I am an advocate of shaping the whole child, which includes the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical parts of a little person. I encourage the parents I work with, especially those in lower income situations, to promote language acquisition of their children as much as possible. There are countless studies indicating how important it is to develop a child's language the first few years of life. It is that crucial to the academic and internal success for a child's lifetime.
Read moreRe: It's Not About The Nail
"Don't try to fix it. I just need you to listen." Every man has heard these words. And they are the law of the land. No matter what.
Read moreCommon Signs of a Stress Response
I'm attending a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) group training, and found some worksheets very beneficial. The breakdown of symptoms or reactions to acute stress can help individuals understand how differently people can respond to a traumatic event. I just wanted to share the PDF here:
Read moreObservations of a Model Minority, 2013
I've spent my life socialized as an Asian-American female, with all its high-expectation stereotypes and perks of being viewed as being agreeable and submissive in group settings. While slowly unraveling parts of these imposed traits and keeping qualities that are truly my own, I have discovered a distinctly diametrical reality for those who are not the model minority. I will preface this post with a disclaimer: I know these experiences will not be the standard for all of an ethnic group, but I feel compelled to compare the different realities I've observed when being a model minority, and when being in association with black Americans.
Read moreCreative People & Graduation!
I enjoy creative people. Creativity can manifest itself in many forms--I think the more creative a person is, the more malleable his or her identity seems to become. It's like possibilities become greater with the openness to divergent thinking. And divergent thinking is pretty neat to me. I just graduated from my Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology program, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy today, and one concept that has resonated with me for some time is about promoting thinking as opposed to doing.
Read moreGroup Loyalty in a Culture that Celebrates Individuality
My growing up in collectivist cultures in Southern California has offered some insight into the identity formation for many Asian American females. The individualist, capitalist culture of this country may cause conflict for many collectivist people as they transition into adulthood. It's a concept many professionals may confuse as unhealthy boundaries or enmeshment within one's family system, but when working with each person in therapy, a new culture and definition of normal must be explored.
Read moreA Personal Reminder:
I was on FaceBook and saw a post about a gorgeous singer who admitted to believing she was ugly and undesirable as a young adult. She looked back at past images and realized how attractive she's always been, and discovered how detrimental negative thoughts can be. These damaging thoughts repeated in her mind for decades, yet outsiders would never have thought that she could feel so dark and lonely on the inside.
Read moreMental Illness: What is it to you?
If someone asked you what mental illness was to you, what would you say? How would you answer such a question? To be asked has so many implications. Does the person think you have a mental illness? Do you even feel comfortable or informed enough to answer correctly? If someone asked me right now, I would hope the following words could help give mental illnes, mental wellness, some substance or an image to understand.
Read morethe Hippo Went Across the Campus to the Library
The hippocampus is a structure in the brain that is shaped like a seahorse. Learning and memory formation occurs in the hippocampus (memories are stored everywhere, but the hippocampus plays a major role in memory formation)--past studies with mice have indicated how stress can inhibit this process.
Read more10 Ways to Promote Creativity
10 ways to promote creativity, Image: Abstract Colored Powder Explosion Background by Jakubgojda for Canva Pro
Adult responsibilities aren't always fun--there's work, bills, relationships, health and wellness concerns, and long-term concerns as well. The work week sometimes feels like it'll never end, while the weekend never seems to be long enough. In between these hours, a person is expected to keep a home clean and organized. The expectations to balance countless responsibilities can get overwhelming fast. Sometimes it can feel chaotic when the house is messy and there's just too many loads of laundry to wash, dirty dishes to clean, and mouths to feed. The pressures to do everything perfectly can add lots of stress to a person's life. What if this stressed person decided to clean less often?
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