Category Archives: Child therapy

Helping Your Teen Help Themselves: Using Books As a Tool To Confidently Navigate Adolescence

As a child and adolescent therapist in Washington, DC, I often find that parents are desperate to better understand the thoughts, feelings, and most of all, the behaviors of their developing teenager. Parents often want to build their understanding of this time in development and also crave strategies to help them and their child feel confident and prepared for this ...READ MORE »

4 Basic Routines for Children’s Well-Being

Posted by Alexander Chan

Why are family routines important for my children’s well-being? Recent medical, economic, and social crises pose an ongoing threat to what is normal in children’s lives. Many have experienced upsets in routines related to school, out-of-school activities and family life. You and your children have likely experienced these upsets. Leaders of children organizations around the world agree that focusing on having and ...READ MORE »

LGBTQ Parenting 101: Part 1 of 2, Learning the Terms

Posted by Amanda Good

As a therapist working with adolescents and families, the topics of gender and sexual orientation come up regularly in my work. Times have changed quickly and gender is a very popular topic not only for kids, but also for our broader culture as gender roles are evolving beyond binary terms. Back in the day (actually, not very long ago), we ...READ MORE »

Tips for Establishing a Solid Relationship with Your Middle Schooler

Posted by Lori Seifter

In my previous article, “How to Mother a Middle Schooler: Spoiler Alert, You Already Know!” I spoke of the similarities among the toddler years and tween years. I also addressed how your middle schooler or “tween” has a desire to fit in with peers, (hence they whine, “Everyone has a phone but me!”) and their desire for more independence at ...READ MORE »

Preparing Children for the Holiday Season

Posted by Lindsay Tiell

It has officially arrived- holiday season 2019! Is it just me or has this year flown by? This time of year can bring upon feelings of excitement, joy, and love. It can also bring upon feelings of anxiety. Through all the travel, family gatherings, and breaks from school/work, some of our children may experience difficulty. As a child and adolescent therapist ...READ MORE »

Tech Tactics For Your Family

Posted by Allison Sibley

I’m writing to share some thoughts and information that I’ve gathered on managing technology within your family. I’m a mom of three children (7, 9, and 11), and like many of you, I spent the past summer battling screen usage with my three kids. It’s my most hated fight. I’m also a family therapist in the Washington, DC and ...READ MORE »

Back-to-School Tips for Divorced Parents

Posted by Kendra Handy

Back-to-School can be a stressful and emotional period for both children and parents. This can be true for all families, but if there was a recent separation or divorce in your family, you are likely starting the school year with a ton of new logistics and feelings to consider. Children can be especially anxious at this time. What will they ...READ MORE »

Young Children and Difficult Changes

Posted by Jocelin Bailey

As families experience difficult changes and experiences, children are also experiencing it in their own way. It is important to know that children can come through difficulties such as the death of a loved one, a significant change event , and even trauma in a healthy way if the adults caring for them guide them effectively. As a therapist in ...READ MORE »

Supporting Emotional Growth in Children: 4 Helpful Steps

Posted by Jocelin Bailey

Emotions have a bad reputation in our culture. While we are typically comfortable expressing and being around others who are expressing joy, excitement, or a calm demeanor, we see other emotions as unacceptable. We understand that all humans of all ages experience a wide range of emotions, yet we don’t want to see them all, even in our children. Why? ...READ MORE »

Gratitude in Daily Life

Posted by Kendra Handy

A few weeks ago, in the midst of a hectic day of holiday shopping, I came across some Thanksgiving decorations on final clearance and recognized that I was definitely not thankful for the long lines and list of things to do. But as I waited in that line, I had time to reflect on the importance of gratitude and how ...READ MORE »