3 Things You Need to Know About Emotional Support Animals
Isn’t Every Pet an Emotional Support Animal? Each dog owner is certainly aware that there are many benefits to having a dog. From helping its owner get out for a walk, to providing loyal and loving companionship, dogs are clearly “man’s best friend.” And yet, there are those who are saddled with emotional conditions, who […]
Deploying a Trauma-Informed Approach: Use the 4 R’s
Our nation’s teachers are as critical to young people and society as they’ve ever been. Teachers provide care that might be lacking in the home. They’re trained to guard against school violence, and more recently, the threat of COVID-19. They’re working with students to adjust to new models of learning and new modes of forming […]
Playful Mental Health Activities for Your Child Over the Holidays
Confronting Child Anxiety During the Holidays If your child is receiving mental health therapy for some type of anxiety disorder, the holidays may bring new challenges with the disruption of therapy, combined with normal holiday stresses in the home. So, it may be beneficial to be aware of some simple, fun activities that you can […]
What is The Long-Term Impact of Isolation on a Child’s Mental Health?
The Vital Need for Social Interactions Acceptable social behavior and engaging in social interactions are vital to every child’s development. However, due to the ongoing pandemic that has included quarantines and sporadic lockdowns, many children are being denied those fundamental social interactions that are so vital to their well-being and healthy development. Research has shown […]
Why the Vocabulary of Emotions is Critical to Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is crucial in guiding us in our day-to-day social interactions with others, behaving appropriately, and understanding people’s feelings. However, its importance doesn’t stop there, as there is another equally critical component as well of which online school psychologists are well aware. Travis Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and president of […]
Knowing Your Attachment Style Could Be Foundational to Healing Trauma
Creating a Lifelong Emotional Template Research has confirmed the widely held belief that the earliest attachments with parents or caregivers shape your abilities and expectations for relationships throughout life. Those earliest relationships impact one’s sense of self and expectations in relationships throughout life. Already in your earliest infancy, you begin to learn if the essential […]
Boundary Challenges for Mental Health Therapists Serving Rural Communities
What are Boundary Challenges? When you stop to think about it, it is surprising how often therapists are confronted with boundary issues in the rural communities they serve. And while one might think that this is only true for mental health therapists, the truth is that these challenges exist for occupational and speech therapists as […]
Is an Excellent Therapeutic Alliance the Secret to Effective Therapy?
Defining the Therapeutic Alliance Sometimes called the “therapeutic alliance,” and other times, the “therapeutic relationship,” this term describes how the child and therapist, be it face to face or via teletherapy, engage and connect. There are those who say very simply that this intangible but genuine connection is the “bond” that develops in the therapy […]
Why You May Need to Know About Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
Attachment Disorders and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Attachment is establishing the deep connection between children and their parents; generally the primary caregivers. The attachment will profoundly affect a child’s development, the capacity to express emotions, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to build meaningful relationships later in life. Insufficient attachment, if not adequately addressed, practically […]
Looks Like ADHD, Feels Like ADHD, but Guess What… it isn’t ADHD!
Everyone knows that when they have a headache, it could be for any number of reasons, from the innocuous to something quite serious. A good doctor will ask many detailed questions in her quest to determine the exact cause of the headache. Without a thorough examination and assessment, it would be irresponsible for the doctor […]
ABA Therapy for Autism: Why is it so Popular and Controversial?
What is ABA Therapy? Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA as it is commonly known, is considered by most as the “gold standard” for treating autism. It is a system based on behaviorist theories. Simply put, the presumption is that desired behaviors can be imparted to the child by way of a system of rewards and […]