The importance of self-care for parents of children with special needs
Ways to improve self-care for parents with children who have special needs.
All posts filed under: Mental Health
What type of therapist do I need?
There are so many types of different therapists, and it can be challenging to figure out which one is the right fit for you or your child. This blog post will hopefully help you make a better-informed decision on which kind of therapy is best for you or your kids. A psychotherapist primarily uses talk therapy and can help children dealing with a wide range of issues, including but not limited to ADHD, anxiety, depression, executive functioning, eating and food issues, sleep and emotional regulation. The psychotherapists on our team have been trained in various modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy as well as art and play therapy. Since psychotherapy is a regulated profession, it is often covered by insurance companies. Psychotherapy fees are not covered by OHIP. A psychotherapist cannot diagnose mental health or behavioural disorders and are unable to provide prescriptions or medication. While a psychologist can provide a mental health diagnosis, they cannot prescribe medications. Psychology fees are not covered by OHIP, though many insurance …
Back-to-School Tips for Anxious Kids!
Are your kids feeling anxious about going back to school? Perhaps they’re starting school for the first time this year or returning to in-person after doing virtual. Here are some tips to help them ease their worries and transition into the new school year. Establish and practice a back-to-school routine: If you’ve been enjoying the summer and the late sunsets then most likely your kids have been going to bed late. Don’t wait until the Sunday before school starts to establish new bedtimes. Start pushing bedtime earlier and earlier, a little each day, starting around the week before school starts. Help your kids with the school morning routine by giving them a checklist, for young kids, a visual checklist of what needs to be done can be helpful. For older children, try using a wipe board checklist that can be reused. The dollar store has great supplies for this. Keep it simple; Get dressed, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and pack a bag. Completing the list before school sets your kids up for success, by …
Why is everyone preaching about Gratitude?
I’ve been cultivating my gratitude practice for around 5 years now. It’s not one of those practices that makes an immediate difference in your life, it takes times to grow and rewire neurons in your brain, but it does and will happen with time. Donald Hebb, a neuropsychologist once said that “neurons that fire together, wire together” and he was 100% right. Two major shifts occurred in my life as a result of practicing gratitude. The first was a shift from pessimism to optimism. I was never very good at seeing the glass half full, it was always verging on empty for me. Practicing gratitude made a shift in my thinking, it meant that instead of immediately going to the negative there was a pause, a moment to consider that there were other options. It didn’t happen overnight and there wasn’t a Moses parting the seas moment for me to see the change. It happened very quietly, but it did happen. The first time I recognized it was in a flower shop. It was busy …