Gaming Addiction | World of Warcraft (WarCrack): Quick Way to Lose Your Spouse, Job or Fail School
Do you notice that your spouse or child becomes irritable when you suggest that they decrease the time they spend gaming? Do you wonder how much is too much? Gaming is not all together a negative activity but one danger it is possible it could turn into an addiction. Children & Teens are skipping school playing Ruinscape, World of [...]
Rashaan Salaam Heisman | 7 Signs to Look for to Prevent Suicide | Orlando Depression Counselor
Rashaan Salaam, 1994 Heisman Trophy winner and 1995 first round NFL draft pick was found dead December 5th, 2016. His mother reports suspected suicide because they found a note. Rashaan's first season with the Chicago Bears he rushed for over 1000 yards and had 10 touchdowns his rookie year. However, injuries slowed him down the next 2 years with [...]
5 Tips for Dating Safely Online | Orlando Counselor
5 Tips for Dating Safely Online On August 19, 2016, Adam Hilarie, a loving single father, aspiring boxer and resident of Winter Haven Florida became the latest victim of an online dating scam which resulted in his death. He met a woman name Hailey Bustos on Plentyoffish.com and even went out on a date with her. After taking her [...]
Winter Park Teen Death: 5 Ways to Help Teens Cope with Grief and Loss
15-year-old, Winter Park High student, Roger Trinidade, dies after altercation with teens: 5 Tips to help teens cope with grief and loss. On Saturday, October 15, 2016, 15-year-old, Roger Trinidade, died after an alleged altercation with some fellow Winter Park High School students. Roger was found unconscious in Central Park, off of Park Avenue, in Winter Park. Monday, Roger was [...]
Ease Anxiety and Worry By Practicing Mindfulness
How much time of your day do you spend worrying about things? So often we think that if we worry enough we will figure out the answer for our problems. However, rumination and non-stop worrying just seems to increase our feelings of anxiety, tension, frustration and unbalances our body chemicals. Having a mindful approach towards life perhaps can be a better option to [...]
Drug Abuse Amongst Teens | Counselor News Interview
It is difficult to identify only one reason for teenagers drug use. There are a variety of factors that influence teens to try drugs. It is important we understand that during the teenage phase they are going through physical and hormonal changes, which can be confusing and stressful. Teens continue to discover their identity till their early twenties. Any [...]
5 Character Lessons Kids and Teens Can Learn from the 2016 Rio Olympians
5 Character Lessons Kids & Teens Can Learn from the 2016 Rio Olympians It has been thrilling watching the 2016 Summer Rio Olympics these past 2 weeks. It has been full of stories of dedication, redemption, comebacks, and unbelievable achievements as we have cheered our American athletes but also athletes from other countries. Sadly, the Olympics has also been marred [...]
Lake Mary Florida Child Therapist and Teen Counselor on 5 Back to School Tips for Being Cool | Lyris Steuber, MS, LMFT
Summer is done and back to school is almost here. For parents it might feel like a sigh of relief and for kids a sigh of resignation. Whether your child is a new or a returning student this year all kids want to be cool. Being cool doesn’t necessarily mean being popular. It’s about being uniquely you. Here are [...]
Social Skills Group Counseling & Camps | Quick Tips to Teach Social Skills to Shy Students
Orlando Social Skills Group Counseling and Camp Counselor offers tips for teaching social skills to shy children and teens. First, we teach the importance of Eye Contact as that communicates confidence, and makes the student less of a target for bullies. Second, we walk thru the process of approaching someone with eye contact and a firm handshake. Third, we discuss [...]
Hope In The Midst Of Horror For Orlando
Sunday morning June 12th, 2016, the City Beautiful was awakened with devastating and heartbreaking news. Pulse, a LGBT community nightclub in Downtown Orlando, suffered a massive inhumane attack from a young 29 year old man and American citizen named Omar Mateen who gunned down 49 people and seriously injured over 50, claiming allegiance to terrorism and ISIS. The real motive for this attack is still under investigation. Nonetheless, the immense cruelty makes us consider [...]
Shooting Omar Marteen | 3 Tips to Deal with Grief & Collective Trauma | Grief Counselor Expert Tips
Orlando, Florida woke up Sunday morning to horrific news. There was a mass shooting at a nightclub killing 50 people. Identified gunman, Omar Marteen, opened fire at Pulse Club in the early hours on Sunday filling the streets of downtown Orlando with terror. People were hiding, fleeing and rescued from the club in despair. Categorized as the "Worst Mass Shooting [...]
Christina Grimmie & Omar Mateen | 3 Lessons the Orlando Shootings Teach Us About the Human Spirit | Orlando Grief Counselor
This weekend our Orlando community was rocked by a series of fatal shootings. First, Voice alumni and YouTube sensation Christina Grimmie was gunned down by a deranged fan Friday night while she signed autographs for fans. She had just finished a performance at the Plaza Live venue in Orlando. Second, at 2 am Sunday morning, gunman Omar Mateen, a [...]
4 Tips on How to Be Present in Your Life
Nicknamed as "The Greatest", Muhammed Ali died at age 74 in Phoenix, Arizona. He died from complications of a respiratory illness. As the world mourns the loss of one of the world's greatest boxer, he is also remembered for his positive words of encouragement and charisma. Ali was a civil rights campaigner and a poet, whose quotes have floored the [...]
5 Ways to Teach Your Child Summertime Social Skills | Lake Mary Child Therapist Counselor
5 Ways to Teach Your Child Summertime Social Skills Summer is fast approaching and I’m sure your kids are ready to be done with school. If you are a working parent, you are probably in the middle of researching summer camps, scheduling vacations and trying to figure out how you are going to keep your kids busy when school gets [...]
Kristen Bell | Johnny Rzeznik Open Up About Mental Health Struggles
It can be difficult dealing with anxiety, depression, or a multitude of other mental illnesses let alone talking about it, but that’s just what Kristen Bell, and Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls did this past week. Kristen Bell opened up on Off Camera with Sam Jones about her history of codependency, anxiety, depression, and the importance of not [...]
5 Ways to Help A Child Build Resilience and Maintaining Secure Family Attachments | Orlando Child Parent Psychotherapist
As parents and caregivers we desire for our children to be confident and strong. We also thrive to protect them from any harm and/or stresses. However, no matter how much we try there is no way we can fully protect them at all times. Part of living life is facing all the adversities and challenges that life brings. Children [...]
The Death of Prince and 4 Steps to Live in the Present | Orlando Counselor
This past week, with the passing of the singer Prince at the relatively young age of 57, we were reminded of how short life can be. I hear time and time again “I can’t believe how fast this year is going by”, and it often feels that each year goes by even faster than the last. When we hear [...]
The Bachelor’s Ben Higgins | JoJo Fletcher and 5 Tips to Cope with Heartbreak | Orlando Counselor
This past week on the season finale of The Bachelor, Ben Higgins proposed to Lauren Bushnell leaving JoJo Fletcher in heartbreak. JoJo spoke to People Magazine about her outlook moving forward and her reaction to her breakup with Ben Higgins stating: "It was really hard for me. But when I got home [from Jamaica, and her [...]
‘Devil’s Drug’ Flakka | How Parents Can Prevent Teen Drug Abuse | Orlando Drug Counselor
A new drug is making headlines in Florida as the 'Devil's Drug' known as Flakka drug. Flakka was imported from China to South Florida. The drug is a cathinone, which is chemically related to bath salts, that goes by the pharmaceutical name of Alpha PVP. The epidemic began in Broward County and it's threatening to spread across the country fast [...]
Orlando Counselor on Lady Gaga Sexual Abuse Oscar Performance Till it Happens to You | 5 Tips to Show Support to Survivors
Sunday night at the Oscars Lady Gaga gave a powerful performance of “Till It Happens to You” from the documentary The Hunting Ground, shedding light about sexual assault on college campuses. The message that Lady Gaga, as well as Vice President, Joe Biden, who introduced Lady Gaga, conveyed is that “We must and we can change the culture so [...]
Orlando Counselor gives 3 Tips on Dealing with Loneliness
Anxiety we feel when we don’t feel emotionally connected to others. This feeling can occur to anyone because loneliness is subjective, and one does not have to be alone to feel lonely. There are times in all our lives where we will experience loneliness. The anxiety produced from the fear of feeling lonely can be so overwhelming that it [...]
10 Tips to Raise Children and Elderly Parent Caregiver | Orlando Family Counselor
Orlando Counselor on Having the role of Caregiver to an Elderly Parent and Children Simultaneously Caught in the Middle - The Sandwich Generation One of the major challenges that Caregivers encounter is finding a way to meet the demands of their children and of their aging parents concurrently. There is a delicate balancing act trying to figure out how to [...]
3 Lesson Barbie Teaches Girls About Self-Esteem | Orlando Therapist
Barbie 2.0 Curvy, Tall & Petite: 3 Lesson Barbie Teaches Girls About Self-Esteem | Lake Mary Self Esteem Counselor On Thursday Barbie’s manufacturer, Mattell, announced that they will be ending a 56 year-old tradition of their just one size Barbie Dolls and will now be replacing it with dolls that are more realistic and proportionate in size to reflect girls [...]
Texan Teen Suspended For Helping Classmate Having Asthma Attack: 3 Reasons to Break the Rules Even in the Face of Consequences
Texan Teen Suspended For Helping Classmate Having Asthma Attack: 3 Reasons to Break the Rules Even in the Face of Consequences This week Texas teen, 15 year old Anthony Ruelas, who attends Gateway Middle School in Killeen Texas, was suspended for doing the right thing. According to Ruelas, a female classmate began having an asthma attack in fifth period and [...]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: 4 Life Lessons for Kids and Teens (SPOILERS ALERT)! | Lake Mary Child Counselor
Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuted at the box office this past weekend with a domestic opening total of $247 million, $610 million worldwide. It is poised to continue to shatter box office records this Christmas season. After high anticipation and long lines, many like myself were able to see this long awaited movie. Though some elements are not [...]