This blog is written by the clinicians at Jonah Green and Associates, a mental health practice based in Kensington, MD that provides quality services for children, teens, families, and adults. It is intended as a resource for families who are seeking to expand their knowledge about mental health and mental health services, and also as a resource for families who are seeking quality mental health services, especially in the mid-Atlantic region. Please feel free to post questions and comments on any of the entries as well as on any topics or articles from our companion web site www.childandfamilymentalhealth.com.
Parental dating is a difficult topic for families after a divorce or death of a loved one. It takes time for both the parent and child to cope with the feelings associated with these transitions, and there often comes a time when a parent wants to start dating again. It is important to consider how new relationships will affect your child and what you can do to make it easier for them. Here are some tips for talking to your child about dating:
We are pleased to present a guest post by Psychologist Judith Glasser, Ph.D., a local Psychologist with over 30 years of experience. For Dr. Glasser’s bio, please scroll to the end of the post.
Life with a family member with ADHD can be stressful; wonderful in some ways, but stressful in others. People with ADHD often have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for life. However they also lose things, forget things and are impulsive and distractible. This combination of difficulties can lead to being late for events or forgetting to pick up a child at school. It can also mean that sometimes things get said in impulsive ways that would be better off not said. All of these kinds of behaviors can lead to hurt feelings.
Divorce is the legal ending of a unified, nuclear family, and managing the feelings that accompany this termination is challenging for all concerned. When children are involved, the time of a family’s separation is also a time of reorganization. The couple makes crucial decisions that impact the family’s future, including how to divide property, how to distribute and spend future income, and how often and under what circumstances each parent will have access to children. One household becomes two, each with their own norms and rituals, and the ex-spouses begin a “co-parenting” relationship that will serve as a bridge between the two homes.
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The loss and pain of divorce can be extraordinarily challenging. When children are involved, parents’ hurt feelings are often re-activated as they find themselves needing to communicate extensively with the very person who has caused them such hurt and pain. While most parents know that their children will be better off if they communicate amicably and cooperatively with their child’s other parent, confusion and hurt feelings can lead parents into a “conflict dance” that can generate further pain for the whole family. [Read more…]
Child and Family Mental Health is pleased to present a guest post by Ellen F. Kandell, Esq. Ellen has 15 years of experience as a mediator and is the owner of Maryland Family Mediation and Alternative Resolutions, LLC. More information is available at www.marylandfamilymediation.net or www.alternativeresolutions.net .
What is mediation?
Mediation is a process where a third party neutral helps the individuals in conflict make their own decisions about the problems they face. The mediator sets ground rules for managing the dialogue between the couple and for open and full disclosure of all necessary information required to make decisions. In this way the less knowledgeable party is empowered. By using skilled listening and paraphrasing the mediator helps bring clarity so that each person can begin to understand the other’s needs and make decisions that meet both parties’ needs. [Read more…]
