Selective Mutism is an anxiety-disorder of childhood where a child demonstrates an inability to speak in certain social environments. A child may have difficulty speaking in one environment (speaks at home, but not at school) or multiple environments (does not speak at home or school). Selective Mutism is associated with functional impairments in educational, familial, social, or occupational settings. Left untreated, Selective Mutism may lead to increased stress within family units, decreased academic performance, and decreased socialization needed for appropriate development.

Back-to-school time is just around the corner and for children struggling with anxiety, it can be a time of increased stress (both for children and their families). Below are some tips that can help parents and kids feel more prepared for the transition back to school: Begin initiating expected bedtime and morning routines several weeks before school resumes: It is typically pretty challenging to switch from a relaxed summer schedule to a structured school schedule.

A lot of us are great at being compassionate toward others though find it hard to extend that same compassion toward ourselves. We have a harder time accepting ourselves for all that we are, especially when we make mistakes, do not meet standards we have set for ourselves, or experience some kind of loss. Acceptance does not mean we have to like, enjoy or want more of the painful experience we are in. It simply means we are dropping the fight with reality, which is something we must do in order to change an undesirable reality.

The International OCD Foundation explains that individuals with OCD have higher rates of eating disorders (about 11 to 17%), so if you or a loved one find yourself struggling with both OCD and an eating disorder, you are not alone. You are also in the right place. It can be overwhelming to have to switch gears and begin looking for new resources and treatments. Below are clinician-approved resources to help you on your journey:

In most of Western society, men are often expected to be “strong and in control” (Mental Health Foundation, 2), and while this is not a bad thing, it can make it more difficult for men to access the help they need. Because of the stigma around men’s mental health as well as being culturally conditioned to keep most observations around one’s feelings internally, “men may also be more likely to use potentially harmful coping methods such as drugs or alcohol and less like to talk to family or friends” (Mental Health Foundation, 2).

Parenting an adolescent comes with a unique set of challenges. Many of the pressures that teens are dealing with today are new. Social media and the competitiveness of college acceptance, along with the lasting effects of the pandemic, all contribute to the pressures facing adolescents. Add on additional struggles with general anxiety, OCD, social anxiety, testing anxiety, and parenting can feel overwhelming. Below are some suggestions to help guide you through this stage:

Teens are experiencing higher levels of anxiety than before the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to what is being referred to as a “mental health crisis.” Many children and teens with anxiety set high expectations for themselves, and this leads to increased anxiety. While many parents do set high expectations for their children, it’s not uncommon for parents to report that their teens are harder on themselves than anyone else.

“Do you think I’m going to be okay?”

That’s a real text (or at least a variation of one) that I sent to my mom, every day (sometimes multiple times per day) throughout the entirety of my college career. I was deep in an anxiety spiral that I had no real insight into, beyond that creeping feeling of “something is wrong.” At the time, I had no inkling that there could be a version of life where anxiety didn’t have such a strong impact on me.

When you hear the phrase “mental health treatment”, what do you picture? Is it a therapist’s office in a high-rise building? Maybe it is a large healthcare facility. Maybe it is a center on a ranch in another state. Mental health treatment can look like a lot of different things! In the same way we need individually tailored approaches to treatment, we also need different levels of care to accommodate varied levels of mental health concerns. Below are some of the most common levels of care currently in place for mental health treatment.

Emetophobia is an excessive fear of vomiting. Emetophobia is often classified as a Specific Phobia, however, there is also thought that it could be considered under the umbrella of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

We can probably say with quite a bit of confidence that none of us really like vomit. The difference between individuals with and without emetophobia is that those with emetophobia truly fear vomit and the act of vomiting.

When anxiety and depression find their way into your world, whether personally, with a family member or dear friend, they have a way of getting us stuck, and pull us from the things we care most about. It’s as if you are frozen, clinging to a boulder, afraid to look around, wanting to go upward, and unsure of the next step. In Acceptance and Commitment therapy, or ACT, this “stuckness” is called psychological inflexibility.

It’s a familiar scene: you pick your teen up from school and try asking about their day, but their face is buried in their smartphone, and you get grunts or, at best, one-word answers. You know that the lure of their friends is partly to blame, and the internet is where everyone congregates. After all, you’re a hip parent who follows Chrissy Teigen and your favorite HGTV stars on Instagram! You’ve also heard of the dangers of the internet, cyberbullying, and internet addiction—and you just miss connecting with your teen!

Relaxation relies on paradoxical processes. What this means is that it is challenging to “try to relax.” We have all been in a situation where someone tells us to calm down, and we react with anger and irritation. Trying to suppress our emotions, numb or not feel them, may work to get rid of unwanted feelings. However, numbing, avoiding, and suppressing emotions can dull our emotional experience and affect how we interpret what is going on in our lives and interact with others. Psychotherapy can help teach us proven techniques to lower our stress levels and anxiety without getting rid of emotions.

Kids and teens are returning to school this year as adults continue arguing about masks and vaccines. Some students are even entering new schools and classrooms after more than a year of learning from home. Setting realistic expectations as the school year kicks off can be a helpful way to support the mental wellness and growth of our students. School has changed A LOT since March 2020.

As a psychologist who works with children and teens to battle anxiety every day, I have been processing the brave words and actions of Olympic champion Simone Biles all week. At just 24 years old, Ms. Biles has been thrust into the spotlight of these 2021 Olympics as the epitome of athleticism, and now, as a mental health advocate and role model. For athletes, young people, and particularly for Black women everywhere, Ms. Biles has set an example of prioritizing her mental health and well-being above others’ expectations of her…but what does this mean for us mere mortals?

As summer heat waves break records across the country, many kids and teens have already started preparations for the upcoming school year. Given the many months of learning at home, virtual school, hybrid education, and socially-distanced classes (or some combination of all of these), students are in for another strange and anxiety-provoking back-to-school season. Here are a few things that parents and professionals need to know about back-to-school anxiety in 2021:

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) suggests that our thoughts, feelings/emotions, and behaviors are all connected to one another and influence one another. CBT aims to identify and modify unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns.