by Josh Ramirez, LPC “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this!” “What was I thinking?” “I’m just not good enough…” Sound familiar?...

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the daily lives of people globally. Families sheltered in place, people who commuted daily to the office worked from home, and students who spent time in the classroom socially engaged with peers and learning from professionals found themselves thrust into chaos learning from home. From this, many students developed anxiety from traumatic events happening around them, and missed out on important growth and development opportunities f

As a young, 7-year-old child, I learned the hard truths of the cycle of life and death. At this age, I had not yet experienced grief firsthand, but was faced with the knowledge that one day my mother would meet the fate of death. This realization shook me and I became angry at my mother, thinking one day she would permanently leave me. More than anything, I hated not knowing how much time I would have with her. Even as I got older, the thought remained in the back of my mind

The new school year often presents new ways to help our students grow. In particular, one concept worth integrating into our day-to-day routines is mindfulness. However, as many of our students might be unfamiliar with it, starting with an introduction to mindfulness may be greatly influential in finding success throughout the year. Defining Mindfulness, Dispelling Myths First, we must define mindfulness . Depending on the age group, I prefer to start with asking the students

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a sailboat in the ocean. The water is calm and the wind conditions are perfect for smooth sailing. However, there are several holes in the ships hull. Water begins pouring in. Do you think the ship’s captain is worried about sailing forward, as the leaks drag the ship under? Of course not. So, how can we expect our students to worry about grades, sitting still, or following classroom expectations if they are trying to keep their heads

by Sean Szeles, LPC As a therapist, I spend a lot of time talking about inner life. This means discussing concepts such as balance,...

It takes a village to raise a child – words of wisdom that, while being of unknown origin (although likely deriving from the proverbs of a number of African cultures), are profoundly truthful. Further, their sentiment made all-the-more evident by the efforts of the families, teachers, coaches, doctors, social workers, therapists, and so many others who may play a role in the development of a single child. Often, the duties that these individuals responsible with the wellbeing

Consider this: a high school student slams their book down and storms out of the classroom. Just prior, they had been raising their hand for quite some time but had not been called upon by the teacher. What do you think they experienced first? Anger at the teacher’s glancing them over? Perhaps, sadness of being unheard, yet again? Often, we do not give sufficient time to our emotions. Instead of truly giving them our attention and reflection to allow them to process, we simp

For most kids, school is out, and they are looking forward to summer vacation. Many parents, however, dread the extended time away from...

The past few years have been hard on kids, parents, and caregivers. The trauma experienced by children has, in many cases, translated...

When confronted with perceived threats, our bodies are wired to go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Grounded in the emotional part of the brain, this response can send us into a spiral that turns small stressors, such as an annoying e-mail or a spat with a loved one, into a perceived catastrophe. Recently, I’ve been listening to some mindfulness classes from the people at 10% Happier . From their exceptionally helpful content on stress-management, here are three tools I’v

Working in a school is a challenging experience. Almost daily, staff are faced with juggling a gamut of tasks. These range from fairly mundane, like helping teach how to tie shoes, to exceptionally taxing, such as preventing a full-blown behavioral meltdown. Thus, to fulfill this plethora of duties, school-based staff are required to possess and routinely utilize their problem-solving, innovative-thinking, team-working, and decision-making skills. So, fittingly, to commemorat

Kristen Killinger, MS “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso When it comes to charity and giving to others, it’s easy to think about the impact made on the receiver, but what about on the giver? Whether you are giving or receiving, offering the service of time and charity can boost both mental and physical health. Through volunteering or providing services, those who contribute to others live longer and happier liv

Here we are approaching the end of a second full school year under the pandemic; a second year where school has not been “normal.” While...

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing.” These are the words of American existential psychologist and author, Rollo May. In his work, May understood that our ability to engage and interact with one another was a cornerstone of human experience. Further, as one of the founding fathers of existential psychotherapy, May emphasized the importance of communication in developing a meaningful sense of self and connection to those a

Being a teenager in America is not what it used to be. In the past decade, the suicide rate has increased by nearly 40%, according to the CDC. One in five high school students reports that they have seriously considered killing themselves. Emergency room visits for teens cutting or engaging in other forms of self-harm has risen by a staggering 329% in the past decade. Meanwhile, the risk factors teens face are changing. Teenage pregnancy, driving under the influence, drug use

Consider a time when you were among others but felt like you didn’t belong; what could have made that experience different for you? What could have made you feel a better sense of community? By building communities around our students, we help them to feel as if they belong (because they do). However, if we don’t cultivate our own communities, how can we expect our students do the same? Social wellness is a key aspect to creating community and developing trauma-informed class

In recent years, mental health wellness has gained much more exposure in our popular culture than ever before. Celebrities, athletes, and other public figures have been more vocal about their own mental health journeys and self-care routines. This increased attention comes at a crucial time, as the compounding stress from the pandemic, economic recession, opioid crisis, social unrest, and global conflicts have all contributed to a substantial jump in mental illness. Unfortuna

“Knock, knock?” “Who’s there?” “Nobel.” “Nobel who?” “Nobel, that’s why I knocked!” This joke might not be all that funny to you as an adult but, to a student, it usually is hilarious. Children love knock-knock jokes, puns, funny faces, unusual sounds, books read in silly or different ways, and all sorts of other things that make them laugh. Through my work with kids in kindergarten through 5th grade, I have found that students respond and have better engagement with me when

When was the last time you were curious? What occurred that made you experience the childlike inquisitiveness that we see in your students? And, what could you do to regain that curiosity and wonder, if it has been long-gone? These are questions worth exploring, as curiosity is one of the key contributors to our creativity and ingenuity as humans. Specifically, curiosity plays a vital role in maintaining our intellectual health throughout the lifespan. Thus, finding ways to k