NJ Counseling Center, LLC

05/26/2022

As a mom and a therapist the events that happened yesterday in Texas shook me to my core. Here are helpful resources for caregivers, teachers and clinicians. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of innocent children and teachers that lost their lives.

A Mighty Girl Pick of the Day: "What to Do When the News Scares You: A Kid's Guide to Understanding Current Events." 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. It will also help kids become more informed consumers of media by introducing them to media techniques such as reporters' efforts to add excitement to stories which may also make threats seem more imminent and extreme. And if kids start to worry or become anxious about things they've heard, the guide shares tips on how kids can feel calmer and more in control. Hands-on and interactive, it encourages kids to respond to what they are learning by writing down their thoughts or drawing pictures in guided activity sections. This new guide is an invaluable resource for kids growing up in a world that can often feel awash in upsetting news. Highly recommended for ages 6 to 12.

"What to Do When the News Scares You" is available at https://www.amightygirl.com/what-to-do-news-scares-you

Dawn Huebner 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" 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

12/04/2020

We are living through unprecedented times. If you are feeling panicked or “disconnected from your body, try this grounding exercise.

05/23/2020

For our little ones that miss family and friends.

04/14/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: COVID-19 - From A Child’s Perspective. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

04/09/2020

A free downloadable book to help kids understand Covid 19.

12/07/2019

Holidays can be stressful. Take one minute and breathe. Try to introduce this practice at least once a day and notice it’s impact.

11/18/2019

We are wired for connection. Hugging is one way to fill that emotional bucket we have.

have a very positive effect on emotional balance and health. When someone hugs us, the physical contact activates the pressure receptors that we have in our skin, which are also known as Pacinian corpuscles, and which respond mainly to deep pressure. These receptors immediately send signals to the vagus nerve.

At that point, we begin to good because that nerve is connected with nerve fibers that reach different cranial nerves and play an important role in the regulation of most of the key functions of the body, including blood pressure. Therefore, as a result of a hug and vagus nerve stimulation, the heart rate and blood pressure decrease. The vagus nerve plays an important role in the parasympathetic system, which represents a kind of handbrake when we are under stress or overexcited.

Another important change takes place directly in the brain. A hug stimulates the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter known as the “pleasure hormone” because it creates a feeling of satisfaction that relieves stress and tension. It is also appreciated that a simple hug increases the production of oxytocin, known as “love’s hormone” which allows us to emotionally connect with others and trust them.

Many studies have concluded that touch, especially hugging, provides numerous health benefits. It is a great way to boost your immune system, improve your sleep, reduce your stress, and help with depression. Hugs have no side effects, require no prescription, are free... and best of all, they can be given to your loved ones anytime, anywhere.

https://psychology-spot.com/brain-needs/

10/25/2019

How we speak to our kids becomes their inner voice. Make it count.

Since children were little babies, it has been parents’ innate obligation to watch over them and keep them safe. But as the children grow, they require a little more freedom. Parents can’t watch their every move anymore. Since supervision becomes less prevalent, parents find other ways to look out for them.

Some parents instill caution in kids by suggesting alternatives. They may tell their children to walk instead of running into the street. Always look both ways. To stand back and allow cars to pass by instead of attempting to jump on them.

Other parents take the shortcut and say “be careful” to their kids. There’s seemingly nothing wrong with it. The phrase is always passed on with good intentions. That is why we habitually tell children to be careful when they engage in possibly hazardous activities.

But preventative language like “be careful” is only helpful when it is accurately explained. “Be careful” can mean so much that it means nothing. The phrase holds so much meaning, that it is rendered meaningless. Without any specific details or guidance, children don’t know what they need to be wary of. They need to be provided with an explanation on what they need to be careful of and why. What will happen if they don’t proceed with caution?

Without accurate explanations, children might begin to perceive everything as a threat. The vague, “be careful” could translate to be careful of everything around you. Everything is a danger. With this value implanted in them from a young age, they may grow up to believe that nothing is safe.

By always using caution, children will grow up to only engage in activities that they know are completely certain and free of risk. But the reality is that nothing is certain. There is always some level of risk regardless of your level of caution. Use your language as a tool to free your children from fear and fill them with possibility, learning from you and the world around them as they go.

https://www.lifehack.org/638451/the-danger-of-saying-be-careful-to-children

Image by: Backwoods Mama