Blog

Happiness…it’s a broadly defined and sometimes vague and elusive term, yet we all know what it is and how it feels. Seeking and increasing one’s happiness is a huge area of literature and all over the self-help sections. Some books claim they have the secrets or the recipes for happiness, but just like most things in life, its really a combination of several things and balancing things out...

Anxiety is a feeling that affects all of us. It can be helpful, and even has an evolutionary component. If we did not fear anything, we could easily get ourselves into situations that are dangerous and we could not handle. But when anxiety starts to overcome us or pops up when there is no real threat to ourselves, it starts to become a hinderance.  For some people, anxiety is...

“You are as happy as you make up your mind to be.” Supposedly this was said by Abraham Lincoln. Whoever said it first, I often talk about this with my patients. While we can not control most of the situations and experiences that we encounter, we can try to control how we think about them and how we react to them. Our thoughts and our behaviors have strong effects on our...

The terms Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are often used interchangeably. ADHD is the more modern term of the two and can be either with hyperactivity and impulsivity or without. Some clinicians and clients still use the term ADD to refer to the condition without hyperactivity or impulsivity present, but just know that you can...

A common topic between psychologists, a concern for parents, and a question I get a lot from other professionals, particularly pediatricians, is “Are we over-diagnosing ADHD?” This is certainly not a new concern as it has been on the minds of many parents and professionals since the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses has been on the rise. Many theories exist for why this may be the case including...

Often when parents wonder about their child’s inattentive or hyperactive behaviors, they bring these concerns to their pediatrician. Their pediatrician asks a series of questions, and may give the parents and teachers forms to fill out regarding their child’s behaviors and symptoms. Depending on the interview and responses on the forms, the pediatrician may make a diagnosis of ADHD....

Psychological testing can be helpful if your child is having difficulty in school- academically, behaviorally, or emotionally. It can be helpful if your child is having difficulty socially or at home and you aren’t sure what is going on. Maybe you’ve heard a diagnosis from a provider but you aren’t sure about it or you want to get more information. Maybe you and your provider are sure about...

In the aftermath of tragedy, whether it occurs close to home or elsewhere, parents are often left wondering how they should talk to their children and how they should answer questions.  One of my former supervisors and child psychologist, Dr. April Harris-Britt, shared this advice regarding talking to your children: “In traumatic situations such as this, parents are often faced with...

I have seen this article floating around on the internet for some time now and I still find it relevant to talk about with many parents. Judge Michael Haas, who is now a retired Minnesota Judge, made these comments during a difficult divorce case. While his words are rather blunt, they are helpful. He talks about how children are half of each of their parents, and to give them messages that...

In addition to learning their ABCs, colors, and numbers, children entering Kindergarten need social and emotional skills to succeed. Read more about the social and emotional skills needed for Kindergarten success. Children need similar skills to be successful on the Kindergarte entrance exams and private school entrance exams. Read more about these skills in relation to Kindergarten...