I grew up in the country, in a house without central heat and air. We had a furnace in the basement and every Saturday in the winter, my two siblings and I would load up in my dad’s Ford F150 and drive down to the woods behind our house. He would cut down a tree […]
Emotion Regulation is not easy. It is one of the hardest things we do in our lives. But, it is a lot easier when we learn how to do it in childhood. I was a child who couldn’t manage anxiety. I found ways to avoid anxious situations and over time, my life became small. When […]
1 in 6 children meet the criteria for a mental health disorder. By adulthood that number will double. In 2019, the World Happiness Organization reported the United States was the least happy it has ever been. One of the reporters said, “By most accounts, Americans should be happier now than ever. The violent crime rate […]
I watched yet another kid climb into the window above the couch in my office. Within minutes, he jumped down, slam dunked a basketball at least 20 times, finally sat down on the floor and said, “Ok, now I’m ready.” He and I both knew what he meant. It was time to start the session. If I […]
Any day now, kids will be filing back into classrooms. After a summer of running around, swimming, going to camps and being free, kids will be expected to sit in desks for nearly seven hours and listen. If they tap pencils, hum or slide around in their chairs, they will be asked to pull cards, […]
Going to sleepaway camp is a huge milestone for kids. It is a chance to get away, make new friends, try out new activities and figure out how to manage one their own. There are a variety of sleepaway camps that do a wonderful job of creating safe, comforting and fun environments but even so, […]
Many anxious kids are already getting nervous. It isn’t because of standardized testing or that they’re stuck in school while the weather is beautiful outside. It’s because summer is coming and with summer comes anxiety. How could kids POSSIBLY be anxious in summer? There isn’t homework or tests or long hours sitting in a desk. […]
After one of the coldest winters in history, kids are throwing on shorts, running out of the house and sucking up every last minute of daylight. And after months of being cooped up, they are feeling the freedom of being able to get out their energy. This is something all kids need to do, but […]
Long are the days when going to a counselor was seen as odd or abnormal. Nowadays kids talk about their therapists at the lunch table and as a kid that I see said recently, “You know a girl in my class. You’re her therapist too!” When I asked how she knew this she simply said, […]
Last week we shot a book trailer for Why Smart Kids Worry. The production team asked me for 100 thoughts that go through the minds of smart kids during the school day. “100!” I said. “That’s a lot!” I thought it might take me a day or two to come up with the sentences but […]
