It is that time of year again when the leaves fall, the seasons change, and the holidays descend upon us. Some individuals may experience it as “the most wonderful time of the year,” while others experience what is often called the “holiday blues” or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In the...

Pathological Demand Avoidance and Autism Spectrum Disorder Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a behavior profile that falls within the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Characterized by an extreme avoidance of everyday demands and expectations, PDA presents unique challenges for both individuals and caregivers. Understanding PDA's relationship with autism is crucial for...

As much as I love this phrase, I am also mindful of how hard it is for children and teens to contemplate the idea of just being who they are. Heck, it is even hard for adults! Being your authentic self can feel risky in our screen-obsessed world. Many people...

  Understanding the Relationship Between Autism and ADHD: Symptoms, Therapy Benefits, and Social Skills Training Autism and ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) are two distinct neurodevelopmental disorders, but they often overlap in symptoms and presentation. Recognizing the relationship between Autism and ADHD is crucial for providing effective support and intervention. Here’s a...

  Understanding ADHD in Girls: Symptoms, Therapy Benefits, and Long-Term Consequences Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often manifests differently in girls compared to boys, which can make it challenging to identify and address. ADHD in girls is frequently characterized by symptoms that diverge from the classic hyperactive-impulsive behaviors seen in boys, leading...

What common misconceptions or challenges gifted children face in school? Parents, educators, tutors, and administrators may minimize the impact of giftedness, claiming these children do not need services. Families who advocate for their children may be labeled as overinvolved or elitist and insensitive to academically struggling students’ needs. There are...

Dan Fassio is a doctoral intern at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Washington, DC training under Dr. Debra Brosius, Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He can provide assessment and therapeutic services, but can also offer psychological and psychoeducational testing under Dr. Brosius’ supervision.  Dan graduated with distinction from Washington and...

  If your child doesn't speak as early or as clearly as other kids. He may also have a small vocabulary. He could have trouble finding the right word for things when talking, almost as though it's right on the tip of his tongue.   If your child has trouble...

Prioritizing your mental health is an important goal, and summer can be a great time to focus on your psychological health, self-care and well-being. Using this opportunity to build skills and develop good habits will allow you to make these strategies part of your daily life beyond just the summer...

Pride month is an opportunity to raise political awareness of current issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community. Parades are a prominent feature of Pride month, and there are many street parties, community events, poetry readings, public speaking, street festivals and educational sessions, all of which are covered by mainstream media and...

Research over the past 20 years found that our society has five primary expectations about what makes a “good mother” and these expectations are often unattainable and overwhelming, and perpetuate inequities: The Present Mother is physically nearby and highly attentive to her child so that she knows what her child...

Ways to engage in self-care and prioritize your mental heath: 1. Keep A Journal Sometimes, you’ve just got to vent—but you might not always feel comfortable turning to a friend or family member. Journaling is a great way to purge at the end of each day, so you can wake up...

Abandonment is an extraordinarily painful experience. It can have substantial  impacts on our perceptions of ourselves and others. An experience of abandonment and the lingering fear it instills in us can negatively affect how we engage with our friends, family, co-workers, and romantic partners. It can leave us feeling sensitive,...

Kindness, defined as actions intended to benefit others (Curry et al., 2018) and considered as a pro-social relational construct, supports an intra and interpersonal focus on how one treats others, takes care of oneself, and interacts with the world around them. These results support the notion that kindness is a...

  STOP TRYING TO "FIX" yourself Those who believe they need ‘fixing’  will be caught in a continual loop of insecurity. When we act as though we are broken, we reinforce the idea that something is wrong with us and therefore maintain a negative self-image. It’s not that any of us...

The new 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This dialing code will be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16, 2022.  When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected...

  Tips for Boosting Self-Efficacy You can't boost your self-efficacy or help others increase theirs. Here are a few tips that you might find helpful. Practice  Simply, the more you have practice doing something, the more likely you will become better at it, and the more confident you will feel...

 Academic abilities are usually divided into different skills, such as reading, spelling, writing, and math. A child might have an IQ within the normal range, but have problems at school with one or more of these areas. You might not even notice the problem until your child goes to school,...

Self-soothing is defined as an individual's efforts or capacity to calm oneself while in a state of emotional distress. Emotional distress can vary in duration depending on how emotionally reactive a person is, how much difficulty they have with regulating their emotions, and how well they recover from emotional distress....

Pursuing better mental health has possibly become more complicated than it needs to be. While genetics clearly play a role in mental health, so does environment. While we can't completely control genetics but we can influence these aspects of our environment. Clients will often ask, what are simple things I...

Has anyone ever told you, “you’re overthinking it”? Then you’re not alone. Many of us are familiar with the experience of overthinking. Generally, “overthinking” refers to the process of repetitive, unproductive thought. Since thoughts can be focused on many different things, research has generally differentiated between “rumination” about the past...

Do you believe that you were born and raised with a pre-determined set of skills and abilities? Or do you believe that your ideas and beliefs are ever-evolving, that with effort you can learn new skills? If you said “yes” to the first question, you have what is referred to...

The benefits of nature on well-being have been well-documented in the science based literature, as well as in various cultures. As psychologists, we know that time spend in nature boosts positive emotions, connectivity, gratitude and kindness. Some clients ask, why is nature so healing? Research shows that unplugging, lacing up...

When you harness the power of positivity, it's amazing the impact it has on your life. It can reduce stress and make every moment worth experiencing. By thinking positive, you just can't help but be optimistic, even when everyone around you is not. As a result, you are happier, less...