Children and teens who are struggling with ongoing difficulties in their social, emotional, or academic lives may develop sensitivities around bids or requests for change initiated by parents (as well as other authority figures). While these difficulties may stem from or be further exacerbated by internally-held negative core beliefs which often benefit from outside therapeutic intervention, how parents deliver these bids for change may also impact how the child or teen receives them and therefore if they take action on these requests.

To incorporate these mindfulness practices into your daily routine, start by setting aside a few daily minutes to engage in them. This can be done in the morning, evening, or even during lunch. By incorporating these meditation and mindfulness practices into your daily routine, you can develop greater self-awareness, reduce stress and anxiety, and build stronger, more fulfilling relationships with those around you.

Parenting is a journey filled with challenges and triumphs, and one key aspect of guiding our children toward positive behavior is the thoughtful application of consequences. Implementing consequences can shape a child’s understanding of boundaries and responsibility. In this guide, we’ll delve into practical strategies for using consequences effectively in parenting.

Most people deal with being picked on at some point in their lifetimes. Bullying affects millions of people each year from every age, gender, and race. It occurs across settings from school to work, and can even invade personal life online. The impacts of bullying on mental health can last a lifetime and contribute to low self esteem, anxiety, isolation, and possibly suicide.

Positive parenting involves fostering a nurturing environment that encourages a child's growth and development. One practical approach is using rewards to reinforce positive behavior. This guide will explore key steps and strategies for implementing positive parenting through a reward system.

Using effective communication strategies can greatly enhance both personal and professional aspects of life. From resolving conflicts with peers or loved ones, having meaningful debates with colleagues, or simply just asking for what you need, using this structured approach can improve the way we communicate and therefore increase the likelihood of success. Let’s take a look at exactly what this method is and how it can be applied to different situations to enhance communication.

Addiction is a complex battle that many individuals face, often struggling with powerful urges and cravings that can be overwhelming. In the journey to fighting the battle, journaling can be beneficial in helping you gain an understanding of the triggers behind your urges, what you're avoiding, and how to replace addictive behaviors with healthier alternatives.

If your teen’s school uses assignment portals (for example: Schoology, Google Classroom, etc.), you may be all too familiar with daily emails about late, incomplete, or missing assignments. Chances are if you are reading this, you are also familiar with the ensuing arguments, excuses, and denials that result from your teen. No matter how much you try, it’s the same day after day…

The bond between humans and animals can offer emotional, mental, and physical support. From the soothing comfort of an emotional support animal (ESA) to the tailored assistance of a service animal, these unique creatures play diverse roles in improving our well-being.

There is a common question that often lingers in the back of our minds until we are left with no other choice but to address it, “Who am I if I am not playing sports?” As an athlete, so much of our lives are centered around our sports. This includes our routine, physical health, mental health, the friends we make, the mentors we meet, and sometimes even down to the food we consume and how much and often we consume. It can take up so much time, we sometimes fail to leave room to explore other parts of ourselves.

So, your child has entered therapy. You may be experiencing a range of emotions and thoughts: relief, worry, anxiety, even curiosity. Many questions may come to mind like 'What are they talking about?', 'Will this actually help them?', or 'Are they talking about me?'. While these are understandable concerns, what will actually help your child will be learning how to support them in therapy and what to expect may occur as they go through the therapeutic process.

Note: This blog is a general background for parents and is not applicable to every situation. Please contact a mental health professional for more specific guidance in your unique situation.

One of the scariest moments for parents is finding out that their teen is having suicidal thoughts. In these life-or-death situations, it is normal to panic and do anything that you can to keep your child alive. And oftentimes, the suggestions from many mental health professionals is to have your teen go to the emergency room. Is that always the right choice?

Raise your hand if you are guilty of using the statement “Back when I played…” at least once with your child who plays competitive sports? It is easy for parents who are former athletes to get excited and fully immersed when their children play sports. Taking interest in your child’s sports and activities is encouraged and recommended. However, sometimes the parents' interest can negatively affect their child's athletic endeavors.

Recently, I went to a 5-day intensive training to become an EMDR Child Specialist led by Ana Gomez. I noticed that 3 things were consistently mentioned that prepare kids to reprocess bad things that have happened and are also highly important for healthy socioemotional development. They are: 1) Micro-Education, 2) Physicalizing Emotions, and 3) Affect Tolerance. Now before I break these things down, if you are scratching your head wondering what EMDR even is, please visit here to learn more about EMDR ……….

What makes a good friend? There are tons of answers out there, most of which are totally subjective. However, the point is that this question has many answers that are all based on experiences from the person who may be answering it. For example, one person might think a good friend is totally upfront with them when there is hard news, while another person might prefer a little bit of sugar coating when it comes to difficult subjects. In this loose example, the process between what makes a good friend is different, but the theme of honesty is present for both.

How good is your sleep? A significant amount of people in the US struggle with not getting enough good sleep, which has its consequences. People who tend to skip out on sleep have a higher risk of an assortment of health issues, both physiologically and mentally. For example, according to Harvard , insufficient sleep has been correlated with a higher risk of weight gain and diabetes, higher risk of heart attack and increase in blood pressure, increased likelihood of catching a cold, and increased prevalence to depression and anxiety.

Do you ever experience those moments where you are shaking your fist at the world and want to shout, “It’s not fair!”, “Why is this happening to me?”, “It shouldn’t be this way!” and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to solve the problem at hand or feel better about it? I often see clients experiencing this when a major life problem arises or a pile up of minor annoyances are happening. To help them cope, I teach them a skill called Radical Acceptance.

As an Iranian-American (IA), I know how hard dating can be…and then there is adding different cultural perspectives within the community. For example, dating an Iranian may bring many obstacles that come along with Iranian culture, but not without an open place to talk about it…….