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In the field, parents aren’t considered natural supports. This never much made sense to me. Sure, being an effective parent may not come naturally to everyone (or anyone for that matter), but wanting to ensure the survival of ones offspring is as natural as you get. As stated, being an effective parent does not come… Read more: Parents Are the Most Natural Supports

When going into a home for a new case, you typically go through the intake process and assess the needs of the client. One of those needs can be self esteem. Even if it wasn’t on the documentation, nearly every person with mental health problems no matter the age, could use higher self esteem. If… Read more: Does Anyone Have Good Self Esteem?

This is a tough perspective to have if it’s your own child. It’s difficult if it’s your own child because you’re so concerned about this behavior, if it will continue, and if you had a hand in it. So many parents show concern of the latter, but I’ve never cared much if it was their… Read more: Every “Problem” is an Opportunity

It’s natural for us to want to protect our kids and ensure they never experience pain or failure. The unfortunate reality is this is how we learn best. That’s not to say you should allow your child to experience pain that will cause irreparable damage, but the small things can make all the difference. The… Read more: Natural Consequences Always Work Best

I see all sorts of quick parenting strategies on the internet nowadays. This site is certainly not that. The reality is there is no simple strategy that will work with everyone. There is no one size fits all in mental health, nor should there be. Scientifically speaking, we’ve come to find that healthcare in general… Read more: All Care Needs to be Individualized

If you or your child have ever been involved in mental health services, you’ve probably received a different diagnosis from two different people. How could that be when the DSM creates distinct explanations for each one? It’s because what I see as the reason for a symptom may be completely different than what someone else… Read more: The Subjectivity of Mental Health Treatment.

Trauma unfortunately has become another one of those buzzwords. More unfortunate is this ends up damaging the probability that it will be taken seriously, or possibly that it will be taken too seriously. Just like any other emotion or emotion attached to an experience; the more power you give it, the more potential it has… Read more: Trauma: No One Wants it; Everyone’s Got it

Most of my cases when I was working in community services were with single parents. Was it because they were single, or not married, or a man or a woman? Absolutely not. It was because they usually had no natural supports (not any positive ones anyways), or they had another parental figure involved who did… Read more: Co-parenting: When two or more people need to be sane simultaneously!

Perhaps that’s too harsh? We can call it “persuasion” if you’d like. That being said; children can be extremely “persuasive.” The fact of the matter is, this is somewhat normal. It’s basic survival. Children care about getting what they want. Case closed. They don’t learn how to truly sympathize and empathize until they’re in their… Read more: Children: The Absolute Masters of Manipulation

This is something every parent struggles with to some degree or another. We all have our culture’s and values and also the things we don’t value so highly and generally disagree with. There’s probably at least one category nearly every parent doesn’t want their child to be a part of. An easy example would be… Read more: Control: The more you want, the less you have

We all have our beliefs on which supersedes the other. This subject is one that’s a matter of discussion in many fields and mental health is no different. If you have a child that has behavioral issues, there is no doubt in my mind someone has broached the subject of medication at some point. I’m… Read more: Nature or Nurture?

It’s becoming quite popular in media and culture. I can’t go a day without seeing some article about anxiety and how debilitating it is. I’m not saying it’s not, but anxiety is quite complicated. First, there’s something that makes you uncomfortable or even terrified. Then you read an article or see something on TV that… Read more: Anxiety! How to reduce it and ensure it’s not contagious

This one can be difficult, seeing how it’s cultural, like many things are. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “back in my day…” Good for you, I’m happy that you enjoyed getting beat by your parents. However, a different generation, a different society, a different decade, a different millenium; brings billions of… Read more: Consequences: The fragility of behavior management

I often hear people say something along the lines of “children come first.” I understand the idea behind this, but we don’t often question whether or not it’s accurate or healthy. The truth is, the parents need to come first, because the child will react to your actions and reactions. How can your child do… Read more: You come first