Welcome to On the Yellow Couch with Dr. Angelica Shiels!
Dr. Shiels is a wife and a mother of three young boys as well as a child and adult therapist. In her free-time, when she isn’t ninja-fighting, catching frogs, or wiping pee from around the toilet, she enjoys spending time on her own couch…. Which she wishes was yellow, but is actually brown and falling apart on account of the three milk-spilling ninjas….
Dr. Shiels really enjoys her job outside of the house, where kids, teens, adults, and couples can sit on a nice leather couch where no Gogurt is ever squeezed. Therapy with Dr. Shiels in available in the Annapolis/Baltimore/DC area.
Find her articles on Psych Central and Lifehack. Find her blog posts on Scary Mommy, Mamapedia, and others.
Question: The other day my six year old fell riding her bike. When I went over to her to comfort her, she was crying because she skinned her knee, but she was also saying she hates herself. I didn’t know … Continue reading →
Anxiety is the most commonly diagnosed mental illness in America. As of 2000, 8-10% of children were diagnosed with some form of anxiety disorder. Many parents have asked me what they can do to make their anxious child feel less worried, fearful, and panicked. Of … Continue reading →
Dear Diary, So I’m back to school for the year. The thought of school makes me want to squish my sweaty palm into my sweaty armpit over and over. I’ve been practicing that sound all summer. On the first day … Continue reading →
Ask yourself: IS THE OTHER KID BEING REPEATEDLY CRUEL? If you answered YES: This is bullying. Empathize calmly, not dramatically. (Don’t emphasize how much of a victim your kid is. Do not inadvertently solidify his identity as helpless or hopeless … Continue reading →
The DSM V, or the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual -5th Edition,” just came out last year. In this new edition, many new diagnoses were added, changes were made to the criteria of some of the DSM IV disorders, and some diagnoses … Continue reading →
As a couples therapist, I commonly hear some version of this scenario in my office: Poor Sally; A day full of picking up socks, chiseling man-urine from around the toilet, and removing Dorito dust from the throw pillows certainly does not put … Continue reading →
Dear neighbor who recently made the innocent mistake of asking to ride in my car to our mutual destination, I apologize for my deafening and abrupt “NO.” I noticed that my intensity caused you to pause and blink, rightfully bewildered. I’m also sorry if I involuntarily … Continue reading →
I read this article, “11 Things Only Those with 3 Kids Will Understand,” today, and wondered two things: Does this author really have three kids? If so, why doesn’t she just buy a bigger car? Then I proceeded to start to … Continue reading →
When I first heard that my husband scheduled a work trip the week our youngest was getting minor surgery (ear tubes), this was me: But then, I remembered one of my favorite Dr. Psych Mom articles, and had an … Continue reading →
‘Tis the season. Every year from about mid-December until the end of February, a familiar theme begins to emerge in therapy sessions: The loneliness and worthlessness of legitimately feeling like no one cares. Of course I hear this from time to time year-round, but “no … Continue reading →