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 some [...]
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 [...]
4 Benefits of a Meaningful Apology & Forgiveness | Steve Harvey crowns Miss Columbia instead of Miss Philippines | Orlando Counselor
Orlando counselor, Mayeling Angelastro comments on meaningful apologies and the healing that comes from letting go of past hurts! Miss Universe 2015 has left many people raged and talking all over social media this morning. According to the media, as host of the Miss Universe pageant Sunday night, Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner when she [...]
San Bernadino Shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik | 10 Warning Signs of Workplace Violence
The shooting in San Bernadino yesterday at a company Christmas party has people wondering if this is terrorism or is it workplace violence? Syed Farook and wife Tashfeen Malik, left his company party and left coworkers wondering why he left the party. The Bureau of Labor statistics report that every year approximately 2 million American workers are effected to [...]
Paris Terrorist Attacks: 5 Ways to Face Your Worst Fears | Lake Mary Trauma Therapist Counselor
Paris Terrorist Attacks: 5 Ways to Face Your Worst Fears This weekend 129 people were killed by terrorist attacks in Paris, France with 80 seriously injured. The certainty of whether other attacks are imminent either there or in our own homeland is unclear, however, we were still gripped by the same emotions we felt on 9/11: terror, disbelief, sorrow [...]
Nashville Actress Hayden Panettiere on Live with Kelly and Michael |3 Ways to Overcome Postpartum Depression
Hayden Panettiere, actress from Nashville, confirmed seeking treatment for postpartum depression. During her appearance on Live! With Kelly and Michael, she described it as "something that's completely uncontrollable, and it's really painful, and it's really scary, and women need a lot of support." Postpartum depression is often described as the silent pain of a new mother. Usually postpartum depression occurs within [...]
3 Ways to Help Victims of Domestic Violence Not Hurt Them | Orlando Judge Jails Domestic Violence Victim |Lake Mary Counselor
3 Ways to Help Victims of Domestic Violence Not Hurt Them | Judge Jails Domestic Violence Victim | Lake Mary DV Counselor On July 30th Seminole County Judge, Jerri Collins, berated a domestic violence victim for failing to appear at her alleged abuser’s trial and then sentenced the sobbing woman to 3 days in jail for contempt of court. [...]
Carly Fiorina response to Donald Trump Bullying | 5 Healthy Ways Women Can Respond to Criticisms | Lake Mary Counselor
This month Republican Candidate for President, Carly Fiorina, was criticized by front runner, Donald Trump for her looks. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, when asked about her Trump remarked, “Look at the face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?” Trump has had to do much back peddling [...]