Our emotions are vital to survival, but sometimes dwelling on them makes things worse. This is especially true for anxiety. When we face something that makes us scared or anxious, we feel uncomfortable. This activates our sympathetic nervous system. We call this the fight or flight system because it causes us to want to do something to get rid of this uncomfortable feeling.
CONTINUESince 2020, telehealth services have exploded. Telehealth has increased accessibility for mental health services. Many studies show that telehealth services have similar effects to traditional in-person therapy. This is particularly true when treating anxiety and depression for adolescents and adults (Abrams, 2020; Hagyari-Donaldson & Scott, 2025).
CONTINUEI would have been a great candidate for Homework Helper. I did not naturally do well in school. Early in the grading period I fell behind on my work. Then I missed days to weeks of recess as I tried to catch up on my work. The best part of the school year was when the grading period ended. All the missed assignments changed to zeros, and I got to go to recess again. Despite my efforts, I fell behind again, and the cycle started over.
CONTINUEMany insurance plans reset on January 1. Did yours? If you have a new insurance plan or new benefits, please contact the office as soon as possible with the updates. We will need a copy of your new insurance card. It takes time to confirm benefits, especially during the first couple weeks of January. Please contact the office before your appointment so we have everything ready for you. This will help reduce problems when we file your insurance claims.
CONTINUEAs much as individuals may hate to admit it, the world largely runs on principles of behaviorism. We can trace much of what we do back to rewards or punishments to some degree. Denying this is almost akin to denying the existence of gravity. These principles were discovered, not invented. Individuals who oppose behaviorism argue it is a cold way to control someone. Behaviorism can be used without coldness, however. By understanding and utilizing these principles, we can use them in our favor rather than merely being controlled by them. In fact, one could even argue that giving emotional warmth to another person is a form of reinforcement.
CONTINUEIn a previous post, I discussed my early experiences advocating for students in 504 or IEP/ARD meetings. Parents often feel overwhelmed with the number of school officials who attend these meetings. The number of acronyms also is overwhelming to parents. Many parents feel the school doesn’t seek their feedback. Others know so little about the process they don’t feel comfortable asking questions. Based on these observations, I offer these tips for parents to help themselves be successful in these meetings.
CONTINUEThe primary population of therapy patients I see is children and young adults, so a common issue I address is difficulty doing well in school. This can affect individuals who come for treatment for a variety of reasons. For example, individuals with ADHD often have difficulty staying on task and avoiding distractions. Individuals with depression may have difficulty getting started. Individuals with anxiety tend to become overwhelmed. In more general terms, students are in college or graduate school who didn’t have to study before. Each of these individuals could benefit from establishing an effective study session.
CONTINUEMy first time advocating for students as a professional was when I was a caseworker in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2006. At the time, I had completed my coursework for a Ph.D. in School Psychology. This included classes on the requirements for special education services and 504 accommodations. I learned how to advocate effectively through these early successes and failures advocating for children on my caseload.
CONTINUEOne aspect of our clinic that parents, and even some clinicians, may find unusual is our requirement for parent attendance in therapy. We require parents to participate in every session for their child’s therapy appointments. The amount of time spent in the session could be a brief check-in regarding progress or attending the entire session. Typically speaking, the younger the child/lower the developmental level, the more time a parent spends in session; however, we do have some cases where the parent and older adolescent are together for the entire session. There are five main concerns I hear about our practice of involving parents. My hope is to address each concern to some degree and explain how our methods help most patients do better in therapy.
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