Gordon Therapy Group

Back to School Survival Tips

https://gordontherapygroup.com/back-to-school-survival-tips/

Back to School Survival Tips After endless beach days, running around in the sun, and family time, the beginning of the new school year elicits anxiety, excitement, and disappointment for children, teens, and parents.

We're offering an IN-PERSON teen social anxiety treatment group in the fall! Email us at [email protected] to sign up your child.

STILL ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS:

Gordon Therapy Group is offering a five-week parent-based group for children with anxiety and OCD (ages 5-16). Parents will learn changes they can make to their own behaviors. This group will teach parents how to respond to their children’s anxiety in a manner that increases children’s independence and ability to tolerate uncomfortable emotions. This group will focus on teaching and practicing new skills, while also allowing parents with similar situations to connect and learn from each other. Our group is informed by SPACE treatment, a novel evidence-based treatment developed by Yale Child Study Center, and basic parenting principles.

General topics that will be covered:

Learn how to respond supportively to your child’s anxiety.

Learn how to reduce family accommodations (ways parents respond to anxiety to reduce children’s distress).

Learn how to better respond when your child becomes dysregulated.

Group will meet virtually at 12:00 pm on Thursdays.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Our last group was so successful, we're doing it again! Email [email protected] to sign up.

Is your child’s anxiety controlling your family? Is your child resistant to engaging in treatment?

Gordon Therapy Group is offering a five-week parent-based group for children with anxiety and OCD (ages 5-16). Parents will learn changes they can make to their own behaviors. This group will teach parents how to respond to their children’s anxiety in a manner that increases children’s independence and ability to tolerate uncomfortable emotions. This group will focus on teaching and practicing new skills, while also allowing parents with similar situations to connect and learn from each other. Our group is informed by SPACE treatment, a novel evidence-based treatment developed by Yale Child Study Center, and basic parenting principles.

General topics that will be covered:

Learn how to respond supportively to your child’s anxiety.

Learn how to reduce family accommodations (ways parents respond to anxiety to reduce children’s distress).

Learn how to better respond when your child becomes dysregulated.

Group will meet virtually at 12:00 pm on Thursday starting July 7th.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

A Movie About SPACE - treating anxious kids by helping their parents!

https://gordontherapygroup.com/a-movie-about-space-treating-anxious-kids-by-helping-their-parents/

A Movie About SPACE - treating anxious kids by helping their parents! At the Gordon Therapy Group we help kids, and adults, in many different ways. One approach we offer is a therapy specifically designed for parents of anxious children. By teaching parents new ways of…

In light of the recent tragedy, sharing some resources we liked from The Mighty Girls website:

Whether from TV news reports, the car radio, social media, or discussions by adults or their peers, children are often bombarded with information about the world around them. And even when the adults in their life try to shelter them from frightening news, kids are often exposed to far more of it than parents may realize. With many of the leading news stories focused on disturbing or scary events such as mass shootings, wars, extreme weather events, disease outbreaks, or more dispersed threats such as climate change, children can become frightened and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, parents can help kids put scary events into perspective and learn how to understand and process the messages they hear with the help of this new addition to the bestselling What-To-Do series. "What to Do When the News Scares You" by Jacqueline Toner, PhD is available at https://www.amightygirl.com/what-to-do-news-scares-you

Dawn Huebner PhD has also released a similar book for kids 6 to 12, "Something Bad Happened: A Kid's Guide to Coping With Events in the News," at https://amzn.to/3lEjJFV

For parents and educators, there's an excellent guide filled with conversation scripts and tips on helping kids feel calm in an anxious world, "When the World Feels Like a Scary Place" by Dr. Gewirtz at https://www.amightygirl.com/world-scary-place

For a simple yet powerful picture book that reassures kids that the world is filled with helpful and friendly people -- and serves as a counterpoint to scary news stories -- check out "Most People" for ages 4 to 7 at https://amzn.to/3wKwNzL

For a few helpful books for younger kids on coping with worries, we recommend "The Don't Worry Book" for ages 3 to 5 (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-don-t-worry-book), "Ruby Finds A Worry" for ages 4 to 7 (https://www.amightygirl.com/ruby-finds-a-worry), and "The Whatifs" for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-whatifs),

For older kids, we recommend "What To Do When You Worry Too Much" for ages 6 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/when-you-worry-too-much), "Outsmarting Worry" for ages 9 to 13 (https://www.amightygirl.com/outsmarting-worry), and "The Anxiety Workbook for Teens" for ages 13 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-anxiety-workbook-for-teens)

For more books to help kids of all ages manage their worries, visit our blog post "25 Books to Help Kids Overcome Anxiety, Worry, and Fear" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=22612

The Gordon Therapy Group is offering a one year Postdoctoral Fellowship in evidence-based Child and Adolescent psychology beginning in the summer or fall of 2022.

Successful fellows will be offered an opportunity to continue working in the practice as staff psychologists upon completion of their fellowship year.
We are a small, collegial private practice on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, specializing in CBT and EBPs for all ages, with a primary focus on anxiety disorders.
You can read more about the Gordon Therapy Group at: https://gordontherapygroup.com/careers/
Patient Population
We treat children, adolescents, and adults. Primary areas of specialization of the practice are Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Most commonly our patients are seeking treatment for OCD, BFRBs, depression, GAD, social anxiety, panic, phobias, and ADHD. Other issues for which our patients often seek therapy are trauma and PTSD, school/work stress, relationship issues, and parent training.
Our Ideal Candidate
We are looking for doctoral-level clinicians with a strong background in CBT. The candidate should have completed an APA-approved graduate program and internship, and be eligible for a limited license permit. Demonstrated experience and competence using evidence based practices with children and adolescents is essential, along with attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and an attitude of intellectual curiosity.
Our services are currently being provided both in-person and via Tele-health, with appropriate practices in place to keep staff and patients safe during the Covid pandemic.

Working at Gordon Therapy Group:
Our office environment is warm, friendly, and supportive, and encourages work/life balance. We value diversity and strive to create an equitable, inclusive, and affirming learning environment. We provide equal opportunity to all prospective trainees and staff, and do not discriminate due to a person’s age, disability, ethnicity, s*x, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, s*xual orientation, social economic status, or other factors that are not predictive of or related to success as a postdoctoral fellow.
Compensation is salaried and competitive. Benefits include 3 weeks vacation, 5 sick or personal days, matching 401K after one year of employment, and ongoing supported training. We offer several hours a week of clinical supervision/didactics as well as funding for outside continuing education in CBT and EBPs. Clinicians who are interested in broadening their knowledge in a particular treatment area are encouraged to seek additional training opportunities and grow that area of the practice.

To Apply:
Email a letter of interest, CV, and letters of recommendation plus contact information for a minimum of two professional references to [email protected]

Excited to be giving a Mini-Workshop at ABCT 2022! Mark your calendars for November 17th at the Marriot Marquis in NYC to come hear me and my friend and colleague Dr. Susan Paula teach:

"When the Pandemic Isn't the Worst Thing That's Happened: Practical Tools for Complex PTSD Survivors In Our Troubled Times"

Parenting Matters: How You Can Help Your Anxious Child

https://gordontherapygroup.com/parenting-matters-how-you-can-help-your-anxious-child/

Parenting Matters: How You Can Help Your Anxious Child Have you ever felt that your child’s anxiety impacts the whole family? As a parent, it’s hard to see your child struggle, and you’ll probably go to great lengths to make them feel better.

Must Everybody Get Stoned?

Dr. Bertie Bregman says what I have been thinking....so I'm sharing it here.

Must Everybody Get Stoned? Thoughts on Legalizing W**d

Facing Fear

https://gordontherapygroup.com/facing-fear/

Facing Fear Two friends, we’ll call them Sally and Jane, go on a roller coaster. Both feel their hearts race, their breath catch, as the car slowly climbs to the top of a huge drop. Sally smiles as her body…

Subscribe to our Blog

Subscribe to the blog on our website:
https://gordontherapygroup.com/subscribe/

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A great new blog post by Gordon Therapy Group's own Dr. Sara Dobosh
https://gordontherapygroup.com/picky-eater-things-to-watch-for-and-how-to-help/

Parenting Matters: How You Can Help Your Anxious Child

Parenting Matters: How You Can Help Your Anxious Child Have you ever felt that your child’s anxiety impacts the whole family? As a parent, it’s hard to see your child struggle, and you’ll probably go to great lengths to make them feel better.

Opinion | I Was With Family. Suddenly, a White Man Appeared with a Gun.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I'd like to share a moment of reflection on things that are broken, hope, and love.

I've always liked the title of Bessel Van Der Kolk's book about trauma,The Body Keeps the Score. This elegy in the NY Times today beautifully elucidates it.

I Was With Family. Suddenly, a White Man Appeared with a Gun. https://nyti.ms/3FLHROQ

Opinion | I Was With Family. Suddenly, a White Man Appeared with a Gun. We do not just remember the death. We remember the life, the beauty, the art, the feeling, the waiting, the living.

Flexibility is the name of the game these days.....CDC guidelines have changed, and thus so do we.

As a health-care setting Gordon Therapy Group is required to be masked in the office. While we will be offering some in-person sessions this fall, both patients and clinicians will need to be masked, regardless of vaccination status.

We will continue to offer state-of-the-art video-sessions. As much as we miss seeing our patients in person, sometimes "face-to-face" is better even if it means using tele-health. Please discuss with your individual therapist whether masked in-person, or un-masked via tele-health is right for you.

Protect Kids From Delta — Lucy McBride, MD

I found this article about kids and the Delta variant to be both scientific and soothing - always helpful to have an informed opinion that can help us avoid panic!

https://www.lucymcbride.com/newsletter/protect-kids-from-delta

Protect Kids From Delta — Lucy McBride, MD As I  wrote last week , CDC’s messaging about the  Provincetown outbreak  and their updated guidance has (naturally) put parents of unvaccinated kids into a tailspin.  (Warning: this is a long post, so grab a drink and some snacks!)  The short story on

Getting Back To Normal? Steps to help your kids cope.

Check out my new post:
https://gordontherapygroup.com/getting-back-to-normal-steps-to-help-your-kids-cope/

Getting Back To Normal? Steps to help your kids cope. How to help your child cope as things are re-opening. Post-Covid coping.

The Risks of Cannabis Use for Youth During COVID

Sharing a good blog post about teens and w**d use by a colleague:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/being-your-best-self/202103/the-risks-cannabis-use-youth-during-covid

The Risks of Cannabis Use for Youth During COVID What parents need to know about the effects of COVID and cannabis on teens.

10 ADHD Lifehacks from Penn

For all the parents who self-identify after their child's diagnosis: a fun take on living with adult ADHD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlDcJfRilA

10 ADHD Lifehacks from Penn "Glasses, wallet, keys and phone, keys and phone..." If you have ADHD or you are constantly losing things, you are going to want to learn this song as part o...

Managing the long term effects of covid-19: summary of NICE, SIGN, and RCGP rapid guideline

Public Service Message:
If you are still suffering with physical health symptoms after COVID-19, this article is something to share with your doctor, and I am sending you warm thoughts for a full recovery.

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n136

Managing the long term effects of covid-19: summary of NICE, SIGN, and RCGP rapid guideline ### What you need to know For a proportion of people covid-19 leads to long term effects that can have a significant impact on quality of life. According to the Office for National Statistics, around one in five people testing positive for covid-19 exhibit symptoms for a period of five weeks or more...

Census 2020

https://my2020census.gov/

Make yourself count!

Census 2020

Better Know A Ballot | Election 2020 | How to Vote

If you want to know how to request an absentee ballot in your state:
https://www.betterknowaballot.com/

Better Know A Ballot | Election 2020 | How to Vote Do you have a plan to vote this year? has you covered!

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933–2020 | Jewish Women's Archive

I want to share this beautiful eulogy that my dear friend Ariela wrote for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I'm honored to know people who help change the world for the better.

https://jwa.org/weremember/ginsburg-ruth#ariela-migdal

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933–2020 | Jewish Women's Archive Pioneering lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and pop culture icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg redefined gender equality through vision, persistence, precision, and dissent. This collection of reflections on her life and work honors her tremendous legacy as a lawyer, judge, feminist, and Jew.

New Jersey’s Challah Back Girls raise dough for racial justice

I love this! Finding positive ways to bring different people together, instead of driving them apart.

New Jersey’s Challah Back Girls raise dough for racial justice Finding themselves under one roof again in COVID-19 era, the Loffman sisters use ingredients at hand -- flour and Jewish values -- to raise funds for charitable anti-racist causes

Perspective | Pandemic parenting is like being trapped in a Choose Your Own Adventure book

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/07/20/pandemic-parenting-is-like-being-trapped-choose-your-own-adventure-book/

Perspective | Pandemic parenting is like being trapped in a Choose Your Own Adventure book Every choice is fraught — and we’re making them all on our own.

Gordon Therapy Group on Google

Gordon Therapy Group on Google My profile is currently being featured at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy. Check it out here: http://www.abct.org/Help/

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234

Change is hard, but self-awareness is always the starting the point.

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice **Note this article is continually updated to ensure each item is accurate and needed today.**

Experiencing COVID-19-related stress? We are here for you! .

Coping in quarantine

Coping with Quarantine, managing your stress, fear, and sadness
https://gordontherapygroup.com/coping-with-quarantine/

Coping in quarantine Coping with quarantine, Managing pandemic anxiety

Timeline photos

Depressive Thinking During the Coronavirus Pandemic

So, I've often blogged on topics that grab me. But sometimes, someone else says it better. I'm sharing one of those here, from my colleague Dr. Bob Leahy:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anxiety-files/202003/depressive-thinking-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

Depressive Thinking During the Coronavirus Pandemic Five ways to reverse your negative thinking.

Opinion | I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Home School

https://nyti.ms/3bgtBOV

Be kind to yourselves parents!

Opinion | I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Home School My kids are watching TV, playing video games and eating cookies. It’s fine.

We're offering Video-Sessions at Gordon Therapy Group. Now you can get support for anxiety while wearing pajamas! But your therapist will almost definitely tell you to get dressed every day as a way of coping. Oh well.

Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours

Cincinnati Zoo to start 'Home Safari Facebook Live' to keep kids learning during their time off

https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/cincinnati-zoo-to-start-home-safari-facebook-live-to-keep-kids-learning-during-their-time-off/95-4d957e04-50dc-4f18-9e9c-63e8dd5012f4

Boredom Busters: 110 Fun At-Home Activities for Families & Kids

https://familyeguide.com/boredom-busters-110-fun-at-home-activities-for-families-kids-2/

49 Montessori-inspired ideas for indoor activities with your kids

https://www.mother.ly/child/montessori-inspired-indoor-activities

HERE’S 33 NATIONAL PARK TOURS YOU CAN TAKE VIRTUALLY FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

https://totallythebomb.com/heres-33-national-park-tours-you-can-take-virtually-from-the-comfort-of-your-home

Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it…

The loneliest Shabbat: Bracing for another holy day in quarantine

https://forward.com/news/441519/westchester-new-rochelle-quarantine/

I was quoted in an article about the mental health impact of Covid19 which you can read below.

If you are struggling with anxiety and loneliness, Gordon Therapy Group is here to help with tele-therapy as needed. Give us a call.

The loneliest Shabbat: Bracing for another holy day in quarantine “As an Orthodox community, everybody’s social life is about having meals together. So it’s a shock for everybody.”

If you're staying home, we are still here to help. Talk to your therapist about using video sessions!

https://adaa.org/finding-help/coronavirus-anxiety-helpful-resources

With thanks to OCD researcher Reid Wilson, here is an excellent tip sheet for managing Coronavirus anxiety when you have OCD or other anxiety:

*Tip Sheet for Managing Coronavirus Concerns for People Who Have OCD*

*News*

It’s tempting to check news constantly to see how the situation is
developing. To combat compulsive checking, restrict your news intake to a
frequency and duration that works for you. For instance, you might only
check once a day for a maximum of 5 minutes, or once a week you might watch
the evening news, or you might decide not to check news at all: whatever is
most useful for you (and not for OCD).

*Travel*

If you’re planning to travel to a region affected by the virus, identify
dates by which you need to make travel decisions*. It’s likely that the
information you’ll need to make decisions will be information released just
prior to your decision-making dates. Therefore, give yourself permission to
*not* constantly check the news or ask others’ opinions to try to “figure
out” which way the situation will go, as frequent checking and reassurance
seeking can cause more anxiety without an increase in useful information.

If it seems like OCD is trying to make your decisions and you’re travelling
with someone whom you trust who doesn’t have OCD, you could observe how
that person is making decisions and try to follow their lead. While your
travel companions may also have anxiety, if they don’t have OCD, they are
going to be more likely to make decisions based on current facts, not on
OCD “what ifs?”

*and whether travel providers might waive change fees



*Contamination concerns*

Many people in OCD treatment are trying to reduce compulsive cleaning
rituals, and those in recovery may have handwashing and other cleanliness
routines that are less stringent than the average American because they are
trying to keep contamination compulsions in check. However, because of the
present situation, give yourself permission to follow current guidelines
being recommended by authorities such as the World Health Organization
(WHO) guidelines

or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines

*.*

The CDC and the WHO have the knowledge to be making these recommendations.
OCD, no matter what it says, does not. Your goal is to restrict yourself to
following valid recommendations (again, that counts out OCD). For instance,
you could wash your hands as directed by the CDC/WHO but no more than that.
OCD isn’t going to like this, so following the recommendations becomes your
exposure and response prevention (ERP) exercise. Further, the feeling of
dirtiness/grossness/contamination may still linger even after you’ve done
the recommended wash, giving you an opportunity to practice allowing those
feelings to be there without doing compulsions.

Here’s a way to frame these exercises to keep this whole situation in
perspective. If you were a medical professional who had contamination OCD,
you would still follow your profession’s procedures for germ prevention,
even if you were in OCD treatment. But to keep your OCD in check, you’d
want to do no more than what your profession says you’re supposed to do.
Medical professionals with OCD work to manage this every day, and we’re
joining them while valid authorities tell us these protective measures are
necessary.

*Self-compassion*

Recognize that if you’re anxious about coronavirus, that’s normal and
you’re not alone. The situation is making many people fearful, even people
who don’t have OCD. Allow yourself to feel anxious and realize that your
anxiety might not go away while the situation is still unfolding.

Be compassionate with yourself if you’re experiencing an increase in OCD
symptoms. It’s not your fault! Do what you can to keep your compulsions in
check without trying to be perfect. If you need support, schedule a booster
session with your therapist or reach out to a support group like the
International OCD Foundation’s My OCD Community


*You can do this!*

The coronavirus situation is scary because there’s so much about it that’s
uncertain. But if you’ve done ERP for OCD, you have above average skills in
managing uncertainty and anxiety. You’re actually more prepared to handle
all the unknowns than people who haven’t done ERP. While you may be scared
and OCD may act up, remember that when it comes to anxiety and uncertainty,
you’ve got this!

What's it like to have ADHD?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7Ro1PUJmE

What's it like to have ADHD? Single clip from the full ADHD and Me film. Website: www.adhdvoices.com ADHD and Me brings research interviews with children to (animated) life. The VOICES s...

I've always loved this Shel Shilverstein poem...
And if The NightTime Whatifs strike during the DAY....well, then it's time for some CBT.

Whatif

by Shel Silverstein

Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow taller?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?

Everything seems well, and then….

The Nighttime Whatifs strike again!

“How Do I Help?”: How You Can Respond to the Rising Anxiety Epidemic

Please Join Me, Mountain Valley, and Lighthouse Guidance, Nov. 7th on the Upper West Side of NYC

“How Do I Help?”: How You Can Respond to the Rising Anxiety Epidemic Wondering how you can respond to your Child/Teen/Young Adult when they are anxious? Do you push them or protect them? Join us to learn more!

A friend asked for a book recommendation for her anxious pre-teen. Thought I'd share what I wrote here for anyone else who might benefit:
There's definitely not just one, but many. A few ideas as a starting point:
1. Guts by Raina Telgemeir is a great graphic novel about the experience of anxiety
2. What To Do when You Worry Too Much is an easy self-help type book, appropriate for ages 7 and up.
3. Outsmarting Worry is a book for older kids by the same author
4. Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life addresses a wider variety of up and down emotions, not just anxiety

More and More Children Are Feeling Anxious. This Graphic Novelist Is Trying to Help.

Neat article about a graphic novelist for kids who tells the story of child anxiety particularly well,

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/books/review/guts-raina-telgemeier.html?action=click&auth=login-email&login=email&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

More and More Children Are Feeling Anxious. This Graphic Novelist Is Trying to Help. “Guts,” Raina Telgemeier’s warm, funny and realistic new graphic memoir, hits home for parents and children trying to climb out of the abyss of worry.

A moving testimonial from a teen fighting her OCD:
https://youtu.be/PyAIXH9sG3M

Staff Psychologists - Gordon Therapy Group

I'm so pleased to announce that Dr. Bianca Levy will be joining me and the team at Gordon Therapy Group this September! Dr. Levy is an experience child psychologist who is just completing a year long fellowship at NYU Child Study Center working in the ADHD and the Selective Mutism units, and brings very specialized knowledge in helping little ones overcome and persevere! We are so excited to welcome her.

You can read more about her at https://gordontherapygroup.com/staff-psychologists/

Staff Psychologists - Gordon Therapy Group Meet the staff psychologists at Tamar Gordon Psychology, LLC. They specialize in CBT therapy in NYC, treating a variety of disorders and issues.

Tune in to WVOX am New York at 1:45 pm *today* to hear me talk about symptoms of depression, summer, and how to choose a mental health care provider on The Attorney General's Report!