So you hate your teen daughter’s boyfriend.

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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D.   His name is “Nick,” but all his friends call him “Bro” …. Errr, I got that wrong; it’s actually “Brah.”. The first time you met him, he wore a flat-billed, fluorescent hat and this shirt: … Continue reading

This goes out to all the ladies who hate being pregnant. By, Kristen Mae

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This post was so true, so relatable, and so hilarious! Thanks, Kristen! By Kristen Mae of “Abandoning Pretense” “Pregnancy is a gift from God.” “I just love the feeling of knowing a tiny human is doing laps in my uterus!” … Continue reading

The most important part of the kindergarten curriculum

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  By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. Last year, around this time, my oldest son started kindergarten. (And this week, he will be starting kindergarten again. Summer birthday. Boy. Lots of desk-work and worksheets. Nuff said?) Last year, I remember hoping that … Continue reading

Family Routines and Rituals = Good for Kids.

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Research has found a correlation between participation in family routines/rituals and positive language, social, emotional, and academic development in kids.  While psyhologists can’t say that the “routines” actually cause the positive outcomes (this is correlation, not true experiment), researchers concluded that families with routines tend … Continue reading

Challenging the Epidemic of Disconnection: Awareness and Acceptance

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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. As a mom of three little boys, I desperately want this world to be better. I want my boys to someday live in a world where people with a certain skin color aren’t more likely to … Continue reading

How to talk to people so they will listen. (Yes, even your teenager and your husband.)

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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. Most mental health counselors receive some kind of training in how to communicate in a way that errrr… doesn’t sound off-putting, arrogant, one-sided, and ridiculous.  And lo and behold, it is not just the people who … Continue reading

“Love” Unfit for a Hallmark Card

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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. (Article also posted on Mamapedia) For two days after the birth of our first child, my husband and I were overcome with this complex combination of calm and crazy.   As first-time parents, we were so proud, so … Continue reading

A SKILL that staves off depression in children

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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. Today’s children are at a higher risk for depression than in any previous generation. Almost one in ten children will experience a major depressive episode by the time they are 14 years old, and almost one in … Continue reading

The best thing a parent can do for a highly emotional child.

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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. I see many kids and teens that suffer from Depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality traits in therapy. Many parents want to know, “What causes my child to feel so sad , lonely, depleted, apathetic, or … Continue reading