Now that Halloween has been celebrated, we are quickly approaching the holiday season. For November’s position of the month, I thought it would be fun to share a Thanksgiving themed position, the Wishbone.
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You’re in the grocery store, you see a child screaming, crying, and hiding behind a rack of clothes. We’ve all probably witnessed a version of this. We quietly say in our heads, “they sure know how to throw a tantrum.” I’ve worked with many parents who seek counseling for tantrums. As I began working with more and more children, I noticed a difference in the language. Some parents would describe their child’s behavior as tantrums while others expressed them as meltdowns. Curious, I did some research.
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love all things summer. Long, hot days with seemingly endless sunshine. Swimming. Vacations. Staycations. Outdoor sports. Beach days. Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple. The list goes on. The only two things I don’t love about summer are mosquitos and the end of my favorite season. As the sun starts setting earlier and the temperature drops, so does my mood. This dreary, rainy Tuesday, I’m really feeling it.
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Sensory processing occurs when our nervous system integrates information from our senses and organizes it in to appropriate behavioral responses, according to the situations we are in (Bennie, 2010). Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD occurs when, “sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into appropriate responses” (“About SPD,” 2018).
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Y’all we are 9 weeks away from Christmas! When I heard this announcement on the radio earlier this week, my immediate thought was, “how is this even possible?” My next thought went directly to how much stress often comes with the holiday season. It can be easy to feed off stress, chaos, and frustration in all seasons of life, but somehow the holiday season often intensifies this experience for couples.
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I work with children and parents who often have trouble “pausing”. As humans, our first instinct is to react when a situation arises. When our child is not listening to us, our first instinct is to respond with a demand. It usually sounds something like, “If you don’t _____, I will____”. These reactions, in part, are due to time restraints, stress, and a lack of understanding of what our child’s behavior may be indicating.
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I once had a child tell me that taking someone else’s perspective is impossible. Children, especially those diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders, tend to take things literally and struggle with perspective-taking. This is because of a child’s cognitive development. Jean Piaget, a renowned psychologist and child development theorist, developed the stage theory of cognitive development that is still used to understand children today. This theory includes 4 stages
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According to LinkedIn, today marks a year that Heights Family Counseling has been open. I have a love for dates. They allow us to pause, reflect, celebrate, and shift.
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Listening to the behavior and responding to the emotion the child is trying to communicate is the path to fostering emotion regulation.
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I can remember it like it was yesterday. The awkward silence. The “I am not really sure why I am here.” And the thoughts of, “can I really trust this person?” I wasn’t sure what to say, so I casually noted her nails and asked about her manicure. We had awkward banter for 10 minutes about her nails, and before I knew it I was in a waiting room, and my father was in her office.
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For October’s position of the month, I decided to go in a bit of a different direction that usual. Instead of highlighting one specific position, I thought that I would share some pointers on discussing sexual fantasies with partners. With this information in tow and a spirit of playfulness, the two of you will be sure to have a freaky-fun Halloween!
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Ever feel like life is happening without your input and you’re just along for the ride? Ever wake up and wonder, “How the heck did I get here?” Believe me, I feel you! It is so easy to get into a routine and go through the motions each day because it’s comfortable and efficient . . . and necessary. Cue the laundry list of obligations and responsibilities.
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