Ralph G. Kuechle, PhD

It's not unusual to feel a bit nervous at the prospect of a lot of social interaction. But one thing that will help is to choose to focus more on things that you can control in the present and future, instead of regretting the past. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-overcome-social-/

After you've been managing a child's social interactions for them, it's understandable that there will be some rough patches as they return to in-person interactions. You can still help them build their own skills by focusing their attention on certain aspects of problem-solving. https://www.psychologytoday.com//rebuilding-children-s-soc

Avoidance is a behavior that causes anxiety to continue. But avoidance is not the same thing as choosing to focus your attention on the things you can control. https://www.psychologytoday.com//avoidance-uncertainty-gen

The exhaustion and cognitive fog caused by depression make it hard for someone who has it to describe what it's like. Therapists can provide practice and resources for explaining it to loved ones. https://www.healthline.com//depr/how-to-explain-depression

Fear of uncertainty often holds people back from making decisions. But avoiding choices doesn't eliminate uncertainty; the only solution is to become more comfortable with it. https://www.psychologytoday.com//behind-chronic-indecisive

Helping children recover from mental illnesses reduces the stress on the rest of the family, as well. Until then, the rest of the family also needs help with stress management. https://www.psychologytoday.com//mental-health-affects-the

Talking about your problems out loud can help you get a better handle on them. Even if it's hard at first, you'll get better with practice. https://www.psychologytoday.com//you-should-talk-about-you

When your kids are overwhelmed, its easy for them to spread that to you. But if you are able to stay calm, your children may be able to mirror that or calm down faster. https://www.psychologytoday.com//202111/why-do-my-kids-tri

Social media allows people to connect when they otherwise might not have had the chance, but it can also spur depression and anxiety. If you're having trouble with it, you might try some ways of reducing your screentime to a manageable amount. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com//social-media-and-mental-

Children will gain an understanding of gratitude as they see it modeled around them. If you aren't sure you're doing this, you can probably find some opportunities. https://www.psychologytoday.com//2/teaching-kids-gratitude

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers a lot of practical solutions to social anxiety as well as insights into deeper fears. If you're still unsure whether you want to try it, this article describes it in more detail. https://www.healthline.com//social-anxiety-disorder-cognit

Talking about mental health regularly with your children can keep problems from escalating into crises. Even if you haven't been consistent about it before now, it's not too late to start. https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-parents-can-keep-kids

Some conflict within blended families is inevitable. But step-parents will have a much easier time if they establish loving relationships before becoming disciplinarians, and counseling can help smooth that transition. https://www.psychologytoday.com//the-challenges-step-paren

Anxiety often draws our attention to real problems, and that can be useful if we manage it properly. But to avoid chronic stress, we have to learn to recognize and accept when we've done as much as we realistically can. https://www.psychologytoday.com///202101/how-stop-worrying

Therapy is about learning better tools for communication, goal-setting, and emotional management. It's meant to work toward specific goals that will ultimately allow you to take your life in the direction you want to go. https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-therapy-works-the-imp

People often feel guilty when they refuse to do favors. But establishing boundaries and staying within them is ultimately more helpful and is necessary for taking care of yourself. https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-set-yourself-success-

PTSD is treatable, and a person doesn't need to have the most severe symptoms to benefit from therapy. Children and teenagers who have been exposed to trauma often benefit from learning new skills for recognizing their feelings. https://www.psycom.net/ptsd-in-children-and-adolescents

People with social anxiety tend to think other people judge them more harshly than they do. This is the result of several biases we can learn to resist. https://www.psychologytoday.com//the-psychology-social-anx

It's easy for teens to become overly dependent on social media for their validation. New research indicates how important it is to avoid thinking that "likes" are a measurement of worth. https://www.rochester.edu//getting-fewer-likes-on-social-/

We have a tendency to focus on negatives. But when we train ourselves to also see the positives and to weigh what's realistic, we can reduce our anxiety. https://www.psychologytoday.com//6-negative-mindsets-incre

Not everybody understands why counseling may be helpful. If you're having trouble convincing someone in your life that it's for the best, this article might provide some remedies. https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-talk-your-parents-abo

Holidays can be a chaotic time, especially this season with the added stress of the coronavirus pandemic. Here 10 ways to cope during the holidays: https://mayocl.in/35E3Tlr

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

If you're still struggling with how to co-parent during the holidays, don't wait any longer to seek counseling. We can still find a way to make the end of the year work for us as well as possible. https://www.psychologytoday.com//5-tips-co-parenting-throu

Anger is an immediate reaction to the perception of a threat. If you're struggling with anger that is having a negative effect on your life, it helps to learn more about why you feel threatened, and to give proper mourning to the hurts that caused that sense of threat. https://www.psychologytoday.com//it-s-happening-again-pote

When we're in fight-flight-or-freeze mode, it can be difficult to remember our calming techniques. But if we practice them, we may be able to use them more readily. https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-stop-panic-in-its-tra

Children aren't fully developed, but there are some things they can understand. When they're in extreme distress, your first priority is to soothe them, and when they're calm you can discuss expectations. https://www.goodtherapy.org//parenting-during-a-pandemic-d

Being a single parent might require you to learn new organizational skills and boundaries. Counseling can help make this a stable transition for you and your children. https://www.psychologytoday.com//what-know-when-divorcing-

Not everybody's self-care looks the same. Although there are some things that work for most people, your self-care is ultimately unique to you. https://www.psychologytoday.com//does-self-care-stress-you

Many parents have taken on a lot more responsibility during the pandemic. If you're struggling, we can help you find more efficient ways of doing things and to recognize when it's alright for you to cut back. https://www.psychologytoday.com//the-third-shift-is-burnin

Parents often become upset with their children when they've been reminded of something that triggers their fight-or-flight response. Counseling can help them to recognize when this is happening and keep perspective on the situation. https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-triggers-your-childho

Teenagers feel especially helpless during the pandemic. But they do still have opportunities for self-development, even if they have to focus on different interests. https://www.psychologytoday.com//teens-experiences-in-the-

There are a lot of tough choices we have to make during the pandemic, and most of us are feeling the strain from that. But there may be ways you can streamline your decision making and reduce fatigue. https://www.psychologytoday.com//six-tips-reduce-covid-dec

Although a lot has changed during the pandemic, there are still some things we can use as sources of stability. These might be new things we create as part of a new normal, or they might be parts of yourself you hadn't been focused on recently. https://www.psychologytoday.com//resilience-during-tough-t

Happy Columbus Day!

It's easy to feel frustrated with how much screentime teens are getting during the pandemic. But there is an upside to moderate use. https://www.psychologytoday.com//teenage-in-the-time-coron

Anxiety buffers us against being surprised by negative emotions, but a lot of the things it causes us to focus on are unhelpful. One of the ways we can manage anxiety is to think more logically about the worst-case scenarios it keeps pointing us to. https://www.psychologytoday.com//2020/3-ways-stop-worrying

Grief has changed a lot in the past few months. If you're confused about what you're feeling, we can help you make sense of it. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com//grief-in-the-time-o/

Keeping families safe during the pandemic has opened up a new flashpoint between divorced parents. Counseling and mediation can help prevent unproductive old dynamics from re-emerging. https://www.psychologytoday.com//the-challenges-co-parenti

Ralph G. Kuechle, Ph.D. wishes you a good Yom Kippur!

The pandemic has upset many of our old priorities. But the key to avoid being overwhelmed is still to figure out what you value, and how you can act to fulfill your needs. https://www.psychologytoday.com//5-tips-help-you-deal-when

It's easy to catastrophize during the pandemic, and that goes for your teen's schoolwork, as well. But when you learn to take a step back, you'll probably see that things aren't so bad. https://www.psychologytoday.com//2/back-school-back-stress

Ralph G. Kuechle, Ph.D. wishes you a happy Rosh Hashanah!

When you've made a mistake, do you show yourself the same compassion you would show others? Maintaining a sense of peace requires self-forgiveness. http://bit.ly/2wuNToH