Notes From The Couch

Tensions With My Teen Are High. This past week families have been dealing with eight weeks at home, teens fatiguing on distance learning and ready to start seeing friends again. With orders in many states transitioning from Stay at Home to Safer at Home- this seems to be the green light that people where waiting

My child is acting like a toddler. Each week since the Coronvirus social distancing and shelter at home orders there have been new behaviors that children have been showing. In the past two weeks, I have been treating a good deal of regression. I will define what that means below and whether or not you

Grief deserves more explanation After the Session #49 newsletter on grief, I received lots of feedback. All touching and emotional, people wanted to either share their story, ask questions or point out that I could have said more or included deeper information. I agreed, so today’s notes are about what else is important to think

This is surreal People have had it. Kids are over being home. Parents are tired of trying to juggle work, distance learning, entertaining their kids, managing their own emotions and cooking and cleaning around the clock. This week in therapy there were a lot more tears, a lot more sadness and ultimately what became clear

Nothing is normal. This topic needs little introduction. Nothing is as we knew it. Working from home or not at all has changed our daily lifestyle. Fearing our neighbors, strangers in a supermarket, or even our family members for fear of getting Coronavirus has changed how we interact with others. The economy being leveled seemingly

Therapy on a Screen? This week I have spent more time in therapy sessions through video than ever before. While I have been doing Telehealth for about two years now, never have I done back to back sessions for days. Naturally, people want to know how this works, if it is effective, if it’s appropriate

No school, no playdates As I write this it is day three of no school and working from home for most of America families. We are all experiencing unprecedented daily changes, increasing death tolls, infection numbers, restaurants and retails closings. Anxiety is high and we can’t really protect our kids from hearing about what is

Social Distancing Almost two weeks ago I sent the first session notes out about Coronavirus and how to talk to kids about it. Here we are 12 days later, most schools, day cares, sporting activities, concerts and businesses are closed or working remotely. Life as we knew it has completely changed and parents are managing

Kids with Anxiety Are Getting Even More Anxious The past two weeks have been triggering for many families. The flu season is elevating and reports of thousands of deaths from the flu are making its way into the Coronavirus conversation around reports of hospitalizations, quarantines and deaths. It is hard to protect kids from these

What’s the difference between moody and a mood disorder? The question that I am often asked, especially about teen girls, is what is the difference between moody and a serious problem and is this normal? In order to answer questions like these I have to ask a lot of questions first. We want to be

Why is suicide among kids on the rise? In the fall of 2019, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that teenage suicides have increased 56% over the past decade. Age ranges span from 10-24 years old. Yes, we are seeing more and more middle school children dying by suicide than ever. And even though

 Why do I feel irritable and tired? The month of January is filled with transitions, new beginnings, and big goals. It is also filled with endings, debt and failed resolutions. It is normal and common to have a hard time transitioning from vacation, time off, and leisure time to schedules, routines and responsibilities at work.