Children, Teens, & Adolescents

From elementary school through high school, many children experience bullying from their classmates every year. Bullying is harmful to all parties and can cause lingering emotional trauma that affects children well into adulthood.  In an effort to protect kids and limit bullying’s damaging effects, October has been recognized as National…

Receiving an education is an important step in the lives of many — it can be both useful and rewarding. However, school is often a cause of stress and anxiety for a large number of students. While it can seem overwhelming, with the right techniques, the stress caused by school…

As much as we might try, no family is without its share of problems. But for teens who are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment as minors, or who may feel resentful and rebellious as they form their own identities in adolescence, it’s normal to wonder, “Do my parents hate me?” The…

Learning disorders usually present in children at a young age. However, that doesn’t always mean that a diagnosis will be made promptly. Often, parents wonder if their child’s delays or behaviors are normal (because what’s normal, anyhow?) or think they’ll “grow out of it.” Fortunately, there are other key figures…

Your 12-year-old son keeps getting in trouble at school — for picking on his classmates, lying to his teacher, and even stealing other kids’ things. You think he’s just “acting out.” Until you find out he’s been sneaking out at night for the last 6 months.  It becomes apparent that…

Many children are shy by nature. They might hug their parents’ legs and bury their faces when introduced to someone new or run off at a record pace to avoid the interaction altogether. This is not uncommon — but some children fail to speak in select (or all) social situations.  If…

Growing up, my brother and I were both very active (and yes, our parents were very busy). I played soccer, basketball, and tennis, and even danced for a while. Meanwhile, my brother also played soccer, basketball, and tennis, as well as baseball and track. Needless to say, we were practicing,…

When a child is scared, it’s natural for a parent to feel helpless. Childhood fears and specific phobias aren’t always rational, so you can’t just reason them away by saying, for example, “Only seven Americans die from spider bites every year,” or “Sweetie, there are zero monsters under your bed.”…

In the midst of tragedy — or an event that causes great suffering and distress — parents have the difficult job of talking to their children about it.  While the topic should often be avoided with kids under 7 years of age who are too young to understand tragedy, it…

Childhood, if nothing else, is a memorable period of our lives. Hopefully, we can recall blissful memories: of holidays, old friends, family vacations, and time spent simply running around, doing all the things kids do. But not every childhood experience is so positive—some of us have adverse childhood experiences. In…

Child therapists know that children grieve differently from adults, and they also understand how a child’s unique grieving process might be overlooked in the midst of significant loss. Children who experience the death of someone close to them are often surrounded by adult suffering. They might not want to burden…

Divorce is common, but that doesn’t make it any easier to handle. Trying to process your own feelings while carrying on with day-to-day life can feel, at best, overwhelming, at worst, almost impossible. The complications that accompany divorce become far more intricate when there are children involved. Remember, no matter…