Timothy Schmutte PsyD

03/04/2026

This opinion piece from the NYTimes is a little bleak. The idea that one in three gen Z adults may never marry (or live the equivalent by finding a long-term romantic partner) is concerning. Kids need to get out into the world doing activities that introduce them to other people, practice relating to others, and learn more about themselves. Looksmaxxing is not the long-term path to self-confidence.

Clavicular is a symptom of a larger disease.

03/03/2026

Recently, a Father reached out to me seeking counseling for him and his son because his wife (his son's Mom) had recently passed away. They are both struggling with grief. Grief is a normal response to loss of many kinds and losing a loved one is one of the most profound losses. Check out CNN Anderson Cooper's series on grief. He points to actor Andrew Garfield's beautiful explanation of what grief is.

Anderson Cooper sits down with actor Andrew Garfield, whose mother died from pancreatic cancer in 2019, to discuss lessons learned through grief. For more of “All There Is with Anderson Cooper,” listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

02/28/2026

I keep watch of social media developments. Mark Zuckerberg recently told Congress that, of course, a metric of Instagram's success is the amount of time teens spend on it, and that measuring their progress against TikTok would be natural. Social media companies don't hide their intentions that well.

Today, we explored Trout Brook Valley Reserve in Weston. Lots of nudging was required but as soon as we got there, the boys started scaling the steep rocks at the top of the red trail. Get out there. It's beautiful.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/19/tech/takeaways-mark-zuckerberg-testifiessocial-media-child-mental-health

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the first time testified in court about accusations that social media, including Instagran, harm children’s mental health.

02/11/2026

I wanted to share more details about a client whose made significant progress. Brian (not his real name or photo) was a college junior when his recreational drug use spun out of control. My latest blog post, "Unmasking ADHD: Brian's journey out of substance Abuse" illustrates how untreated ADHD can be a risk factor for substance abuse and one approach to treatment. So proud of how much progress he's made so far.
https://bit.ly/3OaWzs3

Brian* was a 20-year-old college junior when he reached out seeking help with “navigating school, relationships, and overall well-being.” He was a tall, athletic, well-liked kid who grew up in Fairfield County. He had at...

02/10/2026

Every client who successfully moves on from therapy really feels like a triumph. It never grows old. Over Winter break, I got to say farewell to a college junior who sought me out when he began to struggle with substance abuse. We worked together for 6 months, mostly remotely. He came home for the holidays and saw me. During our in-person session, I could sense it would probably be the last time he'd need my help for a long while. He'd successfully begun treating his ADHD and developed skills to help him tolerate the distress or boredom that would make him seek out recreational drugs. Watching young people take flight is what I live for.

https://drtimpsychology.com

02/09/2026

I am reading "Raising a Kid Who Can" by Catherine McCarthy. As I go through it I'll try to drop some pearls here. The first one is that McCarthy offers three main ingredients for healthy kids and teens. Three Rs - Rest, Relaxation, and Routine. Take notice. The first two have nothing to do with performance, effort, or work ethic. They focus on self-care. I've been talking about this with parents of a few kids I am seeing now, who are anxious, tired, and burned out. I'm seeing progress as we help their kids strike a new balance between school, sports, and other activities.

Buy a cheap copy of The Parenting Playbook: Ridiculously... book by Jennifer Weaver. Three mental health professionals cut through the parenting advice noise with this accessible, easy-to-skim book filled with actionable strategies and tips to... Free Shipping on all orders over $15.

01/30/2026

This piece from the about speaks to the heart of the psychological impact of the conditions there. The two quotes that moved me most were, "All of a sudden... I’ll tear up,” said Ms. Phipps, the mother of two children. “Sometimes it’s just because regular people are doing amazing things. Or sometimes it’s because it’s so sad to walk into these once-thriving businesses and see them empty.”

A second person interviewed reported a conversation she had with a friend saying, “I hope the craziness of Minneapolis isn’t bothering you,” Ms. Morrison recalled her friend as saying. The question almost shocked her. “And I said, ‘Yes, it’s bothering me,’” she said. “I live here. How can it not bother me?’ If you think it’s somehow isolated to some tiny little pocket, you are badly mistaken, because it’s everywhere.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/minnesota-voices-immigration-crackdown.html

Federal agents began Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities late last year. After the deaths of two U.S. citizens, many residents say they feel overwhelmed.

01/29/2026

I can’t ignore the mental health impact that national crises and world crises have. We often think about mental health as something influenced by our immediate surroundings, like our jobs, family, relationships, or our internal self-image. But we are all influenced by things happening well outside our immediate sphere. Whether it’s events in Minnesota, Iran, or Ukraine, seeing mass violence can make us feel despair, anger, and helplessness. Most certainly, the people at the heart of these crises are experiencing extraordinary stress and strain, but they are not the only ones impacted. If you are feeling a deep sense of helplessness, anger, sadness, or fear, know that this is a normal human response.

01/22/2026

My best moment as a therapist is when a client reaches a therapeutic goal. Today, a mother of a grade school child texted me to say her son made it through a full day of school. When he came to me three months ago, her grade school-age son had such severe separation anxiety that he would not go to school (he had not been to school for months at a time) and could not sleep independently. He had moved schools once, and his current school wanted him to transfer to a special school. With multiple in-depth sessions using exposure therapy for him and therapeutic support sessions with his parents, today he celebrated a full day at school. Our journey is not over yet, but boy, it feels great to see him get this far.
https://drtimpsychology.com/kids-and-teens


(Note: the photo is not my client, it's a licensed stock photo to protect his privacy)

01/20/2026

What did our two boys, ages 15 and 17, do on a snowy winter day? Believe it or not, they built a snowman. No longer a task about making a lifelike man, but a task of who could roll the largest snowball. For teen boys, feats of strength were their motivation to get outside. Whatever the reason, get em' out there into the real world with others, doing physical exercise.

01/19/2026

As Martin Luther King Day comes to a close, I am grateful to Dr. King for lifting his voice and being a beacon of hope in a sea of darkness. His words are truer now than ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyk8sYGghiQ

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

01/19/2026

While I am waiting for Alexander Hurst's book "Generation Desperation: How I Made and Lost a Million Dollars" to become available, I read his piece on loneliness among young men. It's important for all of us to keep this top of mind and try to get our kids and teens out into the community to engage in clubs, groups, sports, faith-based organizations, or any group activities that create opportunities to engage in person with each other.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/15/loneliness-rife-young-men-get-offline-talk-to-each-other

It’s tempting to scoff, but don’t dismiss the data. Modern man’s failure to forge real, meaningful friendships is bad for everyone, says Guardian Europe columnist Alexander Hurst