This post is inspired by all the kids I’ve met who do not show affection in a “traditional” way. I hope their parents can see and accept the way their children say “I love you” even if it is not the way they are used to. Remember Vera, the cat who gets scared by strangeContinue reading “How Vera Says “I Love You””
Tag Archives: therapy
Therapist Seeking Therapist
Good therapists have therapists. They don’t necessarily have a standing weekly appointment until forever, but between addressing how their value biases impact their interactions with clients, getting treated for their own mental health diagnoses (a LOT of therapists have at least one mental health diagnosis, even if we don’t feel safe disclosing it), and managingContinue reading “Therapist Seeking Therapist”
Updated PCIO Files Walkthrough
As you probably know, I use the PlayingCards.IO platform to play many telehealth games with my clients. They have made some updates to their website, so I have made a new walkthrough for how to use these games, with a special guest appearance by Armani. (If you’re looking for more telehealth games to play withContinue reading “Updated PCIO Files Walkthrough”
What Makes An Activity Therapeutic? More Thoughts
Note: This post includes a description of a conversation I had with a client’s parent, as well as a description of an activity completed in a session. Details about the conversation, client, and the activity have been modified to ensure confidentiality while maintaining the spirit of the story. No HIPAA violations here! I’ve written beforeContinue reading “What Makes An Activity Therapeutic? More Thoughts”
Interview with Molly Fennig, Author and PhD Student
CW: This post talks about eating disorders in general terms. Back in November, Molly Fennig reached out to me via my website to discuss a possible collaboration. (If you’re an author and in mental health, feel free to reach out here!) Molly is a first-year PhD student at Washington University in St. Louis and originallyContinue reading “Interview with Molly Fennig, Author and PhD Student”
Telehealth Activity: Bad Ice Cream
Great news, everyone! The wonderful people at PESI asked me to write a Volume II to my Telehealth with Kids book! That does mean that the telehealth posts in this blog will probably be fewer and farther in between, as I will be focusing on putting together content for the book. Don’t worry, though –Continue reading “Telehealth Activity: Bad Ice Cream”
Telehealth Activity: Bop-It
Remember Bop-It? Hours of fun, or two minutes of fun followed by a rage quit. I never had a Bop-It in my in-person office, but when I discovered the online version, it felt like an obvious option for kids working on executive functioning, attention, frustration tolerance, and emotion regulation. You can screen share and grantContinue reading “Telehealth Activity: Bop-It”
Telehealth Activity: Poly Business (It’s Monopoly)
I don’t keep Monopoly in my in-person office simply because you cannot get through an entire game in a 45-minute session, but kids ask about it pretty frequently. I see therapeutic benefits – what game provides more opportunities to model and practice frustration tolerance than Monopoly? A great thing about telehealth is that there areContinue reading “Telehealth Activity: Poly Business (It’s Monopoly)”
Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox Release
Today is the day! Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox is live! Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered. I hope it helps you in your practice, and I am excited to keep bringing even more activities to help those who work with kids. Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox is available NOW through PESI’s website, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. ThisContinue reading “Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox Release”
Understanding Versus Excusing Behavior
Today I am going to talk about an important distinction that sometimes gets lost when we are making amends or holding someone accountable: the difference between understanding behavior and excusing it. An explanation describes how something happened. An excuse defers accountability. When I make a mistake, part of making amends includes determining what factors contributedContinue reading “Understanding Versus Excusing Behavior”