Almost everyone makes them, and some people are able to work hard enough to see them through. Resolutions in the new year are a great way to accomplish changes that you are wanting to make. Having a new year as a fresh start can be really refreshing mentally and can give you that boost of motivation to get things started.

Because autism is a developmental condition, abnormal behaviors are often prevalent. This may stem from the child being unable to communicate thoughts and feelings. It could also be because they do not know how to manage those thoughts and feelings. This causes those children to either act out, scream, and become physical, or for them to become quiet, distant, and seclude themselves. Parents and therapists can work together to implement behavior modification strategies. 

Thanksgiving is about stopping and being thankful for things in one’s life. However, when someone struggles with depression, this can be difficult. When there’s little hope, no way out, so much hurt or loss, or daily tears, it can feel impossible to be thankful for anything.

“That’s it. I’ve had it.  We need counseling.” Unfortunately, many couples turn to counseling as a last-ditch effort to try to save a relationship. By the time they’re in front of a counselor, there is so much hurt, loss of respect, and even loss of love, that oftentimes it’s near impossible to recover from that state. There are too many issues often combined with a diminished motivation to put in the effort required. If more people realized that relationship counseling is more beneficial as a form of prevention, then more relationships maybe would be longer lasting. 

Intelligence is held in the highest regard in our society- something that is prized and cherished. Therefore, being identified as intellectually “gifted” is seen as something to be very proud of. However, there are special “downsides” and considerations to be had for gifted children that deserve attention and exploration. Just because a child is intelligent does not mean they will not struggle. 

I am dedicating this very personal and informal article to parents of gifted children and to other gifted adults- to share my experiences in the hopes of providing some light.

No joke.  Laughter is good for you.

There’s an old saying that “laughter is the best medicine,” but it is scientifically proven to be true! Laughter releases chemicals in the brain that can reduce stress levels and it can even improve overall mood and reduce pain. It triggers the nervous system to recognize being in a safe situation and is calming and relaxing. It increases circulation but decreases blood pressure. Numerous studies have been done that show how laughter helps in specific health conditions such as diabetes, COPD, arthritis, and cancer.

Psychotherapy, a.k.a. counseling, is critical when it comes to healing and managing thoughts and emotions. However, there is often another step that is important to consider: Take action.

It is very normal and very common for a child to need an educational assessment or another form of developmental/ psychological assessment as they are growing up. Sometimes they are tested because there are negative concerns present, other times it is more of a routine check, but it is never anything to worry about beforehand. 

We all get overwhelmed, some easily and more frequently than others, and it takes a very experienced person to know exactly what to do to calm down again. I have compiled 15 tried and true ways to help yourself loosen up when things get too tough to manage.

She was a straight-A, overachieving, well-rounded, scholarship-deserving teenager. And then, she found herself raising two of her own. Both her daughter and son are very bright, gifted according to their schools. Friends teased her about overdoing the classical-music-in-utero, which supposedly would produce smart kids.

Parenting, for me, is the most rewarding and yet the utmost difficult experience in the world. I have never felt such love, wonder, and happiness until I looked into the eyes of my children. I have also never felt so completely overwhelmed, incapable, and underwater.

We see our children and spouses daily around our house as we run from activity to activity, but how often do we think about the quality of the time we spend with them? In movies, every family sits down nightly together to enjoy an elaborate dinner at 6pm, and talks altogether. I would imagine that scenario is far less common now, but we likely still see our families around dinnertime at least for a few minutes every day, before returning to our tasks.

I have struggled with anxiety my entire life. From a young age I would give myself stomachaches from holding my stress in my stomach. I clenched my teeth, leading to dental problems. I had consistent migraines from overthinking. These health problems led to worse anxiety, which spiraled the more I got older. I was entirely unable to speak to strangers, I wouldn’t sleep the night before anything remotely important, I worried about each and every little thing I lacked control over, and I constantly had negative thoughts.

If you’re like me, you tend to spend a lot of time thinking about past, current, future, or hypothetical situations whenever you’re anxious, trying to sleep, or trying to sort through something. You think about a past event from three years ago where you said something awkward and feel embarrassment that you couldn’t or can’t “fix” that situation.

Our emotions can seem to be out of our control sometimes, but learning how to manage or balance them can really help us. Many of us have anxiety, so our worrying and overthinking gets out of hand. Some of us have depression, causing our sadness or helplessness to seem overpowering. Anger issues can cause emotional distress from ruminating thoughts.

Hardships and trauma will happen to everyone, no matter how safe we are,  as we are living in an imperfect world. We can’t prevent getting hurt, losing things, or struggling whatsoever. If we had the choice we would probably wish that everything would always be perfect for us all the time so we don’t have to feel sad or scared or worried, but we will never have that option. Each one of us has had experiences that we wish did not happen

Adding a new person to a household or having a person move out is a big deal for everyone involved. No matter what the size of the house, how close the relationships are, and what schedules are like, a change in the family unit’s living situation can be very difficult on all occupants. When a new baby is born, a grandparent moves in, a child is adopted, a high school graduate moves out, an older child moves out, etc., everyone living in the house experiences a change in atmosphere that must be adapted to. 

What psychological problems do we have a natural predisposition to developing? Are we able to prevent these through avoiding certain situations? What psychological problems are the result of our circumstances and experiences? Does our brain chemistry give some of us an easier time avoiding these issues compared to others experiencing the same things?  

All of us have friends or need them, as a friendship is one of the most important social connections in existence. Our friends are people we choose to join our lives and can become even closer than family. Having friends reduces stress, increases self confidence, boosts serotonin, and can encourage a healthy lifestyle.

ou may have heard of the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator/ Personality Test, where participants get assigned one of 16 different 4 letter acronyms describing their personalities through a self questionnaire. Some personality tests were scientifically designed and the ones that are offer valuable insights about people, which can be useful for employers, family members, or self-reflection.