Catherine Reid, LCSW

01/26/2025

10/17/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100045508487198/posts/1067821134744826/?mibextid=CDWPTG

❤️ "I love spending time with you, even when you're not feeling okay."

❤️ "You make my life better by being in it."

❤️ "I'm proud of you, I see how hard you're trying."

❤️ "I'm here for you. Whether good or bad, I'll show up."

❤️ "You have a beautiful heart, depression can't touch that."

❤️ "You don't need to be happy all the time to be loved. You're always enough."

All our love,
The Depression Project.

03/23/2024

Resource share. Kelly is wonderful!

Empowering Autistic Individuals Supportive guidance for individuals and families“There needs to be more emphasis on what a child can do instead of what they can’t do.” —Temple GrandinSchedule a Free Consultation Today Far too often, families are given a diagnosis without a roadmap or tools. ...

08/18/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100064965810802/posts/664422132399975/?mibextid=Nif5oz

UCSF Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital will welcome patients to a larger and modernized space on August 19 in UCSF Mount Zion Medical Center.

12/12/2022

https://www.facebook.com/106579238928852/posts/127285823524860/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Enrollment is open Building Kidz of San Francisco at Sunset
Are you looking for a fun and safe space for your curious and vibrant preschooler? Schedule a tour with Stephanie and Annie today!
www.buildingkidzschoo.com/schools/sunset

11/16/2022

https://www.facebook.com/100050607573985/posts/673545064342407/

Be mindful of your word choices when attempting to support someone.
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Image via anxiety.positive on IG

11/13/2022

https://www.facebook.com/100063894919000/posts/517718557034637/

My kids have been watching Inside Out recently. It's a movie that takes place largely inside the characters' minds from the point of views of their personified emotions. Everybody has the emotions Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust.

If you haven't seen it in a few years, it really holds up amazingly -- there is sooooo much I could talk about about this movie from an OT and interoception perspective. I mean, as far as emotional intelligence goes, this movie just has layers and layers and layers.

One scene, though, majorly jumped out at me the first time I was re-watching it after having not seen it in years. I thought I'd write about it today.

Riley, the protagonist, is 11 years old. She and her family have just moved cross-country and are having a predictably stressful time (I say as someone who's moved cross-country many times and internationally once!) She has a terrible first day at school, but is embarrassed about it and doesn't want to tell her parents about it at dinner (partly because she thinks she's supposed to be "putting forward a happy face" for her parents' sake).

At dinner, her mom presses her for details about school, and she snaps back at her parents. Her father gets angry and "shows up" to the "fight" -- really he's the one who turns it into a fight, because he's distracted with his own thoughts and doesn't realize why she's being sullen and irritable, or that he could ask what's wrong.

What struck me in watching this scene was how Anger is the driving emotion in her father's mind, and he's the driving emotion in this scene -- but Fear is actually equally present in this scene and in the dialogue. It's almost 50/50 between Fear and Anger speaking for what the father does...which is yell at Riley and tell her to go to her room.

After having yelled at her and sent her away (fixing absolutely none of the problems she was having), Fear, in her father's mind, is relieved and cheering.

That struck me as so painfully honest about a truth about parenting. It even manages to make it funny instead of just painful.

He was afraid of being "disrespected" by what his child was saying. He was afraid of the unusual amount of "sass" that he was hearing from her. He was AFRAID.

Fear is the driving factor in a lot of my snap judgments and reactions as a parent -- fear, with anger on top, because fear feels too vulnerable to let drive by itself. It's only when I let myself pause that I can react with more honest or open curiosity about what's going on for the child.

[Image description: A screenshot from the Inside Out movie, from a scene within Riley's dad's mind. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust are seated around a table. They all have mustaches, like Riley’s father does.]

11/01/2022

https://www.facebook.com/100063605196846/posts/590669439729891/

NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH

Saying, "Let me know if you need anything" is not enough. It's likely a caregiver will rarely ask for help.

Here are a few things you can do to support the caregivers in your life:

1. Offer your time. "I have a few open hours in my week, how can I be of help to you? " Perhaps the caregiver may need a break from caregiving to take a walk or a shower. Perhaps they have a Dr appointment they can't take their loved one to? Or perhaps they just need a friend to fill their lonely space, someone to listen or laugh with.

2. Make a meal that can be eaten immediately or frozen or both! Caregivers are exhausted and often don't have the energy to plan or cook. "I made a meal for you that you can eat now or freeze for another day. When can I drop it off?"

3. As the disease progresses it becomes more and more difficult to take our loved ones along to run simple errands. "I'm going to the grocery store today and the pharmacy. Make me a list and I'll pick up the items you need and drop them off to you."

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Please communicate to the caregiver you're supporting, "IT MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD TO HELP YOU!" It's incredibly hard for some people to accept help. Make sure they know they are helping you as well!

If you're reading this as a caregiver, simply share it on your page so your friends can read these tips on how to help YOU!

Much Love,
Lisa

03/03/2022

https://www.facebook.com/314213615536/posts/10166350985780537/

Techniques to use during panic attacks to find relief

11/03/2021

Great book for children dealing with grandparents with dementia, written by a friend and colleague. 🥰

The Song in Lola's Heart: A story about caregiving from 6 to 76

10/15/2021

10/14/2021

https://www.facebook.com/200539394493/posts/10159560470669494/

A congressionally mandated system designed to recoup the costs of long-term care can hit people with the crushing prospect of losing a home, posing a particularly insidious threat for low-income families and people of color.