Building Blocks Therapy, PLLC

08/04/2025

If our child wants support, show up and help.
If our child wants space to try, we honor their request for space (even if the learning process takes a while and we could do it "faster").
Confidence and healthy independence can't be forced. These things are built in the safe place of trust. ✨

08/04/2025

What looks like defiance or aggression often has layers underneath…

This iceberg visual shows common triggers for hitting — not just emotions, but sensory overload, unmet needs, tiredness, hunger, and more.

When we address the root, the behaviour starts to shift.

Our SUPPORTING THE CHILD WHO HITS, a PARENT & EDUCATOR TOOLKIT is now available at Electronic download available at https://thecontentedchild.co.uk/product/when-a-child-hits-parent-and-educator-toolkit/.

08/04/2025

08/01/2025

DIY Flexible Seating Ideas --->> https://www.theottoolbox.com/diy-flexible-seating-ideas/

08/01/2025

😱 Sensory differences can mean STRESS!

Signs of sensory avoiding and more information from The OT Toolbox at: https://www.theottoolbox.com/understanding-sensory-dysregulation/

07/28/2025

One of the most respectful and helpful students I ever taught used to be the most disruptive kid in the room. What changed? With his consent and buy-in, I put him in charge of helping the class pay attention when it was time to do that. 🙌
(It's also important to add that I moved soon thereafter to a completely play-based approach, FWIW.)

07/28/2025

Parents...beware of this new online trend with gel filled sensory toys...it is extremely dangerous! Please be aware and educate, safeguard your children!

The NeeDoh Nice Cube and other gel-filled sensory toys have raised safety concerns after reports of kids suffering chemical burns from its leaking gel. While some injuries happened through regular play, a viral TikTok trend has made matters worse, prompting Consumer Reports to take action.

07/27/2025

😫 Inattention, defiance, or emotional outbursts? It might not be “bad behavior”…
🌪️ When sensory needs go unmet, kids can struggle to stay calm, focused, or regulated.
🏫 Sometimes the real challenge isn’t the child.
It’s the environment around them.
--->> https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2025/07/24/sensory-needs-in-adhd/?ref=14

07/24/2025

Although it may feel impossible to break out of the OCD cycle once it’s established, there are ways to do so. The two most researched ways to seek help for OCD and break this cycle are through therapy and medications. Other strategies can help break OCD thought loops, such as practicing mindfulness, seeking support from others, and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty.

Here are some strategies for how to break the OCD cycle:

Seek Professional Treatment
The best way to break the OCD cycle is to begin OCD treatment. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is considered a first-line treatment for OCD because research has repeatedly shown it to be the most effective way to stop compulsions. Medications for OCD may also sometimes be recommended, along with other types of behavioral therapies. Remember, every individual is unique, and it is important to find a treatment plan that works for you.

Treatment options for OCD include:

Exposure and response prevention (ERP): ERP for OCD has been identified as the gold standard treatment for OCD due to its effectiveness. ERP helps break the cycle of OCD by participating in exposure exercises to provoke the feared obsession while not engaging in compulsive behaviors. This helps break the association between compulsions being viewed as the only way to achieve relief from obsessions.

Medication: SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed medication because they can help reduce the anxiety that obsessions cause. If a person’s anxiety is lower, they are more able to resist their compulsive urges and break the OCD cycle.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps explore the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT for OCD specifically attempts to break the link between obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are used to reduce distressing feelings, therefore breaking the cycle of OCD.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Many obsessions are rooted in a sense of uncertainty (i.e., “What if I harm my child?”) which can cause a feeling of unease. ACT for OCD can help someone to accept the feeling of uncertainty and any related emotions that come up with it. As uncertainty-related distress decreases, so will the drive to perform compulsions.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): In EMDR for OCD, the main focus is lessening present-day distress that occurs with the obsessions. This approach traces back the root of this distress to desensitize and reprocess past events contributing to present OCD symptoms.

Practice Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness can help break the OCD cycle by encouraging individuals to observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment. This approach allows people with OCD to experience intrusive thoughts without feeling ashamed or guilty. This will reduce the anxiety they feel and make them less likely to perform compulsive rituals.

Additionally, mindfulness exercises like meditations for OCD and breathing exercises for anxiety can regulate the nervous system. This can help someone to reduce the anxiety they feel when their obsessions are triggered and make them less likely to use compulsions to cope. Mindfulness also encourages a person to stay in the present moment, as opposed to ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. This awareness combats many OCD mental compulsions.

Seek Out Social Support
Being stuck in the OCD cycle can be isolating, like you’re going through this alone. Reaching out to social support and asking for help in your OCD recovery process is as important as professional support. If you are struggling to find support in your personal life, there are many different support groups for individuals with OCD that can act as a source of comfort and camaraderie. For more information, visit: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/ocd-cycle/

Therapy ❤️

07/24/2025

🧴 We’re in need of full-sized shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste to support the survivors and families we serve at the Crisis Center of West Texas.

Your donations help us meet the basic needs of those entering our shelter and receiving services — and every item makes a difference.

Drop off donations at:
📍 910-B South Grant Ave, Odessa
🕗 Monday–Thursday: 8am–5pm | Friday: 8am–12pm

Thank you for your support!

07/21/2025

Interoception refers to the body’s ability to identify and process internal actions of the organs and systems inside the body. This lesser-known sensory system helps you understand and feel what’s going on inside your body. You can then make essential decisions about eating when you are hungry, drinking when you are thirsty, going into the restroom when you need to toilet, and other physical actions.

Does this sound like a familiar challenge for some of the kids we work with?

These challenges can impact attention, focus, posture in writing, executive functioning skills, motor planning skills, and so many areas.
For information, tools, and strategies: https://www.theottoolbox.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-interoception/