Supporting a Youth Struggling with Suicidal Ideation
One of many parents’ worst fears is learning that their child is struggling and no longer feels like they can keep going. Whether your child tells you directly that they have thoughts of suicide, or you find out in another way, it is heartbreaking and instantly makes us panic. I want to focus this blog […]
What are Values and Why Do They Matter in the Treatment of Mental Health?
Let’s start with the first question related to what are values? When I am doing therapy with someone, I define values as those things that are important to us that we cannot necessarily buy. This could include the way we treat others, and the way we expect others to treat us. Some examples could be […]
Supporting a Child with ADHD
Many parents struggle when supporting a child or youth who has been diagnosed with ADHD. This specific topic is special to my heart due to being diagnosed with ADHD at age 9. I was blessed to have appropriate support and accommodations put in place to help me feel successful. I wanted to spend some time […]
Tips for Coping With Anxiety
Anxiety is a universal emotion that is common in many different types of species. For humans, we have a part of our brain that is designed to protect us from life-threatening situations and this part usually responds by putting us into the fight, flight, or freeze mode. As our world has evolved, humans have been […]
Tips for Navigating the child and Youth Mental Health System in Ontario:
In Ontario, our mental health system is complex and difficult to navigate. Many people have different experiences while trying to get the help their child needs. In this post I am going to offer some tips and resources for trying to access community or private mental health services. This information is based on my experience […]
What Type of Therapy is Best for Me?
Once people make the decision to enter therapy, they can begin to feel overwhelmed at the number of different types of therapies that are out there. If you pull up a therapist or agency information page you may see different types of therapy listed: CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS, ACT, etc. You may also hear a […]
What to Do When Your Child Refuses Therapy?
Many parents have come across the issue where they feel like their child could benefit from therapy, but their child refuses to go. In Ontario, if a child appears to have the capacity to consent to treatment (there is not specific age for this – at least coming from a social work perspective), then they […]
The Importance of Play
Why is play such an important part of a child’s life? During the first few years of a child’s life, their brain is growing and changing at a rapid rate. When children are raised in overly stressful environments their brains and bodies go into constant fight/flight/freeze mode. When this occurs, other emotions like imagination, curiosity, […]
Supporting a Teen Dealing with Depression
It’s incredibly difficult to see someone you love struggle with depression, especially your child. Teens having to cope with depression has been on the rise and it’s hard to know how to support them. Many parents find themselves stuck between not wanting to push their child to much (to potentially cause more harm), but also […]
Back to the Basics
There are many times throughout people’s lives where they reach a point where everything seems out of control and overwhelming. You may find yourself struggling to function, questioning most decisions you have made and feeling as if you are losing yourself. When these things occur, I always encourage people to go back to the basics. […]
