One of my favorite things to do in private practice, besides working with my lovely clients, is continuing education. Even though I’ve been in the field for over 20 years, I’m always striving to get better. My clients come to me with a range of concerns and treatment preferences, so keeping up with research and best practices is crucial. In this blog post, I’m sharing a few upcoming things I’m excited to be reading, learning, and attending. This blog is for therapists, students, or those interested in a look behind the scenes of counselor continuing education.
Helping Your Child Get a Better Night’s Sleep
As a therapist, I understand the importance of a good night’s sleep on mental health. Problems falling asleep or staying asleep are common issues my clients share with me. Children and teens talk about having a hard time falling asleep because of overthinking, worrying, or difficulty relaxing. Parents share concerns about their child’s moods, school performance, or feelings of anxiety. We know that sleep is important to our overall health. By improving a child or teen’s sleep, we may also be improving their mood, concentration, and anxiety levels. Read on for some helpful tips on helping your child get a better night’s sleep.
8 Ideas to Help Your Child Feel Comfortable with Therapy
These days, a lot of children and teens are asking for therapy. This is usually easy for parents. You find a good therapist and get started. Other times parents might be concerned about their child’s mental health, behavior, or substance use and know that they need more help… but the child does not want to go. They might be angry, nervous, or embarrassed at having to see a therapist. Some children or teens may have had a negative experience with therapy or may not know what to expect. However, with a little bit of patience and understanding, you can help your child feel comfortable with therapy. Here are some of my favorite tips:
What is EMDR and Can it Help Me?
A lot of people have recently asked me about EMDR. As a Licensed Professional Counselor with 15 years of experience providing EMDR to kids and adults, I’ve learned so much about this treatment. But just what is EMDR? If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR, how it works, and if it could potentially help you or a loved one, read on.
Tips for Talking with Your Teen (Part 2)
Part 1 of Tips for Talking with Your Teen covered ways to create opportunities for connection with your teen. Finding times for talking with your teen can be a challenge. But what do you do or say once you have them in a chatty mood? Read on for some of my favorite tips for talking with your teen.
Tips for Talking with Your Teen (Part 1)
Recent research shared by the Pew Research Center is that two-thirds of parents in the U.S. believe that parenting today is harder than it was 20 years ago. The majority of parents surveyed reported they believed this was due to the increase in technology, primarily screens and social media. With busy and technology-filled modern lives, many parents ask me about how to connect with their teenagers. And so, here are some of my favorite tips for talking with your teen.
10 of My Favorite Books For Parents
As the days get shorter and cooler, it’s perfect weather to curl up with a new book. Enjoy some time for yourself to learn, grow, and reflect. Here’s a list of some of my favorite books for parents and families.
Trauma
1. What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Oprah Winfrey
Dr. Perry and Oprah have a compelling back-and-forth in this page-turner about what it means to be resilient and heal from trauma. They are both captivating storytellers who break down the effects of trauma on children and adults. This book will change how you approach people who have experienced traumatic events.
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a form of counseling that uses play as a tool for helping people, typically children, work through difficulties. Often play therapy is used to support children with things like learning healthy expression or problem-solving.
A play therapist uses toys, games, and play to assist a child in exploring and expressing their emotions, thoughts, and experiences.
Back-to-School Care for Parents & Caregivers
This time of year, there is so much to do for parents and caregivers! Trying to squeeze in those last bits of summer fun, shopping for school supplies and new clothes, signing up for fall sports, and getting kids back into the school routine.
And who can forget about all the other school to-do’s: parent forms, Back-to-School Night, and keeping track of all the emails? It’s no wonder that many parents and caregivers report high levels of overwhelm during the back-to-school season.
Top 10 Questions to Ask a Therapist
Looking for mental health counseling for yourself or your child? With more Americans than ever before seeking therapy, you’re not alone. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or relationships, more people are feeling comfortable reaching out to a therapist. As you look for someone who will meet your needs, here’s a list of the top 10 questions to ask during that first phone call.
1. Are you accepting new clients?
Hands down, ask this first! Even if it says on their website or directory listing that they are accepting new patients, it might not actually be the case. Therapists don’t always remember to update their status in all the places their information is listed.