Child Therapy in Middle Tennessee

08/26/2025

Do any of these behaviors sound familiar?
1. Excessive reassurance-seeking: asking the same question over and over
2. Difficulty making decisions- this can pop up even over small things because from the child’s standpoint, making the “wrong” choice feels scary
3. Over-controlling play: I refer to this as the child is the director. They feel this need for peers or siblings to play by their rules only (which really it’s more about keeping the game predictable as opposed to being a controlling person)
4. “What if” spirals- stuck on hypothetical disasters, which reinforces a feeling of helplessness
5. Over- apologizing: saying “sorry”constantly to avoid conflict or disapproval
6. Hypervigilance with rules: correcting, tattling, or melting down when someone is not following rules

These behaviors often indicate some level of anxiety going on. And when ADHD is a part of the picture too? These behaviors can look like defiance or bossiness, when really it’s anxiety that’s trying to take control.

Check out comments for some approaches you can try.

04/10/2025

Love this so much!

01/25/2025

Kids of all ages seem to gravitate to the Lego mini figures more than anything else in my office.

01/21/2025

As a parent and a therapist, I have found it helps me to consider these points to keep me grounded and to help me take a step back. Often when I assume right away a child is doing something purposely (or “just to make me mad”), I then become less empathetic and less likely to help a child figure out how to navigate their heavy, complex emotions. And quite frankly, the complexity of our emotions can be tricky even for adults to understand. I’m curious what your thoughts are. And are there other points or reminders that help you?

06/04/2024

When your frustration is getting the best of you, keep this in mind. There are no bad children. ❤️(credit: GoZen:)

02/22/2024

I love these ideas! I would add to this that less talking is best when a child is unraveling. Sometimes it’s not what you say that can help, but how you are doing in these moments that can most help you kids. They are borrowing from your energy.

What else would you add?

These are great "calm down" alternatives to share with staff and parents!

01/20/2024

So many of you are looking to strengthen the connection with your children, as am I, and it helps to remember even some simple tips.

➡️When we take a moment to share with our children what we notice and make statements instead of questions, opportunities can create moments where kids open up and share a little more. And how powerful it is for our children to remember that we are thinking of them even when we are apart.

⭐️These are just a few examples. And to clarify, it’s not a negative thing to ask questions. But be mindful of questions that illicit a response and those that close the door on more meaningful conversations.

❤️Statements can show children we are paying attention and are interested in them. This strengthens the connection and ultimately, the relationship we have with them.

12/27/2023

Raise your hand if you have a teenager in the house!🙋‍♀️ Take a moment to check out these visuals I put together and share what you are liking about the teen years and what is most challenging?

Kids at this stage are truly trying to figure out who they are, what their beliefs are, who there friends are (and who, of those friends, are genuine friends, right?). You may have noticed your teen spending more time with friends, or more time listening to music, playing video games, etc… AND perhaps less time with you.

While it’s important to give them space, it’s equally important to keep the connection going. This is no small feat though.

How do you keep the connection going? What helps or what doesn’t seem to work?

Anyone else struggle with this, or is it just me?😳

11/02/2023

When I first heard this, it really caught my attention. Play is a critical outlet for children. It’s one of their primary ways of making sense of the world, tapping into imagination, and a significant way of releasing stress and having fun.

Somewhere down the road, we are given the message that once we grow older, playtime is done. I think we need more play in our life, no matter what our age.

Dressing up for Halloween, coloring, building, dancing, engaging in charades, cracking jokes. We need more of this, no matter what our age.

What an important outlet for ourselves, and what a beautiful thing to model for our children.

What comes to mind as forms of play you engage in? What do you miss most about playtime from your childhood? And how can you add more play into your life?

09/24/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxlTtTNuypl/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==