Laura Fish Therapy

Consider practicing "deep listening" to strengthen your connections: to children, to your partner, your friend....yourself. Listening is both a skill and an art. To me, it appears to be profoundly lacking in our world today. Those who listen least are often the ones who think they listen the most. Listening doesn't mean being silent; active listening is perhaps the most meaningful way to show up for another person. Do you know what active listening is?... If you aren't willing to be changed by what you hear, even if only slightly, you are not truly listening. #listeningtounderstandnotreply

https://www.reddit.com//comments/m5m7da/youre_doing_great/

Attuned interactions are the foundation for healthy relationships: with your partner, children, friends...any relationship! Today, I offer this idea of listening to understand NOT reply...see what you notice! #listentounderstandnotreply #relationshiphealth... Please share this post!

Thank you, Salida teachers for spending the whole day with my yesterday in our virtual session of Navigating Uncertainty with Children. I enjoyed our time together. In this clip, I introduce teachers to some of the ways I’ve noticed adults react to the stress of uncertainty over the years, including during the pandemic. See if you recognize what I have called the Four D’s of behavior in response to the uncertainty that comes from a challenge! Later in the training, I int...rocude my "Four A's for Navigating Uncertainty" framework (acknowledge, attune, adopt, and ask) as a more effective way to respond to challenges! To learn how to skillfully work through challenges with yourself, other adults, or children, contact me to access my training on the Four A’s of Navigating Uncertainty. You can also click here to read my article on this important topic: https://consulting.laurafishtherapy.com//navigating-uncer/

This week, I'm working with several adults on "What if?" mind. This is the phenomenon of continuously leaving the present moment to anticipate/consider/worry about/fear/contemplate....what might happen in the future. The brain is a prediction and anticipation machine. It is natural for us to do some of this. But, as you might have noticed, too much of this may leave us feeling.... worried... depleted anxious fatigued overwhelmed hopeless stressed. and ____ Fill in the blank for yourself. You may think this is something that can not change, but it can. You may think you would "lose your edge" if you weren't always thinking about what is next, but it isn't true. There are other habits of mind you can learn to change your brain. Let me show you how: [email protected]

Seeing the Child behind the behavior....it starts with us being curious, open, accepting and loving (a C.O.A.L state of mind) toward the child even when the behavior is challenging. Tuning in to the child's perspective, learning what the child's behavior is communicating so adults respond, not react. When adults react with shame, blame, and punishment they may be intending to change the behavior, but they often change the child in ways that are not healthy. With such reacti...ons from adults over time, the child's inner voice/narrative may become, "I don't belong, I am not significant, I am bad, I am only loveable when you think I am good, I have to be perfect, I am not okay the way I am, etc. etc." Not what we intend at all, right? Every day in counseling with my adult clients I show them how to "update their narratives" about themselves and the world around them. Narratives that began in early childhood, such as those I listed above, leading to a complex array of emotional and behavioral challenges. Imagine what might happen if adults learned to respond to challenging behavior instead of reacting. Perhaps the inner voice of the child would lead them to critique their behavior versus be critical of themselves. Can you imagine how that might have changed things for you?

Thank you, Shasta County, for attending my virtual training Coaching with the Brain in Mind. I enjoyed exploring the brain reasons for behavior with you, and really appreciate your openness to see the child behind the behavior. I’m sharing this brief clip that begins after I have introduced the brain’s settings and zones. I focus on an exploration of the Reactive Setting’s two zones, the Blue and the Red, to help understand challenging behavior (both children’s and adu...lts!). For more, you can visit my You Tube Channel www.youtube.com/c/laurafishtherapy or my website www.consulting.laurafishtherapy.com. Please share this with those you think might benefit! #seeingthechildbehindthebehavior #worksmarternotharder

Hello to you in 2021...let's see if we, the adults, can update our beliefs about challenging behaviors in this new year. Start by considering replacing the thought, "this child is challenging" with "this behavior is challenging." Separating the behavior from the child is the first step toward "Seeing the Child behind the Behavior," a 21st-Century approach to inclusive, equitable, and effective teaching and parenting. Visit my website consulting.laurafishtherapy.com to learn... more. #seethechildbehindthebehavior #teachingbasedonsciencenothabit #21stcenturyteaching #teachingandparentingwithbraininmind

Most adults strive to maintain a sense of safety and security for children by protecting them from the stress of life events. With the current pandemic, people throughout the world face illness, job loss, disconnection from loved ones, disruption of daily routines, loss of access to goods, services and even death. Adults and children alike continue to experience drastic changes to their way of life.... https://consulting.laurafishtherapy.com//how-to-navigate-/

Psychology Today just posted an article about the uptick in depression diagnoses since the pandemic and offered the perspective that sadness during hard times is not depression. In the article, they site the impact of "Ambiguous Loss" on our psyches. It's worth a read: https://www.psychologytoday.com//feeling-sad-during-hard-t Last month, I did a keynote speech introducing this very topic of "Ambiguous Loss" to Head Start staff. In this clip I begin by defining "Ambiguous... Loss." It may help you to consider that we are grieving the loss of...structure, predictability, routine, social connections, our sense of "normalcy" if you would, and how that grief impacts our minds, brains, and behavior. Please share this post if you know anyone who is in need of wrapping their heads around why we are feeling so collectively weary!

Alright, everybody! Looking for a way to navigate through these stressful times? Check out this clip from a recent training on did introducing "S.I.F.T," a mindfulness practice that builds your capacity to identify, understand, and express your thought, feelings, images, and body sensations. Building your capacity to tune inward and notice "what is" with loving kindness, compassion, and non-judgment. There are many potential benefits to this practice that I'm happy to share... with you, including the brain benefits to keeping you in emotional balance. After you watch the video, please subscribe to my You Tube channel and leave me a comment or send me an email with any comments or questions. I'd love to hear your thoughts. #managingstress

People are sharing their stress with me today. There is a lot happening in our busy lives and in our changing world. Many people are experiencing elevated levels of anxiety. I'm sharing with them the good news: we have the power to use our attention to create choice and change (Dan Siegel Quote). I teach people how to separate attention from what you attend to so that you don't feel engulfed, overwhelmed, highjacked about what you notice. It starts with learning how to harness the power of your attention! You may not be able to change what is happening around you, but you can change how you take it in. Want to learn more? I'm happy to help. Email me at [email protected]