The impact of significant stressors on families and their developing child’s environment can be lifelong since prolonged stress can create biological changes in brain chemistry. Many parents and caregivers are concerned about the impact of COVID on aspects of their child’s overall well-being as this is considered a significant stressor that has contributed to a “mental-health-crisis” among kids. Adults impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACES) with exposure to toxic stressors in childhood such as physical or sexual, emotional abuse, neglect, mental illness or substance abuse of a caregiver, separation from a caregiver, or violence in the home may be especially struggling with managing their children’s emotional and behavioral challenges. A large portion of a child’s brain-architecture is shaped within early development within the first three years; therefore children who have been impacted by early neglect and abuse are prone to demonstrate more serious cognitive impairments and struggle with language, academics, behavior, and peer relationships. A parent or caregiver may first seek help from a specialist for a variety of concerns related to development, mental health, or behavior. Skill development looks different, depending on the child’s age and stage in development. Examples include speech-language development, cognitive skills, and motor skills in addition to social and emotional development. Some children struggle to meet the same developmental milestones as their same-aged peers while others meet skills early or may display scattered development. Children are still learning how to navigate their world, communicate their wants and needs, and learning how to solve problems. They are learning words for their emotions and may have a limited vocabulary and coping skills. Some children may regress, especially in response to stress and when feeling overwhelmed and lacking appropriate coping skills to handle the situation. Regressive behaviors such as talking like a baby, whining, bedwetting, and tantrums can occur commonly in childhood, but adults can also exhibit these behaviors. Regression may show up as crawling into a fetal position in response to distressing news or taking out anger while driving as part of “road rage”. An adult with regressive behavior may appear to act much younger than their stated age due to displaying behaviors that are considered immature or not age appropriate. Adults children and with developmental trauma often benefit from trauma interventions that address complex trauma from repeated exposure to toxic stressors. Play is an important modality in which children learn about themselves, therefore, play therapy or incorporating play is a great option for children. Regarding early childhood development, there are several things to keep in mind in addition to genes and environment. This includes the importance of positive, responsive relationships and early intervention. Children with delays in development often require a multi-disciplinary team to address various aspects of development. Working with your pediatrician, therapist, school support, or case manager can help facilitate connections. The good news is that children (and adults) can learn new skills. Since the relationship is one of the key factors in helping children be able to adapt and thrive, active involvement in your and your child’s services makes a huge difference. CARE Counseling has a team of trauma-informed mental health specialists who have experience working with toxic stressors that impact adults, children, and families. https://care-clinics.com/care-for-my-child-twin-cities-children-counseling/ https://care-clinics.com/care-for-myself-twin-cities-counseling/ https://care-clinics.com/care-for-my-family-twin-cities-family-counseling/ Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find a therapist or find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need and address frequently asked questions. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/support-for-developmental-trauma-in-childhood/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/support-for-developmental-trauma-in-childhood
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High School Anxiety: Transitions & Triggers for Teens & their FamiliesAnxiety present at the beginning of a new school year as part of back-to-school-anxiety is common. While some students may struggle with their emotional or behavioral responses in response to events such high-school-stress, once they have adjusted and learned to effectively cope with the source of stress, functioning is often improved. For some students, there is an accumulation of additional stressors that persist or worsen throughout the school year. This can make managing mental health much more difficult, with teens being prone to more significant mental health concerns. Learning skills and accessing support for managing-stress-in-high-school can make a huge difference as students are dealing with stressful events such as big life changes, academic pressures, social stressors, family stressors, and trauma. These are all common events that impact students and can be difficult to cope with:
How do I know if my Teen is Struggling? Signs of mental health concerns include any significant changes in how teens are relating to others, perform in school, or function in their day-to-day lives. Some teens may show more internalizing behaviors such as social withdrawal, low mood, hopelessness, and worry; whereas others may show more externalizing behaviors such as reactivity, behavioral problems, and self-destructive behaviors. Changes in sleep, appetite, concentration, and any somatic complaints such as stomachache or headache are also potential signs. Click Here for more information on additional symptoms: https://mhanational.org/know-signs-recognizing-mental-health-concerns-kids-and-teens The good news is that there are effective treatment options to help teens and their families. CARE Counseling and one of our community partners, Newport Academy are two options that offer a range of mental health options ranging from outpatient to residential treatment. Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find a therapist or find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need and address frequently asked questions. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/high-school-anxiety-transitions-triggers-for-teens-their-families/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/high-school-anxiety-transitions-triggers-for-teens-their-families Ways for Caregivers to Support Children & Teens who are Struggling at SchoolAs a parent, knowing how to best support children and teens who are struggling at school can feel overwhelming. It can also be frightening to send your child to school especially considering the collective trauma families are experiencing from the pandemic, social unrest, war, economic disasters, and *school shootings. Parents and caregivers are often seeking support and resources to help manage their own responses, while also trying to best support their children’s mental health before it arises to the level of a crisis. Professionals-say-Minnesota-schools-are-facing-a-mental-health-crisis. As a mental health professional who was working within the St. Paul public schools during a time of a school-counseling-shortage, the need has only increased. Minnesota’s ratio of school counselors per student is 1-to-650 according to psychologist and researcher Daniel Knewitz. This falls significantly below the national average of 1-to-424 and the recommended ratio of 1-to-250. There was a significant need for school-based mental health services before the pandemic. Many school-based providers would quickly fill capacity, and this need has only increased. By highlighting the mental health needs of our students and taking steps to prioritize their mental health I am hopeful that we can work together to help support students impacted by stressors, trauma, and collective trauma. Teens have been identified as being impacted hard by collective trauma for several reasons that take into account their development including limited perspective, the influence of social media, and underdeveloped effective coping strategies. In response to collective trauma, fear, and anxiety are common symptoms. Grief and depression are also common. It is important to get early intervention services to help prevent the development of more severe or persistent anxiety or depression-related diagnoses. Students may be at increased risk of suicide and turn to unhelpful coping strategies such as substance use, self-injury, disordered eating, or other self-destructive behaviors. Parents and caregivers are important foundational supports. Working together, therapists can help build upon student and family strengths while also connecting to additional supports. I’d like to share with you some strategies to help support students who are struggling: Provide consistency, routine, and a positive relationship with your student. These are often underestimated but foundational strategies that help provide s sense of safety and stability. *The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers specific tips after a school shooting: https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources//parents_guidelines_for_helping_youth_after_the_recent_shooting.pdf Provide opportunities to disconnect (and reconnect) in healthy ways. Taking a break from social media and having opportunities to step away from a triggering environment and connect with nature, spend time with family/ friends, and have healthy physical outlets while also having fun is key. Model and practice coping skills. How do you manage your physiological responses to stress? Regularly engaging in practices such as deep breathing and mindful meditation helps calm the nervous system. What about your thoughts and emotions? Having soothing strategies that incorporate the senses such as music and healthy outlets to express emotions is important. Access Supports within the Schools. If you have any concerns, your child’s teacher can be a resource on observations at school and strategies to support them. The social worker and/ or counselor is a great contact for educational and mental health-related sources. Students may be eligible for additional support as part of a 504 Plan and Individual Educational Plan (IEP). Many schools have school-based mental health providers which is a great option as they can collaborate care with your child’s support team and often practice skills within the environment. Seek Outpatient Services, including Telehealth at the School. Outpatient therapy is often provided once a week in an office setting or via telehealth. CARE Counseling provides talk therapy at the outpatient level. Many parents and caregivers seek out services in person after school hours, before school starts, and on days when school is out. One option that is often overlooked is providing services during the school day by telehealth. Your child’s therapist can work with support staff, provided with your written consent, to arrange a time/ space to meet during the school day. This can be arranged over a time such as a lunch hour or elective class. Ask about Wrap-Around Supports. Wrap-around supports include a team of professionals who can help support your student. For students with more significant mental health concerns, this is considered essential and may include case managers, tutors, academic advisors, skill workers, counselors and social workers, family therapists, medication managers, mentors, and coaches. Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find a therapist or find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need and address frequently asked questions. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/ways-for-caregivers-to-support-children-teens-who-are-struggling-at-school/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/ways-for-caregivers-to-support-children-teens-who-are-struggling-at-school Types of Thoughts that Indicate Therapy Would be BeneficialIntrusive Thoughts Intrusive thoughts can be described as unwanted thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere and are distressing. They may be connected to a real-life event such as a flashback after a traumatic event. Other thoughts may be annoying or anxiety-provoking thoughts or obsessions such as “what-ifs”. These thoughts may revolve around fears related to areas such as contamination, being an immoral person, doing or saying the “wrong’ thing, or taboo content areas. Those with disordered eating might also experience intrusive thoughts surrounding food, body image, and weight. Specialized treatment can be effective, depending on the nature of the intrusive thoughts. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Resources: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Resources: Disordered Eating Resources: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ Rumination Those who struggle with rumination tend to find themselves stuck in repetitive thought patterns. Some replay the same scenarios such as events surrounding a breakup, with the hope to gain clarity but only to become caught up in the same thought loop in which it is hard to stop ruminating. Those who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, or OCD can commonly be impacted by rumination. Those impacted by grief and loss such as loss after suicide may also experience rumination. Grief & Loss Resources: Negative Automatic Thoughts These types of thoughts involve unhelpful-automatic-thoughts, often referred to as cognitive distortions present in negative thinking. Negative automatic thoughts can be impacted by stressors and are more present in times when anxiety or depression are elevated and also in events where strong emotions such as anger may be triggered. Cognitive behavioral therapy is often utilized to help work with negative automatic thoughts. Anxiety & Depression Resources: Scattered, Unfocused, and Racing Thoughts Difficulties staying focused due to scattered or racing thoughts may be impacted by several mental health conditions such as neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or learning disabilities. Those who are anxious or depressed can struggle with difficulties concentrating. Racing-thoughts are described as rapid thought patterns that are often overwhelming. These are often linked to anxiety but may also be present in ADHD, OCD, and bipolar (mania). Poor sleep and those who are agitated and irritable may also present with racing thoughts. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Resources: Bipolar Resources: Psychosis and Suicidal Thoughts Psychosis typically involves primarily hallucinations which include seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren’t present, and delusions which involve strong beliefs that are not reality-based. There are treatment options that can help manage symptoms, which often include medications. **If you are struggling with hallucinations, delusions, or thoughts of harming yourself or others, it is important to seek immediate help to manage symptoms and ensure safety for yourself and others. In the case of an emergency, call 911. You can also utilize crisis resources for additional support. Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find a therapist or find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need and address frequently asked questions. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/types-of-thoughts-that-indicate-therapy-would-be-beneficial/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/types-of-thoughts-that-indicate-therapy-would-be-beneficial New Location Alert!We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find a therapist or find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need and address frequently asked questions. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/new-plymouth-location/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/new-plymouth-location |
AuthorHello its me Lisa Johnson i am 32 years old from Mission, TX. I am professional family therapist and i also deals in adult therapy and children’s therapy. Archives
April 2023
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