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Category: Children

Make An Informed Decision When It Comes To Therapy

Dr. Crystal Krueger August 17, 2021 No Comments

Why is there so much paperwork when I begin therapy? I definitely did not get into this field for the paperwork.  And yet, here we are.  Whether it is the doctor’s office or your therapist’s office, the forms to fill out and sign can seem never ending.  And we each respond to this different.  Some people like to read through everything and ask questions.  Others want to sign on the dotted and get to the good part.  Either way, it is important to understand what’s in these documents. Making an Informed Decision by Knowing All the Facts There are several

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Parenting: Learn. Practice. Repeat.

Dr. Crystal Krueger August 9, 2021 No Comments

Over the past several months, our family has really come to enjoy The Great British Baking Show.  We’ve recently taken to baking pasties with flakey pastry and are looking forward to delving into babka in the near future.  The show has been both entertaining and inspiring. The participants in this competition must show both knowledge and skill in baking.  They are judged on their technical skill in both recipes they are familiar with and those they are not.  And the producers have just the right way of creating anticipation and excitement in the viewers.  Can the bakers get it just

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What Does REGULATION Mean Anyway?

Cristina Galto July 12, 2021 No Comments

“I am in my feels.” This quote is from a song, but it is a rather common phrase as of late.  The statement means, “I am in my feelings”, or “I am feeling my feelings deeply”.  This is an experience many of us have throughout our day. The strong feelings that come with daily stressors of managing work life, home life, relationships, finances, or big decisions.  These strong feelings can be sad, happy, angry, excited, passionate, guilt, love, or jealousy, along with many others.  Many times, these feelings come and go quickly.  One thing that often gets confused is the difference between feelings, that we

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Summer Time with Intentional Time

Cristina Galto July 6, 2021 No Comments

Many of us are entering the second half of our summer festivities. Many of us have enjoyed the festivities of Memorial Day Weekend and the Fourth of July Weekend. Many of us have taken vacations and made plans for “get-aways” that we haven’t been afforded in the last year due to COVID and the pandemic. We all have different ways of celebrating this time of year with camping trips, out-of-state excursions, and swimming. This month we have been blogging to assist families in their preparation for the summer days to come where BOREDOM emerges. We have tried to provide tips

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“I’m Bored” Said Every Teen Ever

Dr. Crystal Krueger June 28, 2021 No Comments

I’m bored. This is a phrase I hear a lot from my teen. The reasons teens feel bored more often is partly due to developmental changes to their dopamine levels. Dopamine is our reward chemical. It’s the rush of happiness that we get when we have an accomplishment, do something fun and exciting, or have a new experience. The funny thing… Dopamine in teens is lower at baseline and hits higher peeks when they experience something novel and thrilling compared to adults. What does this mean?!? How To Come Up With Summer Teen Activites Teens feel more bored when they

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Summer Time with School-Age Kids

Cynthia Shembab June 22, 2021 No Comments

One of the great challenges for parents and families in summer is the little changes in work schedules or life responsibilities. For our children, they often have a marked decrease in activity and responsibility levels. Keeping your children busy can become a focus of the summer; however, finding a balance between busy and rest/rejuvenation is key. Of course, if your children attend a summer program or are going to spend time with grandparents regularly, keeping a routine will prove helpful. This is also a perfect time to address any rule changes in screen time, interactions with siblings, or chores over

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Summer Time with our Toddlers

Cristina Galto June 15, 2021 No Comments

This blog is specifically for our Arizona families! For many past blogs I have spoken about the importance of co-regulation. The wonderful art of regulating our own emotions before reacting to our children. The art of co-regulation is not easy! BELIEVE ME!! However, it is a practice that can really ease many of the tantrums, fits, and outbursts that our very young children experience often. When we are able to regulate ourselves, we become less reactive and more responsive to the needs of our children. Think of it! When you come home after a hard day of work, and our

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The Unmet Need

Dr. Crystal Krueger May 24, 2021 No Comments

Oh, unmet needs! The kids that come into our homes most certainly come with these. We often have them. And these little suckers are what… well… often suck the life out of us, whether it is helping the children in our care heal from them or healing from our own. What is an unmet need? We as human beings have basic emotional needs. We need to feel safe. We need to feel belonging. Capable. Loved. A sense of control in our lives. Cared for. Pleasure. As though our physical needs will be met (food, shelter). Understood. While this is not

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0 to 5 Years Old: Attachment & Foster Care

Cristina Galto May 10, 2021 No Comments

According to AZCourts.gov (2020), data shows that in 2020 there were 6,500 children under the age of 5 in the child welfare system. This means that very young children had been removed from their homes and placed in group homes (yes there are group homes for children five and under), foster homes, and kinship (some of which become foster homes) placements. Many of those children are removed due to neglect, and about 50% of them are reunified within 1-2 years. Some may find this data disheartening. What I see in these numbers is a great need for our community to

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Being Attentive

Cynthia Shembab April 22, 2021 No Comments

School aged children from 6 to 12 years of age have their own mental health needs. This is a time when childhood development includes cognitive, physical, language and social/emotional growth. Cognitively they are participating in expanded classroom learning with ever extending attention spans. Physically they are increasing in their abilities within what they can accomplish in movement and possibly participating in activities like sport or dance. They also are at the beginning of the change puberty brings. Their expanse and use of language skills increases from reading short books to forming opinions on what they read, listening with intent, and

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