A Hard Holiday Season Is Not a Parent Fail! Oh boy, the holidays are just around the corner. Many of us parents say it every year – how is it already coming up on Thanksgiving and aaaaack that means the next holiday is just __ days away! It’s...
More InfoEmbracing Anxiety for Family Wellness by: Anastasia Sullwold Ristau, PhD, LP
Anxiety. Stress. Worries. Nervousness. These are referring to those uncomfortable times when something grows big inside our minds and bodies, takes over, and is hard to manage or control. The good news is that this is normal. In fact, not only...
More InfoBack to School Transitions: Tips for Parents By: Brenda Arnold, MS, NCC, LPCC
For most families, summer has been a time of spontaneous trips to the Dairy Queen, swimming with friends, late dinners, late bedtimes, bonfires, vacation and a freedom from the more rigid school schedule. With fall just around the corner, you...
More InfoHoliday Stress? Soft Belly Breathing can help! By: Lora Matz, LICSW
Did you know that we have a powerful nerve in our body that is called “the super highway of information?” It is the Vagus nerve and goes from our stomach to our brain. One of its many jobs is to monitor stress. Whenever stress is triggered by...
More InfoWhat to do about Bullying By Guest Blogger: Tom Tarshis, MD
STIGMA, BULLYING, MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUTH –ALIVE AND WELL IN 2013 Recent events have brought a focus back to bullying behaviors that remain commonplace in society. Beginning in pre-school and continuing throughout our lives for most people...
More InfoGetting Creative with Groups By Laura Swan, LGSW
Psychoeducation group…what is that? This is a question that I am often met with from patients in our Partial Hospitalization Program. Psychoeducation group, short for psychological education, is a group where patients discuss mental health...
More InfoDSM-5? Have a Heart! By: Stephen Setterberg, MD
I remember feeling rather smug as a brand new child psychiatry fellow in 1987 when DSM-IIIR was released because I knew that this Chinese menu approach to diagnosis could not possibly do justice to the nuanced complexity of any individual...
More InfoInfluence of Exercise on Mental Health by Karen Harrer, RN/Infection Control
It has been well researched and documented that exercise has many physical health benefits, such as preventing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and improving your immune response. During the summer months, individuals may find it easier to...
More InfoIn the face of Tragedy – Listening and Self Care By: Lora Matz, LICSW Clinical Education Specialist
In the face of tragedy what we each share is an increased sense of vulnerability. We share a heightened desire to protect and care for the children entrusted to us and to minimize anxiety or trauma to them. We also have an increased need during...
More InfoYoga and Why We Do It – By: Anna Barlage, RYT
Simply stated yoga means, “To yoke” or to join together. I explain it to the kids as a joining of their body and brain, and their body and breath. It’s a simple concept but can be quite challenging to do. This is especially true for some of the...
More Info