You & Your Family

An Encounter With The Unknown – From A Mother’s Lens

This blog post is part of a series entitled Real Lives, Real Stories: Personal Experiences With Mental Illness.

Mending A House Divided: Bringing Peace And Good Will To The Holidays

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.

Guarding Against Fake News for You and Your Child

This is a good time to talk about charisma and its relationship to the power of stories.

It’s not that the idea of charisma is new. The word itself is an old one.  It derives from the ancient Greek word “χάρισμα (khárisma)”, and it translates to something like “favor freely given” or “gift of grace.

Who is Qualified to Conduct My Child’s Evaluation?

The number of professionals available to conduct evaluations of children can be quite overwhelming. Psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, educational consultants, counselors, and neuropsychologists are only a partial list of the professionals who can be helpful when you’re seeking more information about your child’s development.

Sexual Consent: Teaching Our Teens About the Gray Areas

In light of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, we thought it more important than ever to share the article below on how parents can help teens respectfully navigate the gray areas of sexual and romantic relationships.

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In the realm of sexual relations, consent is a bit of a mess.

Talking With Children About Suicide and Loss

Suicide is an unfortunate and unavoidable reality in the lives of children and youth. Whether it occurs with a family member, a schoolmate or peer, in the community, or in the media, the topic of suicide feels complicated and difficult to discuss with children.

What Are The Different Types Of Evaluations?

If your school-age child needs a mental health evaluation or learning assessment, how do you know which kind to request? Read more, below.

Arielle’s mother, Adele, was confused. She had taken Arielle, an active first grader who was struggling to learn how to read, to her pediatrician for guidance.

Helping Kids Through New School Year Transitions

Starting a new school year is often filled with anxiety for both parents and kids. Kids who are starting a new school, either because they are moving from middle school to high school, or are moving to a new neighborhood, have the biggest adjustment, but even those who are just moving to a new grade have adjustments to make.

What Is A Section 504 Plan?

Dan’s mom left her son’s evaluation team meeting at school feeling really frustrated. Dan, an active second grade student, was diagnosed by his psychiatrist with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The Importance Of Imaginative Play In Healthy Development

This post is not about Pokemon Go.

I thought it would be prudent to lead with that caveat. This post is about play—imaginative play, to be more specific—and, while I have no qualms with the notion that people of all ages “play” Pokemon, Go, that’s not the kind of play I want to discuss.