Amy Mansfield, LMSW, Licensed Clinical Therapist

05/11/2026

ADHD TAX

05/08/2026

The Defiance Iceberg

Beneath the behaviour lies the vulnerable child – coping with emotions and needs that aren’t easy to express.

When we only respond to the tip of the iceberg, we miss the whole story.
Look beneath defiance… and you’ll see a child asking for help.

In our Misunderstood Defiance: the Vulnerable Child Toolkit for Parents & Educators is a range of checklists and information sheets for you to explore what is going on for the defiant child.

Electronic download available at link in comments.

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

This is sound advice!!! I am like a mother hen or a mama bear with my things. When something no longer works, it's heart-wrenching to let it go.

05/05/2026

Worry at different ages…great info!

https://macnamara.ca/portfolio/what-kids-worry-and-fear-at-different-ages/

05/01/2026

Sometimes what looks like “coping” on the outside is costing a child everything on the inside.

Many children learn to mask — to hide their needs, push through discomfort, and appear “fine” in environments that don’t quite fit them. And while it can make things look easier on the surface, it often comes at a quiet emotional cost.

Masking can be exhausting. It can build pressure across the day, leading to shutdowns, meltdowns, anxiety, or that familiar after-school collapse.

This isn’t about a child being difficult or dramatic. It’s about a nervous system working incredibly hard to adapt.

When we understand masking, we can begin to respond differently — with more curiosity, more compassion, and more support for what’s underneath.

If this resonates, you’re not alone — and your child doesn’t need to keep carrying it all silently.

For practical ways to support your child, reduce masking pressure, and build emotional safety, explore the Masking Toolkit — link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

05/01/2026

🙌I’m in my boundary-setting era! 🙌 This is such a great list of responses to protect mental and emotional health. My thoughts:
💭 Do you use phrases like this?
💭What has been the response?
💭Are there any sentences you would add to this list?

Wonderful boundary-setting options to support mental and emotional health from Positively Present 💛

04/27/2026

This visual explores what the screen–dopamine cycle can feel like from a child’s point of view.
It shows the internal shifts they often can’t name but deeply experience.
The pull of stimulation, the sudden drop, and the dysregulation that follows aren’t signs of defiance — they’re biology.
When we understand the cycle, limits make more sense, and compassion comes more easily.
It also helps adults see why screens become so gripping for some young people.
And why connection, rhythm, and co-regulation matter so much when supporting healthier screen habits.

You can download the Curious Conversations version of this visual for free, to use to scaffold your chats with your young people — LIKE the post and comment CYCLE below.

04/22/2026

Thank you to Lenawee DHHS for having me be a part of Child Abuse Prevention today. Telebehavioral Health.US