Virtual Communication and Learning

Talking to your kids about upcoming school during COVID

How to talk to your child about the back-to-school plan

Posted on by stephen

The back to school conversation usually begins sometime in August. This year, as states and districts grapple with the safest ways to educate our country’s children, the conversation has turned from where to get the latest school trends to what model of schooling will occur in your town. Whether the choice is complete distance learning, complete in classroom learning , or a hybrid of something in between, one thing is for sure – overwhelmed parents will feel many different emotions. It is important for parents to acknowledge and cope with their own reactions. At the same time, children need to hear the back-to-school plan from their parents in a way that promotes a positive transition. Here are some important suggestions for how to have this conversation.

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Preparing your children for summer with COVID-19

(Home) School’s out for Summer: Strategies for a Successful Transition

Posted on by Kelly Foran-Tuller

This year, the transition into summer break is going to look very different. Children and teens are missing the wind down of the academic year that is marked by notable school events such as field day, end of year parties, prom, and moving up ceremonies or graduations. In the past, these events signaled the ending of one chapter and the beginning of summer break. In my own experience with my first grader, the end of the school year just this week lacked any pomp and circumstance at all. The last day of distance learning was similar in format to that of the previous three months; from a zoom call in the morning to google classroom assignments in the afternoon. To make matters more complicated for parents, camp and summer vacation plans may have been canceled, rendering the weeks ahead with fewer opportunities for external structure and pleasant distraction. Without the natural transitions that the end of the academic year provide, parents might find themselves having a difficult time helping their child switch modes from school to summer. Here are some tips to help keep your child on track so that Summer 2020 can be as rewarding as possible for everyone in the family.

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Making the Most out of your next Tele-therapy Appointment

Making the Most out of your next Tele-therapy Appointment

Posted on by Kelly Foran-Tuller

By Kelly Tuller Psy.D.

Our current climate necessitates medical and mental health care providers and patients to flex to alternative treatment modalities for standard wellness care. For many patients and therapists, engaging in tele-therapy for weekly sessions is new territory. Fortunately, Cognitive Behavioral therapists are well suited to transition into this medium.

The American Psychological Association (APA) lists Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) via tele-therapy as an empirically supported treatment for many different mental health concerns. Research suggests that the core components of CBT are as effectively implemented via tele-therapy as they are in in person. This is because CBT is a type of treatment that is goal driven, patient focused, collaborative, and well established.

In my own experience as a Cognitive Behavioral therapist, I had a fortunate opportunity for advanced training in tele-therapy long before it became a popular modality. I provided weekly tele therapy to veterans who were unable to attend in person visits due to a variety of different reasons (distance, medical diagnosis, lack of childcare, etc.). During that time, I developed a list of suggestions for patients to help them make the most of their tele-therapy visits.

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