Tag Archive for: depression

How to Talk to Your Teen about Suicide

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I recently published some articles about Depression in the Spring and How Play Therapy Helps With Depression in Children Clients.  In those articles, I shared warning signs or symptoms of Depression. Urges to self harm or use self injurious behaviors and suicidal thoughts are both symptoms of severe depression.

When you notice a difference in your teen’s mood and behaviors, it can be a warning sign that emotionally they are struggling. By familiarizing yourself with the symptoms and signs of depression in teens can give parents guidance on how to support their child. Learn More...

How does Play Therapy Help Young Clients Experiencing Depression?

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When parents ask for support in how to tell their child they will be visiting a therapist, my easy explanation typically works: “A Play Therapist helps kids when their feelings get too big. Sometimes kid’s mad gets too big and it causes problems for the kid and the people around them.  Sometimes a kid’s sad gets too big and it feels too hard for the kid to move around with all that sadness. And sometimes a kid’s scared gets too big and the kid needs help feeling safe. Therapists help kids shrink big feelings so they can get back to being a kid.” Learn More...

Non-Suicidal Self Injury (or self-harm) vs. Suicidality

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The difference between Suicidality and Self Injury is INTENT. 

Individuals engage in self-harm to feel “something” other than numb or empty. Sometimes self-harm can be a way to signal to others that they need help or the harming behavior has become a maladaptive coping skill. Individuals who express suicidality are experiencing hopelessness, despair, and thinking that the end of their life could be the solution to their problems. Although both conditions can stem from similar situations or contexts, self-harm does not always indicate that the individual wants to end their life.  Learn More...

Coping with Grief During the Holidays

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Grief is a complex mixture of emotions.  Grief can come from many types of losses or transitions including death of a loved one or pet, divorce, job loss, loss of a friendship, moving, etc.  Grief emotions are often cyclical in nature and are felt at various levels throughout the year depending on the intensity of emotional triggers.  Sometimes seasonal changes bring back memories of other emotional experiences at that same time of year. Learn More...