By Kristi Spence, LMFT-C Tantrums:-the good, the bad, and the ugly. Child tantrums are notoriously frustrating. Once a tantrum starts, you can feel completely helpless in trying to stop it–not to mention the behaviors (kicking, screaming, crying, thrashing, etc.) that can be very stressful to deal with! However, tantrums are a very normal part of […]
8 Coping Skills for Young Kids!
By Kristi Spence, LMFT-C At Legacy Counseling Service in Broken Arrow, we provide mental health counseling for parents who are at a loss of how to help their children deal with stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and other big emotions. Sometimes when emotions are so big, nothing seems to work to calm your child down. In […]
5 Ways to Get Your Teenager to Talk to You
It’s tough trying to get your teen to talk. 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 […]
5 Signs Your Teenager is Asking for Help
The teenage years can perhaps be best described as a time of physical, emotional and social tumult. Changes happen so rapidly in adolescence, that neither child nor parent really knows how to cope. Teenagers often become more detached from their family during this time. In fact, parents become less important in their teenager’s eyes, as […]
Parenting An Angry Teen
Raising a teenager can be one of the most challenging experiences a parent will go through. Teenagers are in an awkward stage, dealing with hormonal changes that are out of their control and a developing brain. They’re awakening to new realizations about themselves and the world around them. Teenage rebellion is a natural phase, however, […]
6 Signs of Depression in Teens
Ask any parent what their main job is and they will tell you it’s protecting their children and keeping them safe. New parents spend hours, if not days, baby-proofing the house. They research the best car seats and bike helmets and figure out ways to ensure their kids are safe online. But, no matter how […]
Understanding Teen Suicide
Understanding Teen Suicide Why? That always seems to be the question that everyone asks when a loved one or friend has committed suicide. Unfortunately, there is not always a clear-cut answer to that question. The Center for Disease Control reports suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15-24 year olds. Who is at […]
A Fun, Easy Way to Encourage Positive Behavior in Kids
How to Build a Healthy Parent/Adult Child Relationship
In my mental health counseling sessions with women at Legacy Counseling Service in Broken Arrow and Tulsa, I come across a common theme of changes to the parent and adult child relationship. The strain of these changes often leave a parent feeling confused, distant, or even depressed and anxious. I’ve seen this issue from both […]
3 Natural Ways to Help Your Child’s ADHD
It is estimated that ADHD affects roughly 9% of American children between the ages of 13 and 18. ADHD can make ordinary childhood activities like going to school and being part of a sport’s team incredibly difficult. It can make life at home challenging as well. (SOURCE) Children with ADHD may exhibit one or more of […]
3 Parenting Tips to Respond to Your Child’s Meltdowns
How to Stop Your Child’s Meltdowns As a therapist that has worked with kids for the past 10 years and a mother of three children with very different temperaments, I have faced my share of meltdowns. I’ve seen it all- from screaming and stomping to throwing things. I’ve seen meltdowns from a result of being […]