As a parent of a GenZ child, you might be familiar with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but the number and complexity of social media platforms are growing at a strikingly rapid pace. From a young age, we are taught to not talk to strangers, but what happens when that stranger has “mutual contacts” with you or, better yet, is “verified” on social media? Keeping up with your children’s social world can feel more and more complicated and stressful. In order to better equip yourselves to engage in genuine conversations with your youth about social media, it is essential to have a better ..read more

            What do you think of when you hear the word “burnout?” Maybe you imagine an overworked employee drowning in an endless heap of deadlines, or maybe you imagine a university student who stays up night after night studying until they inevitably reach a breaking point. What about parents? We don’t often talk about parenting and how much burnout it can lead to. While parenting can be a rewarding and life-changing experience, it also comes with a mountain of responsibilities and expectations that can leave one feeling utterly ..read more

With so many psychological treatments available, it’s no wonder that people struggle to figure out what the best treatment is for them. With emotions running high now more than ever throughout this global pandemic, one type of therapy that people may begin to consider exploring is Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). However, what is EFT, and what can it do for us? EFT was primarily developed by Canadian psychologist Dr. Les Greenberg. As the name suggests, EFT focuses on people’s emotions, recognizing that “emotions are the captains of our lives” and are essential for self-development and well-be ..read more

Growing up, I never had a pet dog. My parents, both working professionals, had to balance their employment schedules with raising four children, and it was simply not in the cards for our family. While we had fish, birds, and even turtles, my siblings and I attempted to use our best persuasion skills to convince my parents that we could somehow manage to take care of a dog whilst being in school all day. This, of course, was unrealistic and we instead turned to the skill of radical acceptance. Many of my close friends and relatives had pet dogs, which they treated as equal members of thei ..read more

Please Note: The names of the clients have been changed to protect their privacy and confidentiality. During a regular follow-up with my 17-year-old client, Lily, she was thrilled to inform me that against all the odds of the lockdown, she had matched with, and fallen for, an older guy, Jack, on a dating app. She exclaimed that this was her first “real relationship”. Even though her parents had firm expectations around COVID-19 precautions, Lily was determined to spend time with her new boyfriend. To do this, she created a plan with her neighbourhood friend to gradually expand their pandemic ..read more

By: Nicholas Commisso Physical Exercise (PE) is commonly associated with physical and aesthetic fitness. People who regularly partake in PE typically appear more fit, carry more lean muscle tissue, have greater cardiovascular health and are more likely to excel in athletics. However, there is so much more to fitness than this! Arguably more relevant and vital to today’s climate, PE can drastically improve the quality of a person’s mental health. Continue reading to understand some of the reasons that an active lifestyle can improve mental health and overall well-being, as well as some useful ..read more

COVID-19: We are now offering online therapy for children, teens, and parents. [contact-form-7] The post Tips for Healthy Social Media Use appeared first on Family Psychology Centre | Psychologist Toronto ..read more

How many of you have heard sentiments like these? “I can’t bring myself to get to school”, “I’m staying home”, “I can’t get out of bed”, “My anxiety is really high.” These are all common remarks that I, as a clinician, hear in child and adolescent mental health settings. Typically, students who refuse to attend school due to anxiety are not a rebellious group of individuals intent on boycotting their responsibilities. Rather, for these students, the process of leaving home and going to school is too anxiety-provoking for them. Over time, they come to expect these feelings of anxiety and by t ..read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has led health experts across the world to credit a second pandemic known as coronasomnia. Coronasomnia has been labelled as the insomnia individuals are experiencing because of the pandemic and higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Since several lockdowns have occurred in Ontario, there has been a growing concern regarding lack of sleep. COVID-19 has created an environment in which disrupted routines and constant uncertainty have led to people reporting a lack of sleep. Studies have suggested mothers, essential workers, and other working professionals are a ..read more

Download a pdf copy: Download COVID-19: We are now offering online therapy for children, teens, and parents. [contact-form-7] The post Sleep 101 appeared first on Family Psychology Centre | Psychologist Toronto ..read more