Koru Family Psychology

Koru Family Psychology Join us on a journey toward positive change, personal growth, and new beginnings! 💚 Making Happy Happen One Family at a Time

Our team of expert psychologists specializes in helping families navigate life's challenges with practical tools, compassionate support, and a family-first approach.

03/05/2026

“Distress doesn’t get to decide your behaviour.”

Listen to the full episode of Overpowering Emotions 🎧
Listen here: https://youtu.be/HS-WWyJ0_00

03/04/2026

“Radical acceptance is really fully accepting reality without trying to resist it.”

Listen to the full episode of Overpowering Emotions 🎧
Listen here: https://youtu.be/HS-WWyJ0_00

Quick question for parents: Do you feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up with apps, devices, and settings?In our ...
03/04/2026

Quick question for parents: Do you feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up with apps, devices, and settings?

In our newest Parents of the Year episode, Andrew and Caroline talk with Mashood Ahmed (GigabitIQ, dad of five) about what’s really happening online—especially when kids are in their bedrooms with Wi-Fi, group chats, and gaming platforms.

We cover:

Why home can feel safe while online isn’t

Why school devices can get risky once they’re off school Wi-Fi

How kids work around rules (VPNs, hidden apps, “normal” chat apps)

A simpler approach: talk first, then set rules that match your family

Mashood also shares Parentline (parentline.ai) — a free tool parents can use anywhere to get help setting safer controls without hours of Googling.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1942378/episodes/18659219

If you’re comfortable sharing: what’s the one app or device you wish came with a “parent manual”?

The strategies that calm anxiety in the moment often strengthen it long-term.Reassurance. Avoiding triggers. Reducing de...
03/03/2026

The strategies that calm anxiety in the moment often strengthen it long-term.

Reassurance.
Avoiding triggers.
Reducing demands.

They work — temporarily.

But anxiety learns from relief.

When a child avoids discomfort and feels better, the brain logs:
“Good thing we escaped. That must have been dangerous.”

And the cycle tightens.

The goal isn’t eliminating anxiety.
It’s building capacity to handle it.

I’ll be teaching how to identify when relief is reinforcing anxiety (and what to do instead) in my March 23 workshop.

Understanding the mechanism is the shift.

A lot of kids get stuck in “This isn’t fair” or “I can’t handle this,” and it can turn every conversation into arguing, ...
03/03/2026

A lot of kids get stuck in “This isn’t fair” or “I can’t handle this,” and it can turn every conversation into arguing, venting, or shutting down.

Dr. Caroline’s new episode gives a simple shift that helps: after acceptance comes agency. You validate the feeling, then help them choose one small step that matches what matters to them.

You’ll hear:
- kid-friendly metaphors (storms, umbrellas, GPS detours)
- what to say when a child panics about school
- how to build courage without rescuing
- quick activities like “even though… I still can…” scripts and a values compass

🎧 Listen here: https://youtu.be/HS-WWyJ0_00

If you know a parent, teacher, or counselor who’s supporting big emotions right now, share this with them.

03/03/2026

Radical acceptance is a strong start… then kids still look at you like, “Okay, now what?” In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline Buzanko teaches the missing step: agency—helping kids and teens take the next right thing even when they feel anxious, angry, embarrassed, or stuck.

You’ll hear simple scripts, plus kid-friendly metaphors (GPS detours, storms and umbrellas, rivers, and the “two arrows”) that turn spirals into small, doable moves. Dr. Caroline also shares a real story from parenting a 10-year-old through a tough coaching situation—without swooping in—and shows how to validate emotions while still building resilience.

If you support youth with anxiety, school refusal, perfectionism, overwhelm, or big feelings, this episode gives you practical language and quick activities you can use today: grounding in the body, values-based choices, “even though” self-coaching, and daily reflection that trains courage over avoidance.

Homework activities for adults supporting kids/teens (plus resources to prep)
A) The 3-step reset (use in real time)
Prompt 1: “Name the reality.” (“This is hard.” “This hurts.”)
Prompt 2: “Find it in your body.” (“Where do you feel it—chest, hands, stomach?” “Left or right?”)
Prompt 3: “Pick one small step.” (“What’s one thing you can do right now?”)

Resource to prep: a tiny cue card for adults (phone note or printed) with the three prompts.

B) The “Even though… I still can…” script practice (2 minutes/day)
Have the child complete 1 sentence daily:
“Even though I feel ___, I still can ___.”
“Even though I want to ___ (avoid), I still can ___ (stay/try).”
Adults model it too (kids copy what they see).

Resource to prep: a note in the kitchen/classroom wall, or a journal page with 10 blank lines.

C) Values Compass (15 minutes, then weekly check-ins)
Draw a circle, divide into “pie slices” of important areas (friendship, learning, family, health, fun, etc.).
Rate satisfaction 1–10 for each slice.
Ask: “What makes it a 2 and not a 1?” then: “What bumps it up by 0.5?”

Resource to prep: blank “values pie” worksheet (paper + markers) or a whiteboard template.

D) Choose-your-response scenarios (flexibility training)
Pick one common stressor (pop quiz, reading aloud, being left out, forgotten homework).
Brainstorm 3 response types:
avoidance (run away)
neutral/mixed (ask to read with partner)
approach/values-aligned (read one sentence even while nervous)

Resource to prep: a list of 10 scenarios relevant to your child/student group.

E) Daily “bravery receipt” reflection (2–5 minutes)
Question: “What was something hard today?”
Question: “What did you do anyway?”
Close: “Today, I acted like someone who values ___.”

Resource to prep: a journal, sticky notes, or a simple nightly routine prompt.

03/02/2026

“Is this a rain problem?
Or an umbrella problem?”

🎧 Listen to the full Overpowering Emotions episode
https://youtu.be/TP4rsO4Vq0c

02/27/2026

“When we’re no longer able to change a situation,
we are challenged to change ourselves.”

🎧 Listen to the full Overpowering Emotions episode
https://youtu.be/TP4rsO4Vq0c

Free Live Workshop The Three Hidden Reasons Anxiety Gets Stuck (And What to Do About Each One)March 23 60 minutes Eviden...
02/26/2026

Free Live Workshop

The Three Hidden Reasons Anxiety Gets Stuck (And What to Do About Each One)

March 23
60 minutes
Evidence-based. Actually useful.

For clinicians, educators, and parents supporting anxious kids who feel stuck despite doing everything “right.”

Can’t attend live? Register anyway — you’ll receive the recording.

👉 Save your spot (free): https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/anxietycompasswebinar

02/25/2026

Pain plus resistance equals suffering.
Pain plus acceptance gives you choice—and freedom.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Overpowering Emotions
https://youtu.be/TP4rsO4Vq0c

Parenting teens can feel like speed-running a new language—especially when TikTok terms show up at your kitchen table.In...
02/25/2026

Parenting teens can feel like speed-running a new language—especially when TikTok terms show up at your kitchen table.

In this episode, Andrew and Caroline talk about the rise of teen self-diagnosing online, why kids compare “who has it worse,” and what parents can do without dismissing, panicking, or turning everything into a diagnosis.

Also included: a peanut butter dispute, a temporary fourth dog, and a purple trench coat coffee date that did not go as planned. 😅

🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1942378/episodes/18658504

Question for parents: What’s the most surprising “internet diagnosis” or label your kid has brought home?

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Calgary, AB
T3H5M6

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