Jessica Griffin - Licensed Mental Health Counselor

06/12/2024

01/29/2024

When it comes to taking care of your mental health, it's important to remember that it's okay to not be okay.

09/27/2023

Mental health service

08/08/2023

How do you show yourself that there is nothing that needs to be done to prove your worth? How do you say “no” to the inner critic in order to cultivate greater generosity toward yourself instead? That’s the healing. And, when you’re doing this, it naturally extends out to others, as well.

08/08/2023

Who relates?

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Im so glad you’re here! 🫶🫶🫶

04/18/2023

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04/17/2023

The Contented Child, Child Wellbeing Consultancy

04/17/2023

Dr. Thema

04/06/2023

The Contented Child, Child Wellbeing Consultancy 💕

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04/06/2023

The Therapist Parent 💕
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Our expectations of children can be so high when, quite often, they are mirroring what we do. We may not see what they are doing as important, but it is to them. That doesn’t mean that they shouldn't do what we ask, but it doesn't mean that we need to take into consideration what they are doing. We can't expect them to drop everything and respond straight away. Give them warnings for when they need to do something else. Or give them options for when they can do what you are asking. This really is just treating them with the respect we all want.

♡ If you would like to be kept in the loop on everything Synergetic Play Therapy or get resources to support you on your therapist journey, submit your details here: https://linktr.ee/synergeticplaytherapy ♡

03/31/2023

“With the inclusion of counselors in Medicare reimbursement and the creation of the Counseling Compact Commission, the way counselors will be able to practice will change forever.” -ACA CEO Shawn Boynes

03/31/2023

You are not an imposter. You are a person who worked to get to where you are. Own your worth.

03/30/2023

Waiting Area

03/27/2023

03/27/2023

Quote of the Day

03/24/2023

01/18/2023

Jessica Griffin

Just Make Them Do Maths.
There’s a consistent theme in the English education system.

It’s the idea that the best way to address a problem is to force our children to do things. No matter what they think about it or what the reasons are. It’s such a seductive idea, just make them do it and the issue will melt away.

If they aren’t attending school enough, they are forced to do so with fines and threats of court for their parents. If they say they are happier at home, their parents are told to make home less pleasurable so they’ll choose school out of despair. If they say they want to quit something, adults tell them they need to learn to stick at things so they can’t.

If adults think children aren’t learning enough, then the answer is to force them to do more of it. Whether that’s reading when they are young, or, as our prime minister announced yesterday, compulsory Maths until they are eighteen.

There’s a problem with this and it’s psychology. The difference between choosing to learn Maths and being forced to learn Maths is enormous. Outwardly it might look the same - young people in a Maths classroom - but those who have chosen to be there are likely to learn more, feel more positive about their learning and have a better relationship with the teacher. Those who are forced may well manage to sit through the lessons and learn nothing, because that is the only control they have left. They don’t want to be there, and forcing them won’t change that.

I regularly meet children who were forced to read every day when they were having trouble learning. They learnt to hate reading and resist it, even years later. I meet people who have an immediate panic response to Maths, they just guess the answer, even if it’s about money and has serious real life consequences.

Humans react badly to being forced. It changes their relationship with what they are doing. It stops being something they are doing to learn, and starts being something they are doing to avoid punishment. For you can force someone to go through the motions, but you can't force them to want to learn. For that, you have to create the right circumstances and let them be the one who decides.

Force seems like such an easy short cut to addressing a problem - they can’t read? Just make them! - but it’s a mirage. A false premise. You can’t force people to learn, and you can do a lot of damage through trying.

01/17/2023

‘Play isn’t an extra, it isn’t an add on,’ says former Children’s Laureate

01/16/2023

When our parts show up and behave in a way that feels destructive, it can be challenging to show up and treat them with compassion. We can benefit so much from treating our parts and ourselves with love and kindness. We want to hear from you; please consider sharing one way that you've shown kindness to your parts even when it's been challenging to do so. 🌞