Fear of throwing up, also called emetophobia, is a common and challenging problem for kids and teens. Nobody likes throwing up. It’s only natural to want to avoid being sick. But what do you do if you’re the parent of a child who really, really, really does not want to throw up: not now, not ever? Unlike many other common childhood fears (ghosts, clowns, monsters under the bed), anxiety about vomiting can seem pretty logical—at least on the surface. But for some kids, anxiety about throwing up grows past what’s typical and starts to get in the way of daily life. This extreme fear of vomiting ..read more

Childhood anxiety is increasingly common, but often overlooked. Learn the 5 most prevalent types of anxiety in this post. Anxiety isn’t exclusive to adults: children can experience it, too. Childhood anxiety, while often underestimated, is a very real and prevalent concern. Research suggests that 1 in 8 American kids suffers from some form of anxiety, and that 25% of kids will have symptoms at some point during their teen years. We also know that childhood anxiety is on the rise: some studies show that anxiety rates have doubled over the last few years, possibly due to a combination of pandem ..read more

Do you need to have kids of your own to be an expert on child psychology? “Do you have kids?” Back in the day, I kind of dreaded this question when it came up in therapy sessions. I’ve been a mom since 2021 and a counselor since 2016, which means I spent the first 5 years of my career as children’s therapist with no children of my own. I always answered honestly, but I wondered about how my childlessness might change a client’s perspective of me. Did they think I lacked experience? Did they worry I wouldn’t be able to understand their struggles? Would they feel unfairly judged if I offered fe ..read more

Many kids and teens wonder if they’re experiencing intrusive thoughts. Keep reading to learn more about them, and how they differ from more “normal” thoughts and ideas. Image by Liza Summer via Pexels. As an elder milennial therapist, I’ve decided I don’t need TikTok in my life. I have plenty of apps and screens stealing my attention as it is! Instead, I behave like a responsible adult: I wait for all that TikTok content to make its way over to Instagram, where I consume it a few weeks (or months) late. This is how I discovered that, apparently, intrusive thoughts became kind of A Thing on Ti ..read more

Learn how to help your child cope with Panic Disorder in this handy guide for parents and caregivers. Photo by Ron Lach via Pexels. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” We’ve all heard this famous quote from Franklin Roosevelt before. And it’s a great message, right? Often, our fear holds us back from doing things that really wouldn’t be so scary, if only we faced our anxiety head on. But when a child is dealing with Panic Disorder, the “fear itself” is pretty terrifying! Sweaty palms, a racing heartbeat, rapid breathing, and lightheadedness can make kids feel like the world is ab ..read more

Since becoming a parent myself, it’s dawned on me what a leap of faith it is to send your child to therapy. Whether you’re meeting in person or online, you’re sending your child into a room with a near-stranger without knowing exactly what’s happening behind that closed door. Does this person have your child’s best interests at heart? Do they know how to help? Are you missing out on important information? Are they just playing Uno in there? Involving parents in a child’s therapy can be a tricky business. On one hand, kids need enough privacy to trust that they can safely share difficult thoug ..read more

It can be really challenging to find a therapist of color—and even harder to find one who specializes in working with children. I hear similar struggles from families looking for therapists who are part of the LGBTQ community: it is sometimes difficult to find affirming therapists for kids. Usually, I write in this blog about issues that I can help kids with in my therapy office, either in-person or online. This post is a little different: I’m not a BIPOC or queer therapist, but if you need one I’d love to help you find one for your child. Below, you’ll find a list of directories designed to ..read more

“Play Therapy” is a catchall term to describe many different types of counseling that help children explore feelings using games, toys, and make-believe. Considering therapy for your child but not sure where to start? This post is for you. Kids today have more options for therapy than ever before, which is definitely a good thing. However, it can also be an overwhelming thing when you turn to Google looking for a therapist only to discover a sea of jargon and acronyms. With so many types of therapy available, it can be tough to determine what’s right for your kid. I love that families have so ..read more

Sometimes, a child’s anxiety seems to come out of nowhere. One day, everything seems okay, and the next day, boom! You’re begging them to leave the car to go to school. Other kids may have seemed anxiety-prone since toddlerhood: they were just always more sensitive than their peers. You may even have been told that their worries were just a phase. But here you are, years later, still dealing with the same fears. When you’re trying to tackle anxiety, it can help to know the root cause. Whether you’re dealing with an all-of-a-sudden attack or an always-been-there anxious temperament, knowing wh ..read more

At first glance, you wouldn’t think coping skills were a controversial subject. What’s not to like about deep belly breathing or guided relaxation? We’ve all been talking about these kinds of skills for ages. Maybe that’s why we’re seeing a bit of a coping skills backlash these days. Coping skills have become such a popular concept that it’s tempting to think they’re the answer to every mental health problem. It’s true. When they’re used incorrectly, coping skills can be a little like putting a band-aid on a major wound. But most of us still use band-aids, right? They give us quick help and m ..read more