Therapy for Children

Ways to help your children develop self-esteem and confidence

Self-esteem and confidence are major traits in individuals that affect their success. While these are a lifelong process, the foundation of it needs to be established in early childhood. Building self-esteem will allow the child to deal with difficult situations that they will encounter during their lifetime. Since parents have the greatest influence on a child’s belief, it is important for them to let their child know where they belong, how well they are doing and contribute towards developing confidence and self-esteem.

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Suicide Inoculation

I am sending love to all of the parents of teenagers. It is a scary time to be a teenager and a scarier time to be a parent. As a parent and a therapist it is really hard to watch children suffer. My instinct is to stomp out whatever is bothering them and protect them. Suffering is an innate part of life and we can’t protect our children from it, I have tried, we can’t and your not going to like this, but we shouldn’t protect them. As parents and providers we must help them get back up after they fall, encourage them to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. Help them learn to come back after setbacks and disappointments. This is what we call grit or resilience. The ability to bounce back after sadness and disappointment. Recently there has been so much sadness and disappointment with the loss of our youth through suicide. I know I can’t protect my children and the children I work with. I hope to inoculate them, increase their immunity to the factors that can cause them harm. So here are some tried and true techniques I have gathered over my time as a mother, crisis therapist and have used with success:

  1. Touch or Connectedness: They will fight you, but they need hugged or patted on the back. As Human beings touch is the first sense we acquire, we are social by nature and touch is one way to show your children your here and you love them. It can be a pat on the back, a hug, shoulder rub or even standing shoulder to shoulder. When you touch your child in a loving and appropriate way their oxytocin level goes up and their blood pressure goes down. Remember all humans need to be touched a minimum of twelve times a day. It is a simple and effective way to show your love and it affect you positively as well. Hug your child.
  2. Limit the electronics. I know. Life is so much harder when they don’t have them. Here is why: our brains increase our dopamine levels when we use our electronics. Increased dopamine can increase addiction, I can get into the science, but that is another blog. Trust me try it. If they are on them they are not connecting to you or the outside world. 2 hours at home is more than enough period, please don’t hate me.
  3. Socialize: Join a team, Youth Group or other structured activities if possible. Something that allows your children to begin to socialize with you and with out you it allows for other adults to care about your children. Coaches, Youth Pastors etc. these days it truly takes a village.
  4. Schedule a regular time that you can talk to them. One mom I work with plays Uno with her son when he gets home and that is there regular time to connect. I get up with the kids and play Horse basketball. Yes, I suck, but my boys love it when they beat me. A simple drive in the car will get them talking. It doesn’t have to be heavy stuff, just connect with them. I have coffee or breakfast talk with my daughter. Just make it work. Shoot for 10 minutes a day per child. Family meals can help, electronics off, sorry. It can fluctuate, but make sure your checking in with them daily.
  5. 4-1 Ratio This one can be hard. Ours kids mirror what you tell them. So make sure your telling them positive things. For every critical thing you say to them try to say four positive things. Most parents think so much of their children and forget to share it or don’t think it important, it is. Try to catch them doing good and reinforce it.
  6. Teach them about resilience and reinforce it when ever you see it. Let them know how many times you failed or Thomas Edison failed before success. Failure, heartbreak , bruised emotions can all be turned into success if they learn to recognize resilience and grit and develop it as a life skill. Remember all these extreme emotions will pass, make sure they know that too.
  7. Support Each Other: A friend of mine lost her oldest son to suicide. This mom is the room mom, the crafty mom, the fun hands on mom. If it can happen to this family, none of us are immune, but we can try. This mom has made it her mission to improve things in her son’s name and I want to support her and all the families and friends suffering to the best of my ability. Raising happy, healthy children is not an easy job and there is more than one way to do it right.

A word of caution: Teenagers are highly impulsive by nature, they are in need of a lot of attention. Try to make sure that attention your giving them is positive. Remember that adolescence is temporary and it will pass . Use your teachers and mental health personnel as resources. Sending love to all of my local community and anyone dealing with these issues. Reach out if you need help, we all lose when we lose someone through suicide.

Looking for help is sign of strength

Individual treatment is often termed as psychotherapy, and is meant to help people with their emotional issues, which can range in order of their severity or intensity. The main aim of this form of therapy is to change the quality of life by defining the path of life clearly, and bringing in more clarity. Whether it is the problem of repressed childhood that you are facing, or an emotional breakdown due to divorce, failure or loss of a loved one, a professional psychologist can help you revive your mental health through systematic counselling.

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Get the most out of your work day

There are many emotional issues that find a corner in our heart, and refuse to die down. With time, these issues can transform into a sort of emotional tumor that impacts negatively on our daily life, such as lack of concentration, enthusiasm, self respect, will to change, encouragement, and so on. These issues can spiral into our lives in various ways and gets channelled into other zones, which can create problems in the relationships, professional life, and health.

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Help your child find new friends

Anxiety is something that exists in everyone’s life to a certain extent, and in a way it is medically known to be helpful as well. Because, anxiety helps us stay alert and be reactive to our circumstances, whether joyful or painful. However, when the anxiety reaches the stage where it overwhelms you mentally and physically, and affects your normal routine of life, you need the help of a clinical psychologist.

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It is never to late to go to therapy

We define the goals and objectives of the counselling sessions in a very transparent manner to help patients overcome their problems quickly and effectively, and get the new lease of life they came looking for. We work with the patient as per their schedule, to fix an appointment that is mutually agreeable. We help you embrace life, the way it is meant to be.

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Put yourself on the first place

Individual treatment is often termed as psychotherapy, and is meant to help people with their emotional issues, which can range in order of their severity or intensity. The main aim of this form of therapy is to change the quality of life by defining the path of life clearly, and bringing in more clarity. Whether it is the problem of repressed childhood that you are facing, or an emotional breakdown due to divorce, failure or loss of a loved one, a professional psychologist can help you revive your mental health through systematic counselling.

Read more

Anxiety treatment for better tomorrow

Anxiety is something that exists in everyone’s life to a certain extent, and in a way it is medically known to be helpful as well. Because, anxiety helps us stay alert and be reactive to our circumstances, whether joyful or painful. However, when the anxiety reaches the stage where it overwhelms you mentally and physically, and affects your normal routine of life, you need the help of a clinical psychologist.

Read more

Don’t be embarrassed to go on couples therapy

We define the treatment path in couples therapy after patiently listening and carefully understanding the problems couple is facing. Our practical and scientific approach, while balancing and weighing the emotions at stake, helps us bring in the much needed transparency and attachment among the partners. It definitively helps in doing the right thing, and taking the right decision, not only for the relationship, but personally as well.

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10 tips for less stressful mornings

Self-esteem and confidence are major traits in individuals that affect their success. While these are a lifelong process, the foundation of it needs to be established in early childhood. Building self-esteem will allow the child to deal with difficult situations that they will encounter during their lifetime. Since parents have the greatest influence on a child’s belief, it is important for them to let their child know where they belong, how well they are doing and contribute towards developing confidence and self-esteem.

Spend more time with your children and improve their confidence

In today’s competitive world, sleep is more of a luxury than a necessity. Sleep is important for the well being, both emotionally and physically for an individual. Insufficient sleep or no sleep has long lasting health and psychological disorders. If you have been experiencing insomnia, it may be due to a number of factors, including stress, anxiety or depression. In order to address your sleep problem, it is best to consult an experienced psychologist who can help you change your behaviour, manage feelings and emotions that may interfere with your sleep.

Suicide Inoculation

I am sending love to all of the parents of teenagers. It is a scary time to be a teenager and a scarier time to be a parent. …

Looking for help is sign of strength

Individual treatment is often termed as psychotherapy, and is meant to help people with their emotional issues, which can …

Get the most out of your work day

There are many emotional issues that find a corner in our heart, and refuse to die down. With time, these issues can transform …