goal of parenting is to help children grow and thrive to the best of their potential. Parents anticipate protecting their children from danger whenever possible, but sometimes serious danger threatens, whether it is manmade, such as a school shooting or domestic violence, or natural, such as a flood or earthquake. And when a […]
Help Make Happier Holidays for Children of Divorce
Handling the holidays can be challenging for children of divorce. Where there used to be one main family gathering for the child, there are now two or more. Imagine the stress a child feels having to juggle multiple family events that have different people, locations, rules and expectations. To help reduce the strain on the […]