Naturally, a family may be bound by genetics. Yet, when you have several people with very different personalities living together under one roof, it isn’t surprising when problems arise. All kinds of events can put stress on a family—a big move, changes in their community, losing a loved one, or a family member going through […]
Read more

As a child therapist in San Diego, people frequently ask me how to know whether or not their child needs therapy. It’s not an easy question to answer. Every child is different. That said, if you have concerns as a parent then it’s wise to trust your gut. If you think that your child might […]
Read more

Binge eating disorder symptoms can be hard to spot. It may seem like someone suffering from binge eating disorder is actually dealing with anorexia, bulimia, or crash dieting. They may seem shy about eating in front of others, which can be a telltale sign of anorexia. But they might also be sneaking large amounts of […]
Read more

Have you been going through a rough patch with your partner lately, but you’re determined to work it out and stick together?  Sometimes, we become frustrated with our partners over little things. Deep down, we might know that it would be easier to take a deep breath and let the problem go—but we still take […]
Read more

Because we’re human, we are familiar with being members of a group—family, school, work, and social groups. It follows that groups are realistic settings for solving real-life problems. And that includes groups in the therapy setting. In group therapy, one or two professional therapists help several people with similar problems—such as anxiety, addiction or illness—work […]
Read more

Most people seeking therapy are struggling with a problem (or multiple problems) that they want to overcome. They rarely come to therapy stating, “I want to change my personality.” They want to keep the essence of who they are, but make the tweaks needed to achieve something they haven’t been able to achieve on their […]
Read more

When we ruminate on past mistakes or stay up late worrying about the future, anxiety results. Often, the root of our anxiety is our inability to practice mindfulness. What is mindfulness, you’re wondering? It’s a focus on the present moment, acknowledging your thoughts and feelings without judging them. And many people have found that mindfulness helps […]
Read more

Are you wondering if your child has social anxiety? It is really hard as a parent to know exactly what is going on with your child. You know when something is a little “off,” but you can’t always tell what the problem is. Furthermore, it’s hard to know when something is just a phase that […]
Read more

It isn’t always easy for parents to recognize OCD in children. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. With this condition, a child will experience obsessions manifesting as fears or preoccupations. Additionally, some children will engage in compulsions, which are repetitive behaviors. In some cases, the fears and behaviors may be very obvious. […]
Read more

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that has the most international research supporting its effectiveness. It is a specific type of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). CBT teaches people to recognize unhealthy patterns of thinking. That’s the “cognitive” part. The second part is the “behavior” part. CBT works to […]
Read more