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Play therapy is used to help children express themselves, explore their feelings, and discover new ideas that lead to healthier, happier outcomes. It can be used as a primary intervention or adjunctive therapy for many social, emotional, and behavioral disorders. And while play therapy is most appropriate for children three to twelve years old, teens and adults can also benefit from these techniques. Here are just a few developmental benefits of play therapy. Build Social Skills Social skills are critical to healthy child development. Social skills teach children how to communicate their needs, learn cooperation, to be assertive, and make ...

Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that interfere with living a healthy life are symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. For example, an irrational fear of germs may cause someone to avoid touching doorknobs, or social interactions. Or, an excessive need for order results in continuous cleaning and rearranging. For some, OCD can even cause brief repetitive tics such as blinking, grunting, sniffling, or jerking their head. While it is common to experience both the thoughts and behavior symptoms of OCD together, they can be experienced separately. Here are some of the most common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Symptoms Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) ...

The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to an extremely negative event.” Traumatic stress reactions are normal responses to abnormal circumstances. They can be caused from one-time events, ongoing stress, or something that happened during childhood. Here are 4 ways untreated trauma can impact our lives. Emotionally Common feelings experienced after a traumatic event can include anger, shame, fear, and sadness. It is not uncommon to feel a heightened level of anxiety, or overwhelming stress during this time. Some even report feelings of excessive or inappropriate guilt. Many will describe feeling numb, or detached. This is a ...

Nearly one in five adults in the U.S. live with a mental illness. Only a fraction seek help. Here are 10 tips to improve your mental health: 1. Prioritize You Improving mental health starts with making it a priority. Make time for the self-care you deserve. Be disciplined in your actions and make mental well-being your mission starting with today. As Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson states in his book 12 Rules for Life, “Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.” 2. Exercise Regularly Physical activity may be the best immediate mood-changing tool at your disposal. It helps ...

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes wild and unpredictable changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. It can make concentrating or accomplishing simple tasks difficult and frustrating. Someone with bipolar disorder can experience periods of extreme elation, intense energy, irritability, and exaggerated behavior. These are known as manic episodes. They also experience periods of hopelessness and indifference. These are known as depressive episodes. In extreme cases, someone with bipolar disease may experience psychosis, delusions and hallucinations. The cause of bipolar disorder is not known, however, we believe genetics, environment, and brain chemistry are significant factors. The Three Types ...