Covid-19 Archives | S. Abigail McCarrel, LCSW, DCSW

The Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 on Families

November 4, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

The mental health impact of Covid-19 on families is building. If you asked any of us a year ago what would life be like in 2020, it’s doubtful anyone would have guessed we’d be going through a global pandemic, replete with lockdowns and self-quarantining. At the beginning of the year, some families might have thought of being forced to stay home from work and school would be a fun little vacation. But as the weeks and months have passed, we’ve all learned this has been anything but fun. But ...read more

Filed Under: Family Therapy, General Tagged With: #Parenting, advantages of family therapy, Anxiety, Covid parenting stress, Covid-19, Covid-19 help, Covid-19 mental health help, Family Conflicts, Family Counseling, Family problems near me, Family Therapist, gifted students, online family therapy, stress, stress of parenting

Self-Care Tips for Parents of Special Needs Children

October 16, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

Self-care is not a synonym for selfishness. Self-care can actually be seen as a virtue; and yet, if we fail to fulfill our own needs and nurture ourselves, we are less able to help and serve others. As a parent of a child with special needs, which could be a gifted child, you probably spend most of your days so busy with the demanding needs of your family that you neglect to take care of yourself. For parents of special needs children, a little selfishness is an absolute must. In order to give ...read more

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: #Parenting, anxiety help, Covid-19, depression, depression help, online therapy, parent therapy, self-care, self-care for parents, self-care routine, special needs, special needs parents, therapy arcadia, therapy for parents, therapy near me

How to Help Children Understand Terrifying Events

October 2, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

As a parent, your job is to make sure your kids grow and develop in a safe and healthy environment. To do this, you may need to help children understand terrifying events or situations. While it may be possible for you to control your immediate environment, your home, it’s simply not possible to ensure the greater world around your child is safe and free from trauma or natural disasters , civil unrest or Covid-19. The latest research points to the utter futility of trying to keep kids shielded ...read more

Filed Under: Children, Parenting, Trauma / PTSD Tagged With: #Parenting, advantages of family therapy, childhood trauma, Communication, Covid-19, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, family therapy for gifted, family therapy sessions, Family trauma, gifted parenting, gifted students, why family therapy

How Therapy Can Help Families Be Resilient During COVID-19

July 2, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

How therapy can help families be resilient during COVID-19 is a burning topic these days. All of us have struggled in our own way to deal with the effects of the coronavirus. But if you are a parent, you most likely have even more concerns about the impact the virus and subsequent lockdown have had on the emotional health of your children. You’ve most likely taken certain precautions over the past few months to ensure your family’s health and well-being. You’ve made sure to social distance ...read more

Filed Under: Family Therapy Tagged With: #Parenting, 2e, advantages of family therapy, Communication, Covid-19, Family Conflicts, Family Connection, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, family therapy for giftedness, family therapy sessions, gifted family therapist

5 Ways to Get Your Teenager to Talk to You

June 16, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

It's tough to get teens talking to parents. Science has shown that the teenager's brain has yet to fully develop the frontal cortex, which is the area that controls our ability to reason, and to think before we act. As your teen's brain develops, they're also learning new things about themselves and their surrounding world; simultaneously, they're dealing with hormonal changes out of their control. For all of these reasons and more, it can be difficult to find ways to talk to your teen, or to ...read more

Filed Under: Adolescents/Teens Tagged With: #Parenting, 2e, advantages of family therapy, Communication, Covid-19, Family Conflicts, Family Therapy, family therapy for gifted, family therapy for giftedness, family therapy for teens, gifted parenting, online family therapy, online therapy, teens, therapy for teens

5 Benefits of a Weekly Game Night for Your Mental Health

June 2, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

Our daily lives can get so busy. Obligations to work and family, as well as taking time to care for ourselves, can often make us forget to have a little fun. If the hustle and bustle of modern life has caused you to neglect your playful side, a weekly game night may be just what you need, especially during these Covid-19 times. A game night will not only bring you laughter and enjoyment, but it will help you spend quality time with your friends and loved ones. But with so many commitments and ...read more

Filed Under: General Tagged With: 2e, Covid-19, Family, family game night, family game night board games, family games at home, Family Therapy, family therapy for giftedness, gifted and talented, gifted family therapist, gifted family therapy, gifted parenting, mindful parenting, positive parenting, stress, stress of parenting, why family therapy

5 Amazing Outcomes that Can Come from Family Therapy

April 16, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

The Coronavirus Crisis Make Family Stress Worse: Amazing family therapy outcomes are possible in this time of pandemic crisis. If you are struggling more than usual with worry for your family right now, you are not alone. Even if you or a loved one have not been personally affected by the virus, you may feel like you are sitting in wait for the other shoe to drop. So many of us are worried about getting infected. You may fear that germs can be transmitted via surfaces, clothing, food or ...read more

Filed Under: Family Therapy Tagged With: Communication, Covid-19, Family, Family Conflicts, Family Counseling, Family drama, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, family therapy for gifted, Family trauma, gifted parenting, online counseling, online family therapy, online therapy, teens

4 Things You Need to Know About Adolescent Anxiety

April 3, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

Adolescent anxiety is like fire: It can keep us safe and warm, or completely devastate our property and our lives. It’s good to be a little anxious at times. When walking down a deserted street at night, anxiety keeps us on alert and ready to fight or take flight should a dangerous situation arise. But for many people, especially adolescents, anxiety can become the norm instead of the exception. Just walking into a classroom or being with a group of people they don’t know can become crisis ...read more

Filed Under: Anxiety Tagged With: Anxiety, anxiety and puberty, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Family Conflicts, Family Connection, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, how to help a teenager with anxiety, online counseling, online family therapy, online therapy, stress, teenage anxiety and depression solutions, teenage anxiety treatment