This post talks about something that happens throughout our lifespan, but it comes up most frequently when I am talking to kids: saying things we don’t mean when we feel angry, scared, upset, or any other Big Feeling.

I wrote this blog as a script to use with children. Take what helps you, change what you need to, and ignore anything that doesn’t work for you.

Sometimes when we have a Big Feeling, we don’t express it in the best way. This is because, to sum up in very simple terms, the part of our brain that is in charge of feelings overrides the part of our brain that is in charge of words, logic, and thinking before we make a choice.

When you are feeling something really strongly, the part of your brain that decides what to say is not fully online.

That’s why we sometimes say things we don’t mean when we feel upset. The feelings part of our brain is throwing words out there without checking with the language and decision making part. Think of a time you said something you didn’t mean. How did you feel later, after you calmed down? Did you feel sorry or guilty?

Every single person makes mistakes, but the good news is, we can fix our mistakes or make up for them. When you realize you said something when you had a Big Feeling, you can apologize. But you also need to work on making a different choice in the future. We understand that Big Feelings make it harder to use kind words, We are still responsible for what we say regardless of how we were feeling when we said it.

How can you tell when you’re starting to have a Big Feeling?

What brings those feelings down without hurting anyone’s feelings?

How can the people who love you support you in making good choices when you’re having a hard time with your feelings?

Cynthia Hammer originally connected with me on LinkedIn for her work in raising awareness around Inattentive-Type ADHD (previously known as ADD). Since many inattentive ADHD symptoms are internal and harder to observe, many with this type of ADHD go unnoticed and fly under the radar. In addition to her advocacy work, Cynthia recently published a book about living with Inattentive-Type ADHD.

1. First, tell me a bit about yourself and your professional background? 
   
   I have my Master’s Degree in Social Work, received in 1972, specializing in geriatrics. I worked in a continuing care retirement home, and it was there, in 1992, the CEO of the facility, during my annual evaluation, helped me recognize my ADHD.
   
   I had been accompanying my son, diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, to his monthly appointments with the pediatrician. When I next saw the pediatrician, I suggested I had ADHD, and he replied, “You do.”
2. How did you become interested in Inattentive-Type ADHD? 
   
   I have the inattentive type of ADHD, but when I started my first non-profit, ADD Resources, I focused on educating adults that ADHD exists. I led this non-profit, based in Tacoma, WA, for 15 years and got to host many national authorities at our annual conferences in Seattle.
   
   While writing my book, I only focused on the inattentive type when I became aware that this type of ADHD continues to be underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. That was the impetus for starting the second non-profit, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition, at www.iadhd.org in March 2021.
3. How did Living with Inattentive ADHD come to be?  
   
   Shortly before Covid isolation, I received a memoir from a college classmate. Writing my memoir for my three sons and four grandchildren would be a good thing to do while isolated. 
   
   Without this enforced restriction on my activities, I could never have written the manuscript. I liked my manuscript, which was about my entire life, not specifically about inattentive ADHD (IA), so I hired a development editor. 
   
   He was the one who said it should be a hero’s journey about my inattentive ADHD. I had written 50,000 words, but he eliminated 10,000 of them as not on the topic of IA, then he had me write 5000 other words in response to questions he asked.
   
   He helped me write what I would send to agents and publishing houses. Covid made this an easier and less costly process. Instead of printing out whole packages and mailing them to various places, I sent my proposals via email. I contacted over 50 businesses and was on the verge of pursuing self-publication when HatherLeighPress expressed interest.
   
   As I continued to write for the blog on our website and write guest posts for ADDitude and articles for CHADD’s Attention magazine, I had more information to add to the book, which the publisher accepted. Dr. Stephen Faraone also made a few suggestions as well as Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer Prize winner, also with ADHD and the author of a book, Buzz, about a year with her son with ADHD. (I am sure she would be happy to be interviewed.) which I added to the manuscript along with facts at the end of each chapter about ADHD—and two articles in the Addendum—a questionnaire that helps adults identify their possible IA (available for free download at www.iadhd.org/adult ) and an article, What an Adults Needs to Know Before and After a Diagnosis.
4. What do you hope your readers learn from your book? 
   
   Readers with IA or wondering if they have IA will relate to everything I experienced and write about. I am candid; describing in detail the kinds of challenges I had and continue to have—the behaviors that, because of our shame, are often hidden from others. I hope my book makes them realize that there is nothing to be ashamed of—that we are worthy of respect and empathy and understanding.    
   
   It will give family members and friends an insight into IA and enable them to view their family member or friend in a new light.
5. What do you wish the general public knew about Inattentive-Type ADHD?  
   
   That it exists. It can harm a person’s life when not diagnosed and treated during childhood. Research shows that medication is the most helpful treatment and that it is a very effective treatment. Stigma about ADHD and medication for ADHD is wrong and jeopardizes life. People with undiagnosed ADHD die, on average, 12 years earlier than their peers because of suicide, poor health, SUD, and accidents.  
   
   In my case, there is no other explanation than the IA for my challenges. I was fortunate in life. I come from a loving, stable, upper-middle-income professional family, have a 53-year marriage to a retired surgeon, and am well educated. There is no trauma, poverty, SUD, domestic violence, or other psychosocial problems in my history. Yet, despite these advantages, I struggled in life. 
   
   After learning about the lives of others, who lived many years with their ADHD undiagnosed, I often said, “I have a mild case of ADHD, but it was bad enough.” My first child, a 17-month-old toddler, died because of my undiagnosed IA; years later, I almost died because of my undiagnosed IA.
6. Where can people order your book?  
   
   It is already available for preorder at Amazon (in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia) and at Barnes and Noble in the US, which has an eBook available. Listeners are encouraged to ask your independent bookseller to obtain it and your local library. If the book has outstanding sales, this, by itself, will bring more awareness to IA.  
   
   All royalties from the book will go to the non-profit Inattentive ADHD Coalition. The book was released on March 28.
7. Anything else you would like to add?
   
   If people want to keep up with me as an author and my activities to promote the book, go to www.iadhd.org/book

Praise for Living with Inattentive ADHD

As a therapist, I often suggest books to my clients to help them understand their struggles and know they’re not alone. Cynthia Hammer’s Living with Inattentive ADHD, which describes her journey from grieving to healing, is such a book.

Cynthia vividly describes how ADHD confounds and, at times, paralyzes her. You’ll grieve alongside her as she discovers the truth about her diagnosis and the “new” reality of living with ADHD as an informed person.

If you have ever questioned whether you have Inattentive ADHD, Living with Inattentive ADHD will bring you clarity and a deep understanding of this topic. Cynthia’s story shows that it’s never too late to create a new path in life.

Lisa Rabinowitz, LCPC, Certified Gottman Therapist specializing in couples with ADHD

Cynthia Hammer’s Living with Inattentive ADHD is a compelling and, at times, harrowing journey through a life lived with the disorder. Filled with valuable insights based on Cynthia’s professional knowledge and personal experience, it is a tale of struggle, tragedy, growth, and, ultimately, hope. It deserves a place next to the most important scholarship on ADHD, as well as indelible personal memoirs.

Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S.,; Host, The ADHD Essentials Podcast

This book is wonderful. Cynthia’s honesty, insight, and sense of humor about her lifelong ADHD will be both a comfort and inspiration to others.

Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist

A long time ago, Willa Goodfellow reached out to me via Twitter to share her story of misdiagnosis, medication side effects, and hope. Her book, Prozac Monologues: A Voice from the Edge, is described as “a book within a book” – the story of Willa’s experience with the mental health system trying to treat her…for the wrong diagnosis.

I want to thank Willa for being patient with me and for nudging me. When she first shared her book with me, I was attempting to recover from a round of burnout. I told myself I would check out her book as soon as my brain fog cleared. And then it was a year later! I wish I had read it sooner, but I am so glad I was able to read it.

With her hilarious, insightful, and honest style, Willa presents her experience of writing a book while experiencing manic symptoms as well as her mental health journey, learning her correct diagnosis (Bipolar II Disorder), and going through the literal ups and downs of living with bipolar. She shares her own experience as well as research-backed information written for a broad audience so that anyone can learn about bipolar-type disorders and their treatment.

I have written before about how some people have been misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder when they actually have ADHD (though people with ADHD can also have bipolar disorder, as the diagnoses are not mutually exclusive). However, I hadn’t spent as much time considering those who have bipolar disorder and were misdiagnosed. As Willa experienced, many with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed as having major depressive disorder (MDD; sometimes referred to as “unipolar depression,” as people with this diagnosis experience depressive symptoms and episodes but not manic or hypomanic episodes seen in bipolar disorder).

Treatment protocols for MDD can trigger manic or hypomanic symptoms for people with bipolar disorder, which sometimes has the antithetical impact of preventing a bipolar diagnosis if a provider assumes that the symptoms are “medication-induced.”

Because the diagnostic protocols for mental health often have less-than-perfect reliability, unfortunately many people are misdiagnosed before they learn what is really going on for them. Willa’s experience and knowledge helps the general public better understand bipolar disorder and its symptoms while also providing diagnosticians with tips for doing our jobs more accurately.

It can be challenging to balance the risks and rewards of psychiatric medication. As a psychologist, I really appreciated Willa’s nuanced and honest approach to discussing medication intervention. She shares her own negative experiences with antidepressant medications and explores the risks and side effects of these pills while also acknowledging how they can help when prescribed correctly. She discusses how medication can help without presenting this as the only option or an essential component of recovery.

Prozac Monologues includes a resource database for learning about mental health. While I of course cannot personally speak to every resource on the list, it is a fantastic starting point for those who want to learn and understand the field.

While Willa doesn’t pull any punches (she vulnerably shares about suicidal ideation and other hard topics), Prozac Monologues is also filled with hope: the hope that you can find the right diagnosis, the right treatment plan, that you can feel better.

Prozac Monologues is available in paperback and as an audiobook. You can order a signed copy from Willa’s website.

Recently I must have won some kind of social media lottery because Twitter decided to let me start offering bonus, subscriber-only content. Isn’t that cool? They think my content is worth paying for! I figured it would be a great way to pass along more therapy resources (and some bonus cat photos!), so I set up a profile.

As with many features on Twitter, the Subscriber function appears to have some bugs. Namely, several people who tried to subscribe got error messages. No wonder the platform is going bankrupt. People are trying to give you money, Elon!

Anyway, since people were having trouble subscribing and seemed to want access to subscription content, I made a Patreon! Right now I have two tiers: Twitter Subscriber and Telehealth Bonus. Here’s what you get if you sign up.

Twitter Subscriber: This Patreon tier is the same content that I will post to my Twitter subscribers. $5 per month.

• Worksheets and activities to use in therapy
• Educational material about mental health
• Bonus cat content
• Raffles and giveaways
• Discount codes for products, books, and continuing education
• Honestly, probably other random ideas that I get as they come to me

Telehealth Bonus: For $10 a month, get everything my Twitter subscribers get PLUS

• The option to suggest ideas for new content (though I can’t guarantee I will have the ability to create anything you suggest)
• Therapy activities ready for use in telehealth sessions, including PCIO file telehealth games and fillable PDFs
• Again, probably more stuff as I think of it

Subscribe to my Twitter here (if they ever get that feature working). I think you have to have a Twitter account to access it.

Subscribe to my Patreon here. Do not subscribe to both! If you want the Telehealth Bonus tier, you will already get everything that gets shared to Twitter subscribers.

Today is the day! Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox, Volume 2, is live! If you pre-ordered, it is on the way. If you didn’t, it is not too late! Go buy it right now! Available on PESI’s website, Amazon, and apparently at Target.

From PESI:

With virtual therapy becoming ever more ubiquitous, how can you keep young clients engaged while providing them with the effective, evidence-based treatment they need?

Look no further! Dr. Amy Marschall is back with even more teletherapy interventions for your practice in her newest book, Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox, Volume 2. As with the first volume, you’ll find more than 125 ready-to-use telehealth games, exercises, and activities tailored to each client’s unique interests, treatment goals, and developmental level. As an added bonus, this volume also features a directory of activities based on what telehealth features are available to your client so you can find an activity that works regardless of the device, Wi-Fi restrictions, and platform options available.

Designed to fit with any therapeutic orientation, this toolbox targets the same skills as the first volume, including:

• Frustration tolerance
• Perspective taking
• Problem-solving
• Cognitive flexibility
• Perfectionism
• Empathy building
• Winning and losing well
• Impulse control
• Decision-making
• Emotion regulation
• Following directions
• And more!

I am so excited to bring you another therapist/author who is creating mental health resources! Chris Warren-Dickins is a psychotherapist who has two titles available and is working on a novel. He provides concrete, actionable suggestions for working through difficult emotions and making changes in your life.

1. First can you introduce yourself and share a bit about your background?

I am an author and psychotherapist in New Jersey, and I have published two mental health related non-fiction books: Beyond Your Confines (published by Zero Labels in 2022), and Beyond the Blue (published by Zero Labels in 2021). My debut novel is out later this year, along with a children’s book on mental health.

When I am not writing and seeing clients as a psychotherapist, I am a parent to my two elementary-school aged children. I love how these different parts of my life complement each other; parenting, psychotherapy, and writing are all united by the common passion for insight and growth. Wide-eyed wonder as we approach each day together.

2. I love the mindfulness exercises shared on your website! How did you get into creating those?

I have been using mindfulness exercises since I began my career as a psychotherapist. I adore Jon Kabat-Zinn, particularly because he is not afraid to tackle structural inequality. In Beyond Your Confines, I explain that our work as a psychotherapist cannot end with the individual who sits before us. We have a duty to tackle the structural causes of mental distress, and that includes structural inequality, otherwise we can end up re-traumatizing our clients, implying that if we just think differently, we can somehow ignore the discrimination or abuse. As I point out in Beyond Your Confines, we cannot understand an individual’s mental health without understanding the structure within which that individual exists, “and the health of one is inextricably linked to the health of the other.” As Kabat-Zinn points out, “we can no longer afford to ignore this fundamental characteristic of our reciprocity and interconnectedness.”

3. How did Beyond Your Confines come into being?

Since the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression have increased from one in ten adults to four in ten adults, and there has been an uptick in intolerance and discrimination. As a psychotherapist who helps people work through trauma, anxiety, and depression, I wanted to understand these trends, and as a queer non-binary psychotherapist, I was particularly concerned about the uptick in intolerance and discrimination.

In Beyond Your Confines, I explain that confined by (or we are suffering because of) the coincidence of three factors that together create a sh*t storm in terms of our mental health –

1. We have always created labyrinthian prisons of self-limiting beliefs and short-circuited thought patterns, and we have always been hardwired to fear uncertainty…

2. But with a growth in technology, including smart phones, we are satiating our thirst for certainty and circulating short-circuited thought patterns at greater speeds, thus polarizing views and increasing intolerance and discrimination. But that is not all…

3. Add to that a pandemic, a time of great uncertainty (and you know how we hate uncertainty), and we know from history that pandemics tend to polarize views and lead to the scapegoating of certain groups…

Is it any wonder that we have ended up with this sh*t storm of intolerance, discrimination, trauma, anxiety, and depression?

So, what to do about all of this?

In Beyond Your Confines, I explain that we are all affected by, and affect, each other. We do not live in a vacuum, so there is no such thing as individual mental health. Instead, we need to understand how we are polluting the environment in which we live, and this includes educating ourselves about structural inequality and privilege, learning about the impact of trauma, and developing awareness of our own limiting beliefs, short-circuited thought patterns, and our excessive need for certainty.

4. How about Beyond The Blue?

Beyond the Blue is a play on words: Beyond the blue of depression, but also Beyond the Blue of the male label. I published this in memory of my Uncle Gavin who died by suicide at just 32, in 1988 when I was a child. Years later, in 2010, I published research into male experiences of counseling and suicide, and the conclusion was clear: Men were not seeking help. Since then, the picture has remained the same: The male labeled are three times more likely to die by suicide, and yet they are less likely to seek help from a mental health professional.

In Beyond the Blue, I argue that the male label serves as an obstacle to mental healthcare, partly because of the assumptions associated with the male label: The male labeled are expected to remain silent, appear strong, and focus on external gain instead of emotions and vulnerabilities. As the United States is a patriarchal society, this conditioning influences the dominant view of emotions. The approach preferred by many with power or authority is to focus outwards, on achievement and power, and I argue that depression, anxiety, and trauma are all rather inconvenient truths that many people would rather not hear about. As a result, we have a dark figure of underreported cases of male depression, because they are the black swans that people do not expect to see.

5. What do you hope your readers take from your books?

In terms of Beyond Your Confines, I hope that we learn how we affect, and we are affected by, the environment in which we live. Without an appreciation of how structural inequality and privilege reinforce the mental prisons that confine us, we could end up pathologizing our clients, re-traumatizing them, or becoming a tool to further oppress others. The keys to reach beyond these confines are within our grasp in the form of awareness of our own process, knowledge of concepts such as intersectional theory, empathy, compassion, collaboration, mindful awareness, and even the use of Polyvagal Theory to regulate our nervous system. Once we free ourselves from the stagnating prison of perpetual shutdown, fight-or-flight, orfawn responses, we can more fluidly use our social engagement system to connect with ourselves and others, and to heal, nurture and grow. We just need to be free to do this. Free from without, and free from within.

In terms of Beyond the Blue, I hope that we can see beyond the blue of the male label and understand the individual within. To do this, we need to challenge the assumptions we make about the male label, so that the right people get the right help. After all, undiagnosed depression, anxiety and trauma poses a risk to all of us.

6. I see you have a novel coming out! When is that releasing, and what is it about?

Yes, I am really excited about my debut novel, and it should be out later this year. It is currently with the editor, so once I have it back from her, I can then start to release a few teasers and trailers. I can’t really say more at this stage, other than it is a hybrid psychological thriller and gothic horror.

I also have a children’s book on mental health coming out later this year. I have a wonderful illustrator who is currently finalizing the illustrations, so I am excited to share more of that shortly.

7. Any other projects or resources you would like to share?

I would encourage everyone to take a moment to check in with their breathing and feel their body connecting to their surroundings (their feet on the ground or body on the chair). Just notice, for a moment, away from a digital device, away from the demands of life, and allow yourself that small dip in time when you can be rather than do.

I wonder what came up for you, and I would love to hear about it. Do get in touch via my website.

There is a saying about cross stitch, “WARNING: This is proof that I have the patience to stab something 1,000 times.” Now, some might have trouble using a needle safely or navigating the fine motor skills of physical cross stitch, but the repetitive motion of cross stitch activities can be relaxing, mindful, or meet a sensory need.

You can complete cross stitch activities online, which removes the needle work but maintains the repetitive nature of the task. This website is accessible with telehealth sessions if you screen share and grant the client remote control. There are dozens of images to choose from.

You can also each pull up the website on your own device and work on different patterns, then share what you each created. This way, you can model the mindfulness of the activity or focus skills along with your client. Then you can share your creations with each other.

Unlike some other color by numbers websites I have found, online cross stitch lets you make “mistakes.” There is a pattern to follow, but you can deviate, though the color options are limited with each palate. This means you and your client can work through frustration if they make a mistake, or you can take a more creative approach to the task and let them make their own design.

If you do make a mistake, you can simply color over your error with another color. (Note: if you are deviating from the standard design, once you put the “correct” color on a square, it stays that color even if you try to change it.)

This is yet another way to make creative expression more accessible in therapy.

Thanks to my newfound emotional support social media site, Mastodon, I connected with Nimah Garvey, an Irish autistic author and nurse, and author of Looking After Your Autistic Self. Nimah was kind enough to chat with me about her book and her experience as an autistic person.

1. First can you share a bit about your background?

I am 36, and I live in Cork, Ireland, with my husband and three daughters. I worked for many years as a nurse, but am currently unable to nurse due to physical disability (auto-immune arthritis and hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome). Writing brings me a lot of joy, and fills me with purpose, especially since I became unable to work as a nurse.

I was diagnosed as autistic when I was 34. I had no idea that I was autistic until I began studying for a Diploma in Autism, in order to understand and support my daughter’s autism. As I sat through the lectures, it began to dawn on me that I had all the autistic traits that the lecturers were teaching us about. The difference between my autistic daughter and I, was that I had learnt how to repress and hide my traits. I gradually learnt that being able to hide my autistic traits did not make me any less autistic.

I am the kind of person that wants hard facts about everything, so it was important to me to get assessed and have my suspicions confirmed. I was relieved to learn that I am autistic, as it has helped me to understand myself at a whole new level.

When not in the throes of parenting, I spend a lot of time writing, reading, listening to audiobooks, immersing myself in nature, and gardening.

2. How did you come up with Looking After Your Autistic Self?

I have enjoyed creative writing as a hobby for years, but had never considered writing a non-fiction book. When a lecturer in the Autism Diploma paused the lecture one day, and told me that I should  write a book of strategies for autistic people, I was totally taken aback. I didn’t think that I was qualified to write a book for autistic readers; I felt like an amateur autistic person as I was so recently diagnosed.

But the more I reflected on it, the more I realised that I had been autistic since the day I was born, and was as autistic as the next autistic person. I had been developing strategies and asking questions since I was a child, and had spent a lot of time and energy thinking about how to support myself. I decided that if I shared what strategies help me, then it might help other people learn how to support themselves.

I also thought writing this book might help non-autistic people to understand more about what it means to be autistic. Through my nursing training, I was acutely aware that many autistic people have an intellectual disability that reduces their capacity to explain their wants and needs to other people. As an adult without an intellectual disability, I hope that my insights and experiences will further the knowledge of carers, loved ones and professionals working with autistic adults who do not have that capacity.

3. What do you hope your readers will get from your book?

Learning how to self-regulate has hugely improved my own well-being and mental health, and the ultimate goal of this book is to help readers learn to self-regulate too. The main three areas I cover in this book are identifying and managing your sensory system, emotional regulation and well-being. I share a lot of evidence-based information, and then guide the reader through personalising the supportive strategies to themselves.

4. What do you wish people knew about autism/being autistic?

Firstly, a lot of society holds outdated ideas about what it means to be autistic. Some people think that because they once met one autistic people with a very significant intellectual disability, then any other adults couldn’t possibly be autistic if they have a job, or a qualification, or do not have an intellectual disability, or are married, or can talk etc.  Autistic people, like non-autistic, all vary in our skills and ability to communicate, and in how we act and think.

A lot of people form their ideas of what it means to be autistic from watching movies or TV programmes, where the autistic character is a genius with no social skills whatsoever, a monotone voice, and no ability to see things from anyone else’s perspective. Thankfully this stereotyped media portrayal is changing, partly due to some of the amazing autistic writers who are writing books with autistic main characters. Examples include Elle Mc Nicholl’s children’s book “A kind of Spark” which has now been made into a BBC TV show, and is being highly praised for its portrayal of autistic people. Holly Smale’s best selling young adult book series “Geek Girl” also revolves around an autistic main character, and is to be made into a Netflix show.

The second thing I wish more people knew about being autistic, is that autism doesn’t always mean distress, and should not be measured by distress. Autism can bring a person as many strengths as it can bring challenges. When autistic people are understood, supported, and are able to regulate ourselves, we can live very happy fulfilled lives.

5. How can non-autistics support their autistic loved ones better?

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to start learning about what it means to be autistic from autistic people themselves. A lot of information about autism is outdated, ableist, misproven, or is not written, or approved of, by autistic people. I’m not saying that all information about autism needs to be written by autistic people, but it does help when organisations and publications use the perspectives, expertise and lived-experiences of actually autistic people.

Once you start to understand autism, you will realise that it is okay to be autistic. In fact, I frequently celebrate being autistic. My autism gives me a beautiful ability to focus intensely on something I am deeply interested in, and allows me to feel immense joy through my whole body. I can connect with nature in a visceral way, and get huge pleasure out of my special interests.

6. Do you have any other projects coming up?

I am working on another book for autistic people, but it is early days yet and I am not ready to announce anything yet!

About Looking After Your Autistic Self

It is a myth that autistic children grow into ‘less autistic’ adults. In fact, many autistic adults feel more overwhelmed as they age as the stresses of social demands such as relationships, parenting, or the work environment increase.

“Looking After Your Autistic Self: A Personalised Self-Care Approach to Managing Your Sensory and Emotional Well-Being” offers tips and tricks designed to reduce sensory and emotional stress, to look after your autistic self. From understanding what’s happening when the stress response kicks in to using the ‘detective habit’ to spot your individual strengths and triggers.

Featuring strategies including ‘quick calm plans’ for managing triggers and lived-experience advice on understanding emotional regulation, coping with sensory overload and how to look after your senses during intimacy, this guide is here to ensure that you don’t just survive adulthood, you thrive in it.

Reviews

This easy-to-read and engaging book describes why autistic adults find sensory and emotional well-being difficult to attain. They will resonate with these explanations, and the self-care recommendations will improve their quality of life. Family members, psychologists, and occupational therapists will also benefit from the insights and strategies.

Tony Attwood

Niamh’s opening words tell us that life as an adult is hard and then proceeds to tell us numerous different ways to make it easier. This is a truly fantastic book full of ideas and strategies delivered in an entirely autistic way. It’s so logical, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it before. Brilliant.

Sarah Hendrickx, author of Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum

I have fantastic news, everyone! Clinical Documentation with Children and Adolescents: Treatment, Risks, and Ethics is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Do you work with kids? Learn everything they never taught you in graduate school about the laws, ethics, and special considerations when it comes to all aspects of clinical documentation.

Do you like the cover? Routledge let me pick the image.

Here’s what my colleagues said when I let them read the draft:

Dr. Marschall’s book would have saved me so much time and stress when I was a new therapist trying to figure out billing insurance companies and clinical documentation! This guide should be on the shelf of all mental health counseling students and new mental health professionals alike. I found the sample intake interviews and notes to be very helpful!

Casey O’Brien Martin, LMHC, REAT, RN, Author of Skills for Big Feelings: A Guide for Teaching Kids Relaxation, Regulation, and Coping Techniques

Regardless of population, documentation in the clinical world can be a challenging process to navigate. Clinical Documentation with Children and Adolescents by Dr. Amy Marschall, Psy.D., provides an articulate and comprehensive guide for the nuances in practice that must be approached specifically for child and adolescent clients. With thoughtful consideration of each step in the documentation process and excellent detailed templates and examples, this is a phenomenal resource for seasoned mental health professionals and is sure to become an essential addition to the library of any clinical student or new clinician who is interested in working with this population.

Andrea Dorn, MSW, LISW-CP Founder of Bloom Therapy and Wellness and Author of the Mindful Steps Series(TM)

Clinical Documentation for Children and Adolescents is a must-read for any clinician working with this population. Dr. Marschall provides nuanced and detailed information to help any provider navigate the complexity of potential ethical and legal issues. This versatile manuscript will serve as a timeless guide for students as well as the most-seasoned clinicians.

Dr. Marina Harris, PhD, Psychologist, CEO of Bloom Psychology Group

Pre-order your copy today!

Transparency Note: I was not paid to write this post, but I may be compensated if you purchase a package using my referral link. I also have a financial stake in A Change For Better, so if the company does well, I do make money.

Are you a mental health professional who needs continuing education credits?
Are you a fan of beaches, sun, and surf?
Do you want to learn more about culturally competent mental health care?
Do you like tax write-offs?

This August, join A Change For Better and me in Fiji for a cultural retreat and continuing education conference! Learn more about the itinerary of this once-in-a-lifetime experience here: The First Annual Lean In, Learn, & Lounge Summit. I will be speaking on building and running a private practice, technology and telehealth, and ethics.

Choose from six affordable packages, with early bird pricing from now through May 1, 2023. Remember, if you are a therapist using this trip to complete your continuing education requirements for licensure, you may be able to write the trip off as a business expense. (Ask your accountant to make sure your trip qualifies! I cannot give financial advice.)

All packages include lodging, meals, continuing education workshops, cultural immersion experiences, and self-care activities. You will need to purchase your flight (but again, this is likely tax deductible – ask your accountant).

If you can’t make it to Fiji, the continuing education seminars will be available for sale through A Change For Better shortly after the Summit concludes.

Ashley Cairns, CEO of A Change For Better and host for this awesome retreat, has consulted with local business owners to ensure that she uses only ethical, sustainable tourism practices that support local Fijians and businesses. In her consultations, she learned that many Fijians want to draw more tourists to the area to help them recover economically from the pandemic, and the tourism industry is run sustainably in a way that supports Fijians and stimulates the local economy.

BONUS: If you mention my name (Amy Marschall) when you sign up, you will get your CE certificates for this trip free of charge. You will also get a free gift from me when you get to Fiji! Choose two from the following:

• Armani Doesn’t Feel Well, pawtographed copy
• Elations: A Tessellation Coloring Book
• It’s About To Get Real Unprofessional and It’s About To Get Even More Unprofessional printable PDFs
• Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox (limited quantity available)
• Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox, Volume II
• A Year of Resiliency spiral-bound guided journal

When you book your registration, email Ashley and let her know I referred you and your choices for your free gift.

But wait, there’s more! Are you a therapist in private practice? Do you like to talk? We are looking for speakers! Pitch your topic and, if accepted, get $200 off the conference plus a 20% royalty on any sales from your talk. Interested parties should email ashley@achangeforbetter.com.

Join us!