Megan Foley, LCSW

Megan Foley, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a focus on ADHD, autism, parenting, anxiety, life transitions, career counseling, and female phases of life.

Check out our favorite tutors for kiddos with dyslexia and ADHD!
03/14/2026

Check out our favorite tutors for kiddos with dyslexia and ADHD!

03/06/2026

We're very excited to announce our latest offering: The Flow State

Starting in August, 2026, we'll offer two clubs one for middle and one for high school students who are homeschooled. The club will be guided by the specialists at Pine & Palm to help develop executive functioning skills needed for school and life, while providing an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and problem-solve with peers.

For more information or to reserve your spot, contact us today!

03/03/2026

A DBT self-soothe toolbox is a personalized, physical/digital collection of items designed to manage intense emotions, reduce anxiety, and promote calm by engaging the five senses.

It serves as a distress tolerance skill to help ground you in the present moment.

Key items may include sensory objects (fidgets, putty), calming scents (lavender), comforting tastes (herbal tea), soothing sounds (playlists), and comforting visuals (photos).

How to Use the Toolbox
Purpose: Use when feeling low, anxious, or in distress to prevent a crisis from worsening.

Method: Engage with items one by one while practicing mindfulness to focus on the present moment.

Types: Create a physical box at home, a mini travel kit for on-the-go, or a digital folder of comforting images and songs.

Preparation: Assemble items that personally bring you comfort to ensure they are accessible during high-stress situations.


02/23/2026

DBTSkills.

[Image Credit : DBT Maryland ]

02/20/2026

How many times have you heard someone say, “They said sorry” or “They did not mean it”?

Apologies alone do not stop domestic abuse.

Abuse is not stress.
It is not alcohol.
It is not jealousy.
It is a choice to control, frighten or dominate another person.

“It was just a joke.”
“I lost my temper.”
“You made me do it.”
“If you leave, I will hurt myself.”

These are not explanations. They are excuses.

Real accountability means the behaviour stops and stays stopped. If the pattern repeats, the apology is part of the cycle.

Domestic abuse can affect anyone.
We need to stop minimising it.
Abuse is always a choice.

02/19/2026

Thursday Thoughts
Meddyliau Dydd Iau
Credit: mental.health.with.emma

02/13/2026

Type RESPONSIBLE and I’ll send the link to this FLASH FREEBIE.

This Responsibility & Choices SEL Check-In Journal is a print + digital daily check-in tool — and it’s one journal from the larger Yearlong SEL Journal Bundle.

It’s designed for moments when students are learning:
• how to follow through
• how to make better choices
• how to pause and think before reacting

Each page includes a short feelings check-in and a responsibility-focused prompt that helps students reflect on:
• being responsible
• solving problems
• making positive choices
• handling peer pressure
• healthy habits and self-care

Teachers and counselors use this during:
• morning meetings
• journal time
• small groups
• counseling sessions

Because the structure is already there, students can work independently — and adults can observe, listen, and support instead of leading the whole thing.

This Responsibility Journal is a flash freebie for a limited time, and it works both digitally (Google Slides™) and on paper.

Type RESPONSIBLE and I’ll send the link.

02/13/2026

A sensory meltdown isn’t bad behaviour — it’s a sign of distress.
When the world feels too loud, too bright, too much,
a child’s nervous system can go into overload.

They’re not choosing it.
They’re experiencing it.

Understanding what’s really happening helps us respond with empathy,
not punishment — and to create environments where children feel safe to recover.

For deeper guidance and practical tools, explore our Managing Big Feelings Toolkit at link in comments ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

02/13/2026

Children are not born knowing how to handle big feelings. When a child shouts, melts down, hits, shuts down, or runs away, it is not bad behaviour. It is a sign their nervous system is overwhelmed and they need support, not punishment.

Emotional regulation is about helping children feel safe in their bodies, understand their feelings, and learn what to do when emotions feel too big. Children borrow calm from adults. They learn through connection, repetition, and steady, predictable responses. Telling a child to calm down does not work when their body does not feel safe.

When we change how we respond to behaviour, we change outcomes. Big feelings are communication. Connection comes before correction. Support builds regulation. Control builds fear.

This understanding can transform how parents, carers, teachers, and professionals support children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, trauma, sensory overwhelm, or ongoing stress.

Like the photo and comment "CHILD" and we will send you a message with a link to a free PDF of this resource.

02/06/2026

Some children behave all day at school.

They sit still.
They follow the rules.
They do not complain.
They do not ask for help.

Then they get home and fall apart.

This is often called “bad behaviour at home”.
It is not.

It is called masking.

Masking is when a child hides distress, confusion, sensory overload, or anxiety just to get through the school day. It is common in neurodivergent children, including autistic children and children with ADHD, but any child can mask.

If a child uses all their energy holding it together at school, there is nothing left by the time they get home.

So when someone says,
“They are fine at school”

What they often mean is,
“They are coping at a cost.”

Masking is not success.
It is survival.

Children do not need to be taught to mask better.
They need to feel safe enough to stop.

If this made you think of a child you know, please share it.

Like the photo and comment "MASKING" and we will send you a message with a link to a free PDF of this resource.

02/01/2026

When Every Word Feels Like a Storm: The Invisible Battle of Rejection Sensitivity

There are some mornings when you wake up already tired, not because you did too much, but because your mind never truly rested. You scroll through your phone, read a message, or remember something someone said yesterday, and suddenly your chest feels heavy. Nothing “bad” actually happened, yet inside, it feels like everything is falling apart. This is what living with ADHD can feel like when Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria quietly sits in the background of your life.

For many people, criticism is uncomfortable but manageable. They feel it, process it, and move on. For someone with ADHD and RSD, it is different. The mind does not measure pain in small doses. It receives every tone, every pause, every correction as something much bigger than it seems. A simple comment becomes a memory that repeats itself all day. The brain does not filter the emotion. It amplifies it.

The Weight of Words

Imagine standing in a crowded room where everyone is talking at once. You cannot focus on a single voice, yet somehow, one sentence cuts through the noise and sticks with you. You replay it again and again, wondering what it really meant. Was it anger? Was it disappointment? Did you do something wrong? This is how RSD turns ordinary interactions into emotional storms. The words themselves are not heavy, but the meaning your brain attaches to them becomes overwhelming.

Every experience feels personal, even when it is not meant to be. You might know logically that no one is attacking you, yet your heart reacts as if you are being pushed away. That disconnect between logic and emotion creates exhaustion. You begin to doubt yourself, not because you are weak, but because your mind is working in overdrive.

The Silent Struggle

From the outside, people may think you are overreacting. They might say you are too sensitive or that you take things too seriously. What they cannot see is the internal struggle that follows every small moment. You do not want to feel this way. You do not choose it. It happens before you can even stop it.

Living with ADHD means constantly navigating thoughts that move faster than you can catch them. When RSD is part of that experience, emotions also move at that same speed. They rise quickly, grow intensely, and take longer to settle. You might isolate yourself, not because you want to be alone, but because it feels safer than risking another emotional wave.

Learning to Be Gentle with Yourself

Healing does not mean forcing yourself to stop feeling. It means learning to understand where those feelings come from. When you recognize that your brain processes rejection differently, you can begin to treat yourself with compassion instead of blame. You are not broken. Your nervous system is simply wired in its own way.

Small steps matter. Taking a pause before reacting, writing down what you feel, or reminding yourself that not every thought is a fact can slowly create space between emotion and response. Support from people who understand can also make a difference. You deserve to feel seen, not judged.

A New Way Forward

You are not defined by how deeply you feel. Your sensitivity is not a weakness. It is a sign of a mind that experiences the world in full color, even when those colors are intense. The journey is not about changing who you are, but about learning how to live with kindness toward yourself.

Every day, you are learning. Every day, you are growing. And every day, you are proving that your story is not about rejection, but about resilience.

This is a guide to some commonly used supplements to support the brain and dealing with anxiety.
02/01/2026

This is a guide to some commonly used supplements to support the brain and dealing with anxiety.

Address

3855 Shallowford Road Ste 515
Marietta, GA
30062

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

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