gifted parenting Archives - S. Abigail McCarrel, LCSW, DCSW

The Healing Power of Nature

May 24, 2021 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

One only needs to read a few lines from poets such as Frost, Wordsworth, and Thoreau to recognize the love for and connection to nature human beings have always had. Nature stirs our souls and imagination and brings beauty to our everyday lives. But it turns out, nature also brings a slew of benefits to our mental and physical health. The Healing Power of Nature Research is now clearly indicating that spending time outdoors can have a positive impact on our health. Whether you bike, hike, or ...read more

Filed Under: Anxiety, Depression, General Tagged With: earthing, ecotherapy, Family Therapist, family therapy for giftedness, family therapy sessions, forrest bathing, gifted and talented, gifted parenting, gifted students, giftedness, nature, online family therapy, online therapy, parenting gifted children, twice-exceptional

How Family Therapy Can Help During This Lingering Covid Crisis

March 12, 2021 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

It has been almost a year since the world changed with the Covid-19 virus. After months and months of being locked down, many families are experiencing burnout from being forced to be home together so much. Family therapy during covid may be the answer. While the vaccines are being rolled out, we are still getting mixed reports and messages from the media as to when life might return to normal. Some schools have opened, but many have not. Parents are still scrambling to figure out how to make ...read more

Filed Under: Family Therapy, Parenting, Telehealth Tagged With: advantages of family therapy, Family, Family Conflicts, Family Connection, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, Family therapy and ADHD, family therapy for gifted, family therapy for giftedness, family therapy sessions, gifted family therapist, gifted parenting, online family therapy, online therapy

How to Talk to Your Young Child About the LGBTQIA+ Community

February 12, 2021 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

How to talk to your young child about the LGBTQIA+ community is a timely and essential question. As a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to know the right thing to say when kids question what we deem to be adult topics. Broaching topics of sexuality can be awkward for both parents and kids alike. Yet, it is a necessary conversation to have. When it comes to talking about homosexuality and transgender individuals, children should be given age-appropriate information. This will help them ...read more

Filed Under: Adolescents/Teens, Children, LGBTQ Tagged With: #Parenting, Abigail, advantages of family therapy, Counseling for family problems, Family Counseling, family therapy sessions, gifted parenting, LGBTQIA+, LGBTQIA+ Children, LGBTQIA+ Family, LGBTQIA+ Parenting, LGBTQOA+ Community, online family therapy, online therapy, stress of parenting

How to Bring Up Resilient Children

January 29, 2021 by BBYMCCRRL75216 2 Comments

How can parents bring up resilient children? Have you heard the phrase “helicopter parent?” It describes a mother or father that ‘hovers’ around their child 24/7, overseeing their life to keep them from every potential danger, pitfall and mishap. It looks good on paper, but this kind of parenting forgets one important fact of reality: life happens. Adversity happens to all of us. Those children who engage with adversity in their formative years learn how to handle it well and come up with ...read more

Filed Under: Adolescents/Teens, Children, Parenting, Resilience, Trauma / PTSD Tagged With: #Parenting, 2e, bring up resilient children, building resilience, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, family therapy for gifted, family therapy for giftedness, family therapy sessions, gifted parenting, online family therapy, resilience, resilience in families, stress of parenting

How Learning Disabilities Affect a Child’s Mental Health

January 15, 2021 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

For many children and teens, learning disabilities are a frustrating part of life. Learning disabilities not only bring a sense of shame and isolation, but they can also lead to mental health issues in some children. What Are Learning Disabilities? According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a learning disability is any disorder of the fundamental psychological processes involved in understanding or using language. These can ultimately result in difficulties thinking, ...read more

Filed Under: Adolescents/Teens, Children, School & Academics Tagged With: #Parenting, 2e, Family Connection, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, family therapy sessions, gifted and talented, gifted family therapy, gifted parenting, gifted students, giftedness, learning disabilities, therapy for learning disabilities, twice-exceptional

Could Your Family Benefit from Family Counseling?

December 3, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 2 Comments

Does your family love and support one another unconditionally? Do you have fun together? Do you find talking with your spouse and children is easy and effective? If you had to really pause and think about your answers to these questions, there’s a chance your family may not be as cohesive as you once thought or hoped. And that’s okay, not every family acts like something out of a 1950s television sitcom. Most have their own fair share of problems. If you’ve never considered working with a ...read more

Filed Under: General, Parenting Tagged With: #Parenting, advantages of family therapy, Family, Family Conflicts, Family Connection, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, Family therapy and ADHD, family therapy for gifted, family therapy for giftedness, gifted family therapist, gifted family therapy, gifted parenting, In-Home Family Therapy, online family therapy

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

4 Fun Activities for You & Your ADHD Child

July 12, 2020 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

If you have a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD, you know one of the main symptoms is hyperactivity. In other words, your child may seem to have an excess of energy, and all of that energy needs to be channeled. Let's look at some fun activities for ADHD. Unfortunately, modern kids are far less physically active than kids from just 20 years ago. It used to be natural for kids to be outside running around and riding bikes, but many of today’s kids spend their time sedentary, watching ...read more

Filed Under: ADD / ADHD, Children Tagged With: ADHD, ADHD and the family, Family Conflicts, Family Counseling, Family Therapist, Family Therapy, Family therapy and ADHD, gifted parenting, gifted students, In-Home Family Therapy, online family therapy, online therapy, Parenting and ADHD, parenting gifted children, Tips for handling ADHD

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