Blog
Middle Schooler’s Struggle with COVID
Q: My daughter is struggling. The new Zoom structure at LPMS is a huge adjustment. She’s moody, cranky, crying all the time. She was sensitive before but now she’s beside herself. She’s lethargic, has nightmares, worries excessively. She frets about my leaving the house, afraid I’m going to get Covid. She freaks out about tracking…
Role Play Groups
Q: Our son had a hard time making solid friendships in elementary school. We were hopeful this year’s change to middle school, and all the new kids that would involve, would result in a fresh opportunity at developing his posse. Unfortunately with Covid and 100% virtual schooling, all of those plans have been scuttled. We…
Co-Parenting
Q: My ex drives me crazy. He looks for ways to disrupt my life and make things difficult for me. We have a custody arrangement but he constantly breaks rules and tries to renegotiate agreement details. It’s expensive to have my attorney involved at $400 an hour. Now he’s trying to change upcoming holidays. Honestly…
Struggles with Kindergarten Remote Learning
Q: Last spring my daughter was in kindergarten when COVID hit. Her teacher was accessible and did her best to provide meaningful online learning, but mostly it was a stressful, difficult, emotionally draining experience. There was lots of tantruming, “stomach aches,” melting off of chairs, and other forms of non-cooperation. I am dreading this September;…
Are My Long-Term Symptoms from COVID-19 in My Head?
The long term effects of COVID-19 are widely unknown since this is a relatively new matter. Given the traumatic experience of contracting the corona virus and potentially staying in the ICU, there are some findings on psychological effects including delusions, night terrors and panic attacks. There are chances of brain damage that might go unnoticed…
What’s the difference between DBT Programs and DBT Informed Therapy?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is Dr. Marsha Linehan’s adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with the primary goal of providing individuals with relevant coping skills for their daily lives. With radical self-acceptance at the core of DBT work, all-or-nothing thinking patterns are discouraged. Instead a middle path of thinking patterns, behaviors, and approaches to life…
What’s the Connection Between Attachment Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
What is Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)? An ODD is a complex and serious disorder that is diagnosed in about 10% of children seen by a mental health professional. Kids with this disorder are typically argumentative, irritable, angry, and (occasionally) vindictive to an extent not seen in the average rebellious child, and the behavior is seen…
Returning to College During COVID-19
Q: I’m supposed to return to college at the end of August. Florida is a hotspot and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. My parents are nervous about me going back. I’ve heard them arguing about it a couple of times. I have mixed feelings too. I miss my friends. I’m bored beyond belief…
Two Self-Care Techniques for Dealing with the Trauma of COVID-19
Q: I think I’m depressed. I’m not sure if it’s the coronavirus epidemic itself or cabin fever with the stay at home orders, frustration with MoCo online school, or fears about the future of our economy, but I am definitely not in a good place. I have more time than ever to finally clean out…
Is your teen locked behind a mask of COVID-19 indifference? Five tips to help you get behind the mask.
We are all moving from one coping strategy to another as we settle into the long grind of dealing with the implications of COVID-19. One minute we’re laughing at dark humor, the next we’re crying, or snapping at our spouse. Our teens are doing the same thing, but they’re teens, so we may not recognize…