Dr. Kim
It’s National Play Therapy Week and as a nationally recognized Registered Play Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I want to bring awareness to play this week as it is vitally important for a child’s growth, cognitive and emotional development, and overall mental wellbeing! And now, with the big role the pandemic has played with children’s mental health, play… Read More
Childhood depression has always existed and has been a prominent diagnosis among children as young as toddlerhood all the way to adolescents. But since the pandemic began and children have been forced to be socially isolated with limited escape mechanisms and coping skills they may have depended on in the past, I have personally and professionally seen depressive symptoms worsen… Read More
As a parent, we constantly want to learn effective skills to help our children achieve their best potential. Have you ever heard your child say “I’m not good enough” or “I’m stupid” or “I can’t do it” to you before? It’s pretty common with children and adolescents of all ages, genders, developmental, and academic levels and you have the power… Read More
Gratitude is about attitude and being grateful and showing gratitude comes with humility and putting others before yourself. And here’s the psychology behind it. Research shows that if you do something good for someone else and or express appreciation for others you end up feeling better about yourself. Studies have shown that generosity, giving back, and showing gratitude to others… Read More
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are typically encouraged to engage in three primary ways to play; sensory play, role play, and pretend play. Sensory play comes the easiest since many of these children are innately sensory seeking. Role play and pretend play often needs to be learned and practiced but can be a fun and playful way for caregivers… Read More
As a Registered Play Therapist, play is the foundation to the way I help children conceptualize and conquer the world. Play is second nature to children and the way they respond to many of life’s obstacles. Sometimes as parents, it is easy to get into a power match with your children, especially when you want your children to comply with a request… Read More
As we find ourselves transitioning into a new year and learning from and honoring what we experienced last year, this blog is all about from barely surviving 2020 to thriving in 2021… The year 2020 will forever be remembered as a challenging year for many reasons. There were new obstacles we were forced to face, adjustments we had… Read More
Did your mental health survive 2020? Mental health is not just your state of mind, it’s your state of being. When quarantine first started and we were given stay at home orders, it actually felt somewhat of a novelty to me. It was terrifying and anxiety provoking since we knew so little and I was truly a little paranoid… Read More
For those who know me well, it is no surprise that I truly value education. As a current university professor teaching Master’s and Doctoral level students and a previous high school teacher and K-12 credentialed substitute teacher, learning is key to my life. And now, I have the privilege and honor to educate my own children. I was their… Read More
Parenting is a difficult journey during normal circumstances and now parenting during a pandemic has forced us into an entirely new venture on how to cope and survive in the most stressful of times. To say the last six months have been stressful is an understatement. In fact, I believe stress has been at an all time maximum since the pandemic began… Read More
