Category Archives: Families

Beginning of the school year

Children & Stressors: Beginning of the School Year

Children, Families, Parents, Stressors

The beginning of the school year can bring a variety of emotions for both children and parents. In my therapy office, I have the opportunity to hear about a lot of different thoughts and emotions that families experience at this time of year. Some of the ones that immediately come to mind are excitement, relief, anxiety, dread, uncertainty, sadness and more. Even for the child (and parent) who is excited about the return to school, this transition can cause stress. As a general rule, any change is accompanied by some level of stress. This is true even when it is a change that is desired.

In this post, I will walk through some tips to help you and your child successfully process and manage any stress that may emerge during the transition back to school. Continue reading Children & Stressors: Beginning of the School Year →

Preparing to Send Your Child to Kindergarten

Preparing to Send Your Child to Kindergarten

Children, Families, Parents, Stressors

September marks a significant milestone for my family, we are sending our first child off to kindergarten.  This is definitely a time of mixed feelings at my house.  Many of you are experiencing the same transition this fall, so I thought I would put together some tips to help all of us (children and the parents) adjust as successfully as possible.   I can honestly say that I am using these same steps as much as possible to help my family prepare for the fall.

Continue reading Preparing to Send Your Child to Kindergarten →

Children & Stressors

Stressors & Children: The Full Series

Children, Families, Parents, Stressors

We all experience stress at times, including children.    The dictionary definition of stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. As adults, we can struggle to recognize the stress that children experience and the effects that  stress has on their well-being  because it may look different than how we experience stress.  We may minimize the stress that children experience because we don’t realize how aware they are of what is going on around them.   On the other hand, we may consider their stressors not to be a “big deal.”

It’s been just over a year since I started writing the blog series addressing common stressors that children face.     At this moment there are seven posts in the series, but I am always adding more posts to the series.   I thought it would be helpful to have a complete list of all of the posts compiled in one place to make it easier to access and share them. Continue reading Stressors & Children: The Full Series →

Posts for new parents

Links for New Parents

Families, New Parents, Parents, Stressors

The adjustment to becoming a parent can be challenging and the experience of a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder can make things even more complicated.  Over the last few months, I have been focused on writing blog posts specifically focused on addressing the concerns that new parents have shared with me along with posts sharing information about perinatal mental health.

This post is a recap of everything that I have written for new parents and those who are supporting new parents.  I hope you find it helpful to have all of the information in one easily, accessible place. Continue reading Links for New Parents →

5 Low-Key, Fun and Free Ways to Connect With Your Family This Summer

5 Low-Key, Fun and Free Ways to Connect With Your Family This Summer

Children, Families, Parents

It is important for families to spend time together connecting in positive ways.   During the summer months it may feel like all the “fun” activities are stressful and overwhelming because they are expensive, require navigating crowds and/or require planning.   This post is not about those types of activities.

There are lots of small positive ways we can connect with members of our family at home, but this post is going to focus on activities outside of the home.   You may also be interested in reading my previous post, 8 Ways to Show Children You Love Them Throughout The Year,  for some additional inspiration.
Continue reading 5 Low-Key, Fun and Free Ways to Connect With Your Family This Summer →

Counseling

What should I expect during my first counseling session?

Children, Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents
One of the most common questions that I receive from potential clients is about what to expect from the first session.   I often describe the first meeting as a chance for me to get to know my clients and my clients to get to know me in order to make sure we are a good fit for working together.   Clients often get a sense quickly about whether or not they feel comfortable with a counselor.   The counselor will likely use the information provided in the first meeting to evaluate whether he/she the best therapist for a client based on the counselor’s level of expertise with the presenting concerns and the level of service that is needed.

Continue reading What should I expect during my first counseling session? →

IMG_2145

Your Growing Family-Preparing to Welcome a New Sibling from the Parent’s Perspective

Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents

In a recent post,  I addressed helping children prepare for the birth of a new sibling, but this time around I want to focus on you, the parents.   Adding another child to your family is a significant transition for you, too.

This post includes two types of tips for parents of growing families; parenting tips and self care tips. I suggest paying attention to both  types of tips.   They are both important areas of focus during this time of transition. Continue reading Your Growing Family-Preparing to Welcome a New Sibling from the Parent’s Perspective →

IMAG2695

Stressors & Children: Preparing for a New Sibling

Children, Families, New Parents, Parents, Stressors

Preparing for the birth of a new sibling can bring about mixed feelings for parents as they consider how to help their older children with this transition.   Parents often feel excited to welcome a new child into the family, but also nervous about how older siblings will respond and adjust.     The adjustment of my oldest child was definitely one of my concerns as my family prepared for the birth our second child.     It’s normal to have some anxiety about this transition and I hope this post will help address some of your concerns and lessen your anxiety.

There are many factors that affect how a child adjusts to a new sibling, but after reading this post you will have some great ideas to ensure that this transition goes as smoothly as possible for your family.   Continue reading Stressors & Children: Preparing for a New Sibling →

IMG_2181

10 Self Care Tips for New Parents

Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents, Self Care

What is self care?  How does becoming a parent impact our self care?

Self care is purposeful action we take to ensure our wellbeing.   Wellbeing includes our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

As we take on the new role of being a parent and learning how to balance our new responsibilities, it can be easy to put self care on the back burner.   We focus on taking good care of our babies and can forget to take care of ourselves, too.  In order to be the best parents that we can be, we need to make sure we are tending to our self care needs, too.

10 Tips Self Care Tips for New Parents Continue reading 10 Self Care Tips for New Parents →

IMG_2133

What is postpartum anxiety?

Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents

In my personal experience as a mom-to-be, I often heard about postpartum depression.    My doctor’s screened for it.  My friends experienced it.  It was talked about in the news.   On the other hand, I don’t remember hearing about postpartum anxiety until I began to learn more about perinatal mental health, in my role as a therapist.

6% of pregnant women develop anxiety.

10% of women develop anxiety during the postpartum period.

Continue reading What is postpartum anxiety? →