The holiday season is upon us and with it brings excitement as well as many schedule changes and opportunities for meltdowns. One great (and free) way to support your child during this hectic time of year is to support their nonverbal working memory. This is the part of the executive functioning (or EF) system that helps us visualize or imagine ourselves in the future as well as think about the past. 

In my previous blog, Perinatal Mental Health: Baby Blues and Beyond, we explored the importance of building a thoughtful and proactive support plan tailored to your unique needs during pregnancy and postpartum. A key part of that plan is establishing a strong professional support network, which can make all the difference as you navigate the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges that come with this significant life transition.

Some days I can so clearly recall the newborn phase, while other days it feels distant. As my son’s second birthday approaches, I’ve been reflecting on both the absolute joys of those early weeks of his life and also the growth these past two years — not just in him, but in me.

When you think about pregnancy and parenthood, what comes to mind? For many people, it might be images of serene, glowing mothers cradling their newborns in a sea of soft pastels, like something out of a Johnson & Johnson commercial. Or maybe it’s that family feel-good movie where the baby is sleeping soundly, the doctor tells the birthing caregiver they may experience some sadness after delivery, and everyone settles into their new identity with ease and a smile.

When your child begins therapy, you might be seeking a diagnosis for them, or you might want to go through the process without one, or you may be unsure if you want to have your child receive a diagnosis. There are ways in which a diagnosis can provide support to your child and family, and there are also ways that it can be a hindrance. 

As a new school year begins, there's a palpable sense of excitement and hustle around the city. Families are busy with their final back-to-school shopping, schedules are being released, and the anticipation of a new season fills the air. While many children look forward to the fresh start, the return to friends, and a break from the monotony of long summer days, the new school year can also bring anxiety and uncertainty, accompanied by a wave of complex emotions.

Parenting can be one of the most fulfilling yet challenging roles we undertake. There are moments of joy and connection, but there are also moments of frustration and stress, especially when a child’s behavior triggers a strong emotional reaction in us as the parent. Patty Wipfler's book, Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges, offers valuable insights and practical tools to help parents navigate these challenging moments.

In Austin, we go back to school in about a month which means a change in routine. As you start to prepare for this transition, it can be helpful to consider how your child’s routine impacts them.

Here are some questions to consider when thinking about your child’s schedule.

In today's world, where fast food chains dominate the landscape and processed snacks fill the aisles of supermarkets, instilling healthy eating habits in children is more crucial (and difficult!) than ever. However, teaching children to have a positive relationship with food goes beyond just making sure that they eat their fruits and vegetables. It's about fostering a mindset that can appreciate and understand the nourishing aspects of food while simultaneously enjoying the pleasures of eating.

A few years ago, Lynn Louise Wonders, MA, LPC, CPCS, RPT-S shared an open letter to parents going through a divorce. In this letter, she shares things that help make the divorce process go smoothly for every member of the family. One of her points is to gather your adult-helpers and know what purpose each person’s job serves. Today, I want to dive a little deeper into helping you understand each of these roles.

"Are you breaking up with us?" This sentiment is one I've encountered numerous times as I broach the topic of termination with caregivers. While the remark may appear lighthearted, it undoubtedly speaks to the depth and significance of the therapeutic relationships we, as therapists, form not only with our clients but often with the entire family system.

With summer break around the corner, I know that many caregivers become worried about their child using screens even more often. Children are no longer at school for a good portion of the day and it can sometimes be just too hot in Austin to stay outside for too long. However, I think the transition into summer makes a great time to implement a new media plan if you’re concerned about your child’s screen time since children understand this to be a time of new routines anyway.

Frustration is a familiar feeling no matter who you are. No matter what age, gender, nationality, or spirituality you identify with, you know what it means to feel frustrated. It’s also likely that you know that frustration rises inside us when we want a certain outcome from our efforts and, for whatever reason, we do not achieve that outcome.

If you’re a caregiver, you have probably thought about how to support your child’s emotional intelligence. This may look like asking your child to “use their words” to name how they are feeling, or maybe your child has a big meltdown when something they want doesn’t go as planned. Whatever the scenario, equipping children with the tools to understand their emotional world is essential for their well-being and ability to maneuver through life’s ups and downs.

Play therapy can seem like magic at times. Your child comes to our office for 45 minutes once a week to play and after an average of five months, they’ve completed their therapeutic goals! Their emotional regulation has improved, their anxiety has decreased, or maybe their self-esteem is higher.

As a therapist who has worked with children and families since my undergrad days, I was PREPARED for motherhood. Or so I thought. But, as most other parents can resonate with, parenthood is much more difficult than any outsider can imagine, and it didn’t take me long to figure this out. Once I did figure out how hard it was, I began reading both for information and entertainment. And quite honestly, as a coping skill.

Typically caregivers are thrust into this new Special Education world abruptly, carrying with them worries about their child on their shoulders. Special Education is difficult enough to navigate on its own, let alone when the well-being of someone they care about is at stake.

Typically when someone thinks of therapy, images of a calm and quiet waiting room may appear in their mind. Maybe rain sounds are playing, and the office is filled with mid-century modern furniture and earth tones. As you can imagine, play therapy tends to be a bit different. Especially the sounds!

I recently came across a parenting article and I love it for so many reasons. It’s The Rise of Accidentally Permissive Parents by Elizabeth Passarella in The Cut. I think it speaks to so many issues parents are having… resulting in a difficult reality of not feeling like you’re parenting well. What a hard place to be! I highly recommend the read.

If you have a strong enough “why” you can endure any “how.” This is a paraphrased idea courtesy of Friedrich Nietzche that I find to be very true in life. But man! Constructing a “why” strong enough to do something difficult can be pretty tough in our adult lives (for example, I procrastinated on writing this blog post), let alone our children’s lives.