Teens During COVID-19
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Redefining Success: Prioritizing Mental Health in Tumultuous Times
A common concern brought to light in therapy is the tendency for clients to be too hard on themselves, to be too rigid with their expectations, or to fall prey to all or nothing thinking. These thoughts might sound like “It’s not good enough”, “This is not how I pictured it”, “If I don’t get an A, then I might as well fail”, or “That person is so good at it, I must be awful”. As a therapist, I often find myself trying to help my clients be kind to themselves rather than bullying themselves into performance. We try to find the line between being self-motivated and self-critical. These common…
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Your Teen is Not Exaggerating: Social Distancing is Their Hell
Pretty much everyone’s world has been rocked by COVID-19. For teenagers, the effects of social isolation are not just annoying, they are dangerous. A new study by Nationwide Children’s found that pediatric emergency department visits for mental health disorders have increased by 60% and visits for deliberate self-harm have increased by 329%. Of all the age categories, teenagers 15-17-years old showed the biggest increase (68%). In this blog we will explore possible reasons behind the increase, and how parents can help. Teenagers are Wired for Social Interaction It is widely known that one of the main goals of adolescents is independence. Teens start to slowly separate from their families and…