Articles
Is my child going through a “phase” or is there an underlying disorder that requires treatment?
Child and Adolescent Treatment By Greta Nielsen, LCPC, NCC Today children and their families are faced with a multitude of stressors and parents wonder if their child’s response to the stress is serious enough to necessitate outside involvement, or are they just going...
Autism/Aspergers
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Definition: People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) tend to have communication deficits, such as responding inappropriately in conversations, misreading nonverbal interactions, or having difficulty building friendships appropriate to...
Oppositional-Defiant Disorders
Definition: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) often manifests itself through excessive stubbornness, revenge-seeking behavior, and an inability to compromise. Children with ODD may test limits by deliberately ignoring others, instigating arguments, and blaming...
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Definition: a pervasive and persistent low mood, accompanied by low self-esteem, and a loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities for more than two weeks. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a disabling condition that adversely affects a person’s...
Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day! I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars. -- E.M. Forster Parents want the best for their children. We want our children to be happy, safe; to achieve their dreams, to be proud of who they...
Dysthymic Disorder (now replaced by persistent depressive disorder)
Definition: Depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, as indicated by subjective account or observation by others. During a 2 year period (1 year for children/adolescents), individual has never been without symptoms for more than 2 months at a time....
Shine On
Shine On The sun shines on everyone without discrimination. - Pema Chodron, Buddhist None of us thrives in darkness. We need to step out from the shadows to soak up the energy that comes from the light. Yet, sometimes we can feel as if grace and fate and all good...
Bipolar Disorder I*
Definition: Bipolar Disorder I is a form of major depression. It is characterized by one or more manic episodes usually followed by a major depressive episode. This cycling between mania and depression is where the term “manic-depression” comes from. These manic...
Under the Cover of Darkness
Feelings can be scary. Intense emotions, like rage or grief, can feel overwhelming or out of of our control. But if we can step back from our experience and look more closely at what we feel, we find that other, more tender emotions lie beneath that intensity,...
Adjustment Disorder
Definition: An array of stress-induced syndromes that occur within 3 months after exposure to a distressing (traumatic or non-traumatic) event, such as marital or financial conflict in adults, family conflict, school problems, death of a family member, sexuality...