The Missing Piece in Teen Anxiety Treatment: 5 Reasons Why It's Essential to Support Moms Behind the Scenes

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
The Missing Piece in Teen Anxiety Treatment: 5 Reasons Why It's Essential to Support Moms Behind the Scenes

When a teen is struggling with anxiety, the focus is primarily - and understandably- on them. We spend countless hours looking for therapists, tools, and strategies to help them cope - late night Googling, scouring the Facebook groups, and consulting with all the experts we can find. We are desperate for anything that will help our teen feel better.

But in all the concern for our teens, one critical piece of the puzzle is overlooked: the mom behind the scenes…

Read More

The "Quarter-Life Crisis": Why Your Young Adult Is Struggling - And How You Can Help

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
The "Quarter-Life Crisis": Why Your Young Adult Is Struggling - And How You Can Help

“I feel like I’m supposed to have my life together, but I have no idea what I’m doing.” If you’ve heard something like this from your young adult recently, you’re not alone. Whether they’re fresh out of college, struggling to land a job, or feeling overwhelmed by adulthood, this stage of life can feel paralyzing. As a parent, it’s tough to watch.

Read More

Anxiety or Illness? 5 Ways to Crack the Code on Your Child’s Symptoms

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
Anxiety or Illness? 5 Ways to Crack the Code on Your Child’s Symptoms

Parenting is a wild ride on its own, but when your child is frequently complaining of headaches, tummy troubles, or fatigue, it’s easy to go into full-blown detective mode. Is it anxiety? A stomach bug? A hidden allergy? Or—let’s be real—could it be a sudden case of “I-don’t-want-to-go-to-school-itis?”

Read More

From Chaos to Calm: 5 Reasons Why Treating the Whole Family is Key to Conquering Anxiety

/
From Chaos to Calm: 5 Reasons Why Treating the Whole Family is Key to Conquering Anxiety

Managing anxiety within a family can feel overwhelming, but as both a licensed therapist and a mom who has navigated this journey firsthand, I’ve seen how powerful it can be to tackle these challenges together.

Anxiety doesn’t just impact one person; its effects ripple through the entire family. But here’s the good news: when families come together to address it, the transformation can be truly life-changing.

Here are five compelling reasons why treating the whole family for anxiety is the ideal approach.

Read More

PRIORITIZING YOU: 5 Essential Tips for Busy Moms to Nurture Emotional Well-Being→

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
PRIORITIZING YOU: 5 Essential Tips for Busy Moms to Nurture Emotional Well-Being

Mother’s Day is a day to be celebrated and honored for all the hard work you do day in and day out. But as we all know, being a mom can be an incredibly challenging and often overwhelming job. It's easy to feel stressed, drained, and emotionally exhausted. However, it is possible to prioritize your emotional well-being and feel less stressed without having to carve out loads of time or invest lots of money. Here are some simple tips to help you nourish your emotional well-being and feel more centered and content.

Read More

7 Tips to Cultivate Calm this Holiday Season

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
7 Tips to Cultivate Calm this Holiday Season

The holiday season is often filled with joy, love, and celebrations. But it can also bring a lot of stress and chaos, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. It's important to take some time to cultivate calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Here are 7 tips to help you do just that…

Read More

Navigating New Beginnings: 7 Tips for a Smooth Back-to-School Transition

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
Navigating New Beginnings: 7 Tips for a Smooth Back-to-School Transition

As we gear up for another exciting back-to-school season, it's only natural to want our children to have a smooth transition and start the year off on the right foot. In this blog we're diving deep into the world of new beginnings and sharing 7 tried-and-true tips to help your kids (and YOU!) navigate the back-to-school transition like a pro.

Read More

5 REASONS WHY SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME TO START COUNSELING→

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
5 REASONS WHY SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME TO START COUNSELING

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-summer already! It seems like just yesterday we were navigating the hectic pace of the end of the school year. Time sure does fly. But here's some exciting news: this is the perfect time to start counseling for kids, teens, college students, and adults! Yep, you heard me right. Whether you're enjoying the lazy days of summer or prepping for the next chapter in your life, now is the perfect time to prioritize your mental well-being. 

Read More

SUPPORTING YOUR STRUGGLING YOUNG ADULT: 5 Practical Tips for Parents

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
SUPPORTING YOUR STRUGGLING YOUNG ADULT: 5 Practical Tips for Parents

As a parent, you want to do everything you can to support your young adult through the challenges of adulthood. Whether they are struggling to find their place in the workforce, managing their finances, or navigating complex relationships, it can be hard to know how to help them succeed.

Fortunately, there are many strategies that parents can use to support their struggling young adults. From providing practical support to encouraging self-care, these strategies can help your young adult build resilience, gain confidence, and navigate the challenges of becoming a productive, independent adult.

In this blog, we will explore 5 practical tips parents can use to support their struggling young adults. Whether your young adult is just starting out on their journey into adulthood or is already facing significant challenges, these tips can help you provide the support and guidance they need to move into the next phase of their life successfully.

Read More

7 SIMPLE WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH FAMILY

/
7 SIMPLE WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH FAMILY

You’re probably imagining how your upcoming holiday celebrations will go this year. While family celebrations are often thought of as happy occasions filled with love and laughter, many people find these reunions stressful. Conflicts that seem to surface every year and relatives who are simply unpleasant can increase our anxiety and cause us to want to avoid the situation altogether. Instead of preparing for a fight this year, follow these tips to make family gatherings more enjoyable.

Read More

Group Therapy: A Great Treatment Option for Kids and Adults

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
Group Therapy: A Great Treatment Option for Kids and Adults

Groups can be incredible for developing and practicing communication. In real time, a therapist is guiding the group members to interact and communicate with each other. This allows for growth and practice of these skills to happen in tandem. In individual sessions, we discuss communication skills and styles of communicating with others, but practicing these skills with peers is left up to homework and a client remembering to try them at home and at school. When you learn and use communication skills in groups, these things are happening automatically in the moment and there’s the benefit of having a supportive therapist guiding you and ensuring your success.

Read More

Summer to School: 7 Tips to Help Your Child Successfully Transition Back to School After Summer Break→

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
Summer to School: 7 Tips to Help Your Child Successfully Transition Back to School After Summer Break

The unknown of starting a new school year can be quite difficult, particularly for kids who struggle with anxiety. They may be worrying about who will be in their classes, where they’ll sit at lunch, whether they’ll have trouble finding their way around the building, what to wear, how they’ll manage the school work, what type of teachers they’ll have, and countless other things. While parents can’t extend the summer vacation, they can do some things to make the return to school a little bit easier for their children.

Read More

Summertime Blues: 5 Key Indicators of Teen Depression

/ Farmington Valley Counseling Center/
Summertime Blues: 5 Key Indicators of Teen Depression

For many teens summer is not that happy vacation time they had imagined. Instead of living it up, they find themselves feeling bored and miserable as the reality of summer does not live up to their expectations. It’s safe to say that teenage angst is something parents come to expect. We all recognize that feeling overwhelmed, stressed and scared about the future is normal. The question becomes when is this struggle more than “normal” teenage stuff and a sign of depression that requires a different level of support and attention.

Read More