Christine Hook, PhD, and Shelley Chambers, LCSW, established Potentials, LLC, in 2011 in order to offer psychological assessments and therapy under one roof.
We are a cooperative of mental health professionals. In addition to psychological assessments and therapy, we offer co-parenting counseling, clinical supervision, consultation, and training. Each clinician has her own area of expertise. Please view our website for more details or call our office manager, Bailey Ziebarth, at 910-254-4545. Thank you! www.potentialsnc.com
Operating as usual
✨ Monday Mantra ✨
What helps you feel supported today?
Timeline photos
Studies show that when a child’s #brain is being affected by #anxiety or any strong emotion, the area of their brain responsible for logical thought and cognition (as well as memory!) is compromised as a result.
This is why we ‘can’t think straight’ when we’re upset, worried or under pressure. The frontal cortex or ‘higher thinking brain’ quite literally isn’t as accessible as it would be if your child was emotionally regulated.
If you want your child to start a nerve-wracking situation with their best foot forward, you need to be intentional in helping your child feel emotionally grounded. The process of helping your child work through their big emotions is not as overwhelming as it may sound. There are a few basic things you can do:
🎈 Stay connected— Having a safe landing place (not just physically but emotionally!) is crucial for your child to feel supported and confident in school. Finding at least a small amount of time each day to set down your phone to be present with your child will help to meet their need for love and attunement.
🎈Establish a ritual— Creating rituals to help ease separation anxiety is another wonderful way to keep the parent-child bond strong and provide a relational buffer for your child’s back to emotions. Some ideas for rituals that establish connection and bonding:
• Special handshake to use right before and after reconnecting
• Your child gets to pick a special meal for the night before the event
• Giving your child something of yours they can bring with them and use as a physical comfort (ie scarf, bracelet, hair tye etc)
• Create a mantra your child can repeat to give them confidence
• Go on a shopping date to prepare together
• Leave lunchbox notes for them to help them feel loved at lunch.
🎈 Give them a safe place to talk— As parents, we all fall into that the trap of talking way more than we listen when it comes to interacting with our child. Being listened to and feeling understood is deeply therapeutic for your child and plants essential seeds for raising an emotionally intelligent child.
🎈 Being intentional with preparation— Kids are concrete thinkers and need a little help when it comes to grasping complex subjects like scefules and timelines. There are lots of ways to make preparing fun and more concrete:
• Making a countdown calendar or paper chain
• Bring your child to get clothing, lunch groceries, supplies etc
• Role-playing scenarios such as lunchtime for younger kiddos
• Visiting the place, such as a classroom, ahead of time
• Reading books about the event to your child
and making a list of questions your child has about it
• Write a story with your child about the day.
🎈 Allow your child some control— A very powerful component of managing stress for humans is feeling some degree of agency or control over your life. Allowing your child to help with simple decisions such as outfits, backpack designs or what they want for lunch will go far to help them feel more secure in an overwhelming situation.
🎈 Be an encourager— Listen to your child’s concerns but seize opportunities to breathe confidence and excitement into conversations. Find out what their favorite parts of their day is and tell them the strengths you see developing in them as time passes.
The secret to an awesome time in independent situations starts with you. With a foundation of emotional intelligence and a strong parent-child relationship, you’ll be setting up your child for an excellent experience.
https://cstu.io/9270a5
#neurochild #biologicallife #empathy
Fight, Flight, Freeze… or Fib? What if your child’s lying is not evidence of a character flaw or disrespect? What if his fibs are actually a self-preservation strategy rooted in poor inhibition, emotional regulation, working memory, and attention — all hallmarks of ADHD? This is the premise behind a new theory that is giving ...
What is self-care for you?
This is the essence of Radical Acceptance... 💕
Potentials is a collaborative practice of four clinicians. Dr. Christine Hook offers psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and young adults. Maddie Haddock, LCSWA, Whitney Philemon, LCSW, and Shelley Chambers, LCSW, offer therapy to individuals and families. Bailey Ziebarth, BA, is our office manager and the first point of contact.
Our private practice focuses on providing high-quality assessments and counseling/psychotherapy services in a comfortable, confidential, and accepting environment. During the current pandemic, we are offering therapy through video conferencing. Please feel free to call us at (910) 254-4545 if you have any questions regarding our services.
Monday | 8:30am - 6pm |
Tuesday | 8:30am - 6pm |
Wednesday | 8:30am - 6pm |
Thursday | 8:30am - 6pm |
Friday | 8:30am - 6pm |
Saturday | 11am - 4pm |
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified in Clinical Hypnosis.
COC of Coastal Horizons Center provides HIV/Hepatitis C Education, Awareness, and Testing to the Southeastern region of North Carolina.
Stillpoint Counseling and Wellness provides therapeutic services to help others find the calm, "stillpoint" in everyday life. Services include professional counseling services, as well as small group meditation, mindfulness, and yoga classes.
"We offer safe and supportive partnerships focused on improving the well-being of individual, couples and families with concerns in many areas."
I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Counselor who works with children, adults, families, and couples.
Bridge College Counseling was founded to serve students and their families who desire a more thorough and personalized college counseling experience.
We are a holistic wellness center offering mental health counseling, group/private fitness resources, and wellness workshops & retreats to help you live well and feel whole.
Wilmington Counseling is a mental health and substance abuse service for individuals, families, couples, and groups.
Coastal Care Counseling is owned and operated by Denise M. Scearce MSW, LCSW in Wilmington, NC specializing in marital, family and child therapy.