Yes, reentry anxiety is a real phenomenon. After enduring 15 months of some form of lockdown, many of us are collectively attempting to shake off the trauma experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past year, contact with extended family and friends was limited, leaving many feeling disconnected from typical supports. Working parents experienced the […]
Julia Murphy, LMFT Parents often come to me confused about whether or not assisting their Learning Disabled (LD) child is in fact “enabling” him. A further complication is that each parent may have a different opinion about this issue. Many 18-year-olds may be driving, holding down jobs or making appointments on their own, while these typical […]
Nutritional Psychiatry is an emerging field exploring the link between diet, brain function, and mental health. In simpler terms, it looks at how the food we eat impacts our emotional state. Current research data points to a healthy diet (ie: lean protein, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and whole grains) as prevention and treatment for depression, […]
Friend and colleague, Dr. Joe Parent with be offering a special book signing for his book written with Nancy Parent, “A Walk in The Wood: Meditations on Mindfulness with a Bear Named Pooh.” When: December 9, 1-3 pm Where: Marie et Cie, cafe and gift shop, 11704 Riverside Drive, Valley Village, CA 91607
Adolescence has historically been characterized as a period of great turbulence and change in the lives of teens and parents. Media images of high profile stars careening off the rails with their involvement in drugs, alcohol and reckless behavior seem to support this portrait and strike fear in the hearts of many parents. Nonetheless, I […]
The key is collaboration. Academic and social skills do not develop in a vacuum. They are the result of interactions between the child and his/her environment. Your child’s capacity to complete tasks independently occurs when skills have been mastered and external supports are no longer required. For example, complex academic assignments may overwhelm your child’s brain. […]
Interesting read about new field of nutritional psychiatry: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
“Goodness of Fit” is a useful concept for determining how temperamental traits affect the interpersonal dynamics within families. It is important for parents to consider how their own temperaments mesh with those of their children. For example, a very active, intense child can quickly spark an emotionally charged reaction from a parent with a similar […]
The first step in the process of improving the parent/child relationship lies with deepening the parent’s insight and understanding into their child’s difficulties. When parents gain the capacity to recognize and acknowledge the thoughts, feelings, desires, beliefs, and intentions of themselves and others, they may then begin to understand how these elements come together to […]
When parents bring their children to therapy, they frequently express feelings of discouragement, defeat, confusion, shame, frustration and anger relating to their child and their parenting experience. As they describe the behavioral, academic and/or social challenges of their children, some parents can relate to their child’s struggles. Others are able to identify challenges they observed […]