The End of the School Year: Making Meaningful Goodbyes

The end of the school year could be filled with many different emotions for students and parents alike. It marks the completion of another school year full of growth, successes, and overcoming obstacles. Many may have already grown attached to their routine, classmates and teachers, while others may be eager to move on happily looking forward to the future. In either case, it can be beneficial to intentionally plan on supporting your child so they can get the opportunity to experience a meaningful goodbye.

Helpful tips, AdolescenceVirgdant Breton, LSWMay 10, 2023school, listening

Social Media and Self Image

In today’s culture, children and teens have access to their own smartphones and social media accounts earlier than ever. Smartphones and social media allow us to have a constant stream of images and advertisements at our fingertips. If you’ve had conversations with your children about how many hours per day they are allowed screen time then you know that once they have access to these platforms- viewing content becomes a consistent component of their daily lives. What are the implications on children’s self-image when having access to this type of content every day?

Tips for Coping with Disappointment

Think back to the last time you were disappointed. Maybe it was when you didn’t do as well as you expected on a test, when your friend cancelled on you, or when things didn’t turn out as planned. Disappointment is a difficult feeling to grapple with. It’s not pleasant, but it’s certainly helpful if you can learn to recognize what it’s telling you. Disappointment can lead to difficult, yet important thoughts like “Am I not good enough?” “Why me?” and “How can this turn out better next time?” Not to mention, disappointment is inevitable; it will appear from time to time, whether we like it or not. Therefore, learning to cope with disappointment is a necessary skill to handle life’s ups and downs. Here are some tips to help you manage disappointment as it arises…

Setting Realistic Goals

With the new year comes new goals. We have the intention of being healthier, cultivating stronger relationships, and pursuing our interests in the year ahead, amongst others. It’s important to be ambitious as you pursue and accomplish your goals. But sometimes, you can overwhelm yourself with too many goals or drain yourself trying to meet goals that are unrealistic. The stress and anxiety can make it even more challenging to see things through, and it may lead you to abandon your goals altogether. So, how can you achieve realistic goal setting for 2023? Here are some pointers…

Misgendering: How it Hurts your Trans Child

Did you know that anyone can be misgendered? You don’t have to be trans to be referred to as the wrong gender or talked about with the wrong pronouns. However, trans people are common recipients of misgendering. Misgendering trans people can have very negative effects. You may not even realize you are hurting your trans child when you do this. Using new pronouns and a new name can be hard to adjust to, especially when it is someone you’ve known all of their life. However, it is important to put in that extra effort and correct your mistakes. Here’s why it’s important to be mindful about pronouns and what you can do to make the switch more seamless…

Make the Most of Virtual Therapy

Telehealth or teletherapy sessions are part of the new normal. Now you can meet with a professional from the comfort of your home if you don’t like a traditional office setting. Or, you can see a therapist whose office isn’t within driving distance. While teletherapy is great for those reasons, it can have its drawbacks as well. Some people feel it’s not as personable or that it’s difficult to make virtual therapy sessions run smoothly compared to in-person. If you feel that teletherapy is the best fit for you, you can still get just as much out of it as traditional therapy sessions. You can avoid virtual therapy pitfalls by properly preparing yourself. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of teletherapy…

Why It's Important to Let Your Kids Fail

It’s natural—we don’t want our kids to fail. When we see them struggling, our instincts tell us to jump in before they reach danger, whether it’s real danger or perceived. We give our children advice and intervene when we think they are making the “wrong” decisions. However, the truth is that even though seeing our kids fail is hard, it is important to let them do so. Failure will make them stronger, as difficult as it is to witness. Here are some reasons why we should consider taking a step back…

What To Do When You're Not Getting What You Need From Therapy

Have you ever felt stuck in a therapy session? Have you felt like you weren’t getting what you need or wanted? This is NORMAL and this is okay. If it happens once in a blue moon, it may not be a problem. But if it’s occurring more and more often, then it’s important to address it head-on. What can you do to figure out what’s going on and what you can do to get what you need from therapy? We’ll walk you through it…

Resources for LGBTQ+ Individuals

June is Pride Month! This means that there are plenty of pride events and celebrations planned throughout the month. But what about finding year-long support and events for LGBTQ+ youth? Here is a brief resource sheet detailing mental health help, social events, and ways to get involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy…

Teenagers, Helpful tipsLauren BroadwellJune 22, 2022LGBTQ+, pride, support, mental health, community

Ground Rules for Social Media: What Can You Do to Keep Your Kid Safe Online?

The internet is a part of everyone’s lives, including our children. Students use laptops in school (with some even providing laptops to take home), all your kid’s favorite shows are streaming, and almost everyone has a cellphone. How can we both monitor our child’s safety in a digital world, while also creating autonomy and promoting trust? The answer isn’t easy nor straightforward. Hopefully this article can create a conversation in your family, so that you can come up with the best approach for you. Here are some “ground rules” that might be useful for your family…

6 Awesome Mental Health Apps

Whether you’re currently struggling with a mental health issue, or you just want to build upon your skills, everyone’s looking for ways to improve their mental health. You might think of joining a yoga class, signing up for a meditation group, or participating in another activity that brings you peace. However, you may not always have the time to do these activities consistently. This is where apps can be super helpful. Within the palm of your hand, you can have a variety of tools to boost your mental health, whether you have an hour on a weekend or 5 minutes at the end of a busy work day. Here are some apps that can help you on your mental health journey…

How to Manage COVID Burnout

Are you struggling with the demands of the ongoing pandemic? Do changing guidelines, reinstated mandates, and other COVID updates have your head spinning? Well, you aren’t alone. With new cases of COVID causing closures and limiting travel once again, it may feel as if your emotional reserves are running out of gas. In fact, you may be dealing with COVID burnout. Here are some tips to help you stay afloat during this challenging time…

Exercising Your Mental Muscles

Looking to add healthy habits in the new year? After the holidays, you might make resolutions to get to the gym or eat healthier. Positively fueling and working your body will make you feel stronger, but change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and consistency to notice these gradual changes. However have you considered improving your mental fitness? How do you flex those muscles to strengthen your mental health? Exercise and nutrition can boost your mental health through the mind body connection, but other strategies can also enhance your mental fitness game. Here are some exercises that you can start incorporating into your routine today...

Improve Your Sleep Hygiene With Mindfulness

Do you find yourself glancing at the clock and wishing you could finally fall asleep? Do you lay in bed ruminating over the day’s events or worrying about that meeting tomorrow? Are you spending too much time on social media when you should be sleeping? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then you may not be getting enough sleep. Sleep is essential for both our physical and mental health. It aids in immunity and our ability to cope with stress. So what can we do to improve our quality of sleep? Here are some tips to improve your sleep hygiene…

Acknowledging Preferred Pronouns

We see it more commonly in social media, on email signatures and on Zoom calls: A person introduces themselves with their name, followed by their preferred pronoun. There are so many, like she/her, he/him, and they/them pronouns, among others. What do all of these pronouns mean, exactly? And why are preferred pronouns so important?

Gender Identity, Gender Fluidity, Helpful tipsKathy Hui, MSWNovember 10, 2021pronouns, gender, equality, LGBTQ+, relationships, conversation

Self-Care: Making Yourself A Priority

Do you feel like life is busier than ever before? Are you spending so much time on family, work, and other high-priority items that you forget to make time for yourself? When things are stressful, you may put yourself on the back burner. However it’s important to recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy well-being. Take care of yourself (even when things are busy!) by practicing self-care. Here are some suggestions to get you started…

Practicing Conscious Parenting

Parenting has its ups and downs. When your children are getting along and they’re in good moods, it’s wonderful. But when one child is misbehaving, or another child’s behavior is out of control, you may naturally feel frustrated, concerned, and unsure of how to respond. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting, there are ways to reduce stress and help your children grow. One option is conscious parenting. Conscious parenting is a mindful, parent-focused approach. The central idea is that in order to help your children, you must first help yourself. Let’s learn more about how to be a conscious parent…

Is your Teen Actually Depressed?

It’s hard to tell the difference between typical teen mood swings and depression. Your teen will feel sad or want to isolate themselves at times, or their behavior could be a sign of something more serious. Recognizing depression in your teen will allow you to get them much-needed help. It may be hard to distinguish the difference between typical teen behavior and indicators of depression. To provide clarity, ask yourself the following questions about your teen…

How to Ask for What You Need

The pandemic certainly has impacted our well-being and our relationships as a result! We’re being emotionally and physically taxed in a variety of new ways. They can lead to heightened emotions, feelings of overwhelm, and emotional instability; these all make it difficult to navigate interpersonal relationships. In order to feel validated and heard while also successfully asking for what you want during this difficult time, try using a well-known skill from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, DEARMAN. DEARMAN is a DBT skill that helps you be effective in getting what you want or asserting “NO.” Here’s how it works…

Creative Ways to Bond with your Teen During a Pandemic

Do you wish you had a stronger bond with your teen? Although you may be living underneath the same roof as your teen, it may feel as though you’re miles away from them. You may be physically close, yet emotionally distant. This year has been emotionally tolling on most people and your teen is no exception. When you are both under such strain, it can be more challenging than ever to find common ground. You don’t have to let the stress and monotony of a pandemic get in the way of cultivating positive experiences with your child. Consider these three creative ways to reconnect and bond with your teen during the next few months…

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