Child Therapist
Breadcrumbed by a TikToker on Valentine’s Day
Q: My best friend has been talking to a “famous” local TikToker online. She has been telling me all the details, and it sounds like she is really into him. The problem is, it doesn’t say that he feels the same. Every time they plan to do something, he cancels at the last minute or…
Grief During The Holidays
Q: The holiday season has always been a grand affair at my house, with family reunion meals, festive decorations, and endless eggnog. My family always took it very seriously, especially my dad, who dressed up as Santa and partied the hardest. Unfortunately, my father passed away in February with COVID. Now, I’m dreading the holiday…
Growing Up Too Fast
Q: I’ve noticed my 14-year-old daughter is choosing clothing that, in my eyes, is meant to be worn by older women like crop tops, short shorts, tight-fitting shirts, and everything in between! When I express my concern, she accuses me of not wanting her to be proud of her body. Her friends dress like this, too. As Halloween…
Kindergarten and Covid Concerns
Q: School is starting soon, and I’m really worried for my 5-year-old daughter. I’m just not comfortable sending her, unvaccinated, to a new school. Let’s be real; we know kindergarteners are not going to keep their masks on. But she’s bored at home. I know she needs more than a weekly playdate pod. She missed her preschool friends…
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…
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;…
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…
Role-play Games Build Confidence and Keep Kids Connected
Are you worried the stay-in-place efforts to keep our community safe are leaving your kids lonely and isolated? You’re not alone. In a study on the impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents, Dr Loades and her researchers found that children and adolescents can experience high rates of…
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…
It's not an easy time to be a kid. Perhaps it never is, but now it's especially true. Let us help you understand and support your child's needs.
Is your teen struggling with school, in their relationships with friends, with you? Do they seem irritable, withdrawn, unmotivated, sad? Our therapist know how to help.
Are you looking to make some aspect of your otherwise good relationship better? Maybe you’ve tried all the strategies that make sense to you.