ADHD

Our kids should not go back to normal

Why life Shouldn’t go Back to “Normal” When it Comes to our Kids’ Mental Health

Posted on by stephen

Most of America is coming out of over a year of lock down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The majority of schools are offering at least some in-person learning. Recreational sports are beginning to resume. Several states have started to drop mask mandates for vaccinated individuals. Large scale sporting events and even concerts are back on Spring and Summer schedules for many venues.

Things are finally getting back to normal.

We are hearing this phrase in many different settings. At the grocery store check-out line. At school drop off. At the end of work zoom calls. We smile as we say it – no doubt dreaming of the summer BBQ’s and beach vacations that may finally be within reach.

But when it comes to the mental health of our kids and teens, what if “getting back to normal” isn’t the best metric to meet?

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Bridge in the mist

Dialectics in DBT: The Power of “And”

Posted on by stephen

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The main goals of DBT are to teach people how to live in the moment, regulate their emotions, develop and maintain healthy relationships, and cope with distress. You might remember back in June when we wrote about a communication strategy called DEAR MAN. This is a DBT strategy aimed at helping people set boundaries and ask for what they need in a healthy and balanced way.

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Parenting Consultation Blog

Parent Consultation as a Standalone Treatment for Children and Adolescents

Posted on by Kelly Foran-Tuller

Many therapy treatment models for children involve a combination of the identified patient and family. Clinical psychologists and social workers routinely consult, teach, and support the parents of the children/adolescents they are treating. However, parenting consultation, which can sometimes be referred to as parent training, is also a highly successful standalone treatment. Clinical evidence shows that parent training decreases problematic behaviors in children and adolescents while simultaneously increasing parental confidence. Further, clinical data suggests that parents self-report an improvement in the relationship with their child.

As a parent, you’re likely thinking that this makes a lot of sense. Who better to help a child with their sleep problems than the parent who is getting up in the middle of the night? Who better to help a child with social anxiety than the caregiver who braces themselves for an anxious meltdown before a birthday party?  In the parent consultation treatment model, therapists teach the teachers who spend the most time in the parenting classroom – moms, dads, or caregivers.

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