The debate of nature vs. nurture has been ongoing for quite some time. The case of nature vs. nurture concerns that of the level of influence that genetics have a child’s personality and their behaviors in comparison to the level of influence that parenting has on a child’s personality and their behaviors. It is largely argued that both are recognizably responsible in the contribution of a child’s development and both should be considered. However, with nature and nurture both considered, your child therapist in Carrolton will insist that the only one in which we as humans have control over when raising a child is the nurturing factor. Parenting has a vital influence on the development of your child and their behavior, and it is important to understand how your parenting style is affecting your child’s behavior. Keep reading to learn about the styles of parenting and how they may be affecting your child. Styles of parenting can typically be categorized into 4 different types, which include the following: Authoritarian Parenting This type of parenting is categorized as a dominating style of parenting that has an adherence to rules and a large control factor by the parents over the child. This…
As December winds down, we find ourselves in the final throws of 2018. With 2019 around the corner, many of us will engage in the common tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. From weight loss to career goals everyone will have their resolutions ready and their “New year, new me” mantras ready to back them up. However, many people find out it takes more than a mantra to commit to their goals and a whopping 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February. This may sound daunting but don’t let a fear of failing stop you from making new year’s resolutions. Here are 5 tips to ensure you stay on track and achieve your new year’s resolutions. Set Small Goals A common mistake with many New Year’s resolutions is often times they’re too big or too broad. Wanting to make a new career change, for example, has a lot of involved details that might leave you overwhelmed and afraid. Instead of wanting to make a career change, learn a new skill with the intent to make a career change. By committing to learning a new skill as opposed to making a drastic leap, you’re more able to see…
While the holidays are often a very joyous time, they can also be a very stressful time. All the planning, organizing, spending, and group events can become very overwhelming very quickly. It isn’t uncommon for the stress of the holidays to trigger feelings of sadness and depression even. While it is the holiday season, people are often expected to uphold a certain cheerful exterior. This pressure to be happy can often cause the feelings that are quite the opposite. There are multiple contributing factors to holiday depression, but luckily there are also ways to cope with these feelings. Be aware of underlying expectations Often holidays can lead to disappointment. Why is that? Many times, we get our hopes up about how things will play out over the holidays, whether it is expectations of other people or of ourselves. Try to keep your expectations in a balanced state to avoid getting let down or letting others down. Remember that things going wrong is a part of life, don’t expect everything to be perfect or you are bound to end up disappointed. Stay positive, but don’t build up your expectations. Don’t overdo it Many people tend to overdo it during the holidays….
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You have an important meeting or a school project that is due tomorrow. As you’re checking through everything and putting on the final touches you realize you’ve done something wrong. This something being redone will take you forever to fix and it’s already late. You start thinking about how ridiculous this whole situation is until finally, it happens. Those criticisms of the situation become criticisms about you. “You’re such an idiot! Why didn’t you check this before you started?” or comments like this are lambasted at you. It’s like a punishment you feel you deserve for not doing it right the first time. While it might seem warranted, you soon realize the effects. You feel like nothing you do is good enough and begin to doubt your own ability to correct the issue. Familiar, isn’t it? Destructive self-criticism is a dangerous tool. It robs you of your self-confidence and can affect your ability to set healthy and attainable goals. It’s a vicious cycle too. To overcompensate for failing the last time you set a higher and even more difficult goal to achieve only to let yourself down again. But life doesn’t have to be…
The holidays are upon us. The holiday season is simultaneously the happiest and most stressful season of the year. Between grocery shopping, cooking, and having family over it’s easy to see how stressful the holidays can be. You may believe there is just too much to plan and so many people to keep happy. If you are worried about this holiday season as Thanksgiving approaches, here are some tips to help you manage your stress this November. #1 Make a plan The most effective way to avoid surprises and stressors is to get organized and make a plan. Come up with a menu for Thanksgiving dinner. To make it fun you can even have your kids and partner help you plan it out. Having a plan reduces your stress because you aren’t scrambling around at the last minute to make something. Once you have planned your menu, make a list of what you need. Plan a day to knock out getting all the items on your list. Once you have your supplies, plan your cooking schedule. Cooking some Thanksgiving food ahead of time can greatly reduce the amount of preparation you have to do come Thanksgiving Day. #2 Ask for…
With elections wrapping up and Thanksgiving quickly approaching, there is bound to be political banter at the table. Political banner can get intense, but in a time like today, where the political divide is stronger than ever, talking politics at the table can corrupt relationships with family and friends. Here are four ways to stop politics from ruining your friendships. Don’t Let Politics Rule Your Life This isn’t to say don’t care about the policies or bills that are being discussed or soon to be carried out. This simply means don’t let those policies or bills be a factor in how you run your life. You have probably seen the following in a similar scenario on social media: Person A takes a declarative stance regarding a policy or Politian. Person B from their friends list disagrees in a respectful way to maintain the relationship. Person A completely loses it and calls Person B all kinds of slurs before threatening to end their contact on social media. Person B tries to apologize for the misstep, but Person A has their mind made up. Person A is allowing politics to conduct their lives and determine the conditions of their personal happiness. While…
Relationships can be difficult. While all relationships take work, long distance relationships can be even more difficult and require even more work than those that are localized. Although they may sometimes seem more challenging, healthy and happy long-distance relationships are entirely achievable, and more and more people are learning how to make them work every day. As we have progressed into an age of rapidly growing technology, communicating with loved ones is possible and easier than ever. While we now have more platforms and means of communication, it doesn’t mean we have to put in less effort when it comes to maintaining a happy relationship. If you are trying to make a long-distance relationship work, remember these tips. Plan well and be mindful of one another’s schedule Spontaneity doesn’t seem to work as well with long-distance relationships. Many times, you are on very different schedules. Whether it be work or school, sleeping times, or even time zones, remember to be mindful of your partner’s schedule as well as ask that they do the same for you. Try to plan times to talk. This is will help to prevent disappointment or lack of attention from your loved one. Ensure you both…
Life can really be wonderful, but unfortunately, life sometimes brings us hardships. Some people face more difficult hardships or traumas than others, just as some people deal with those traumas better than others. Learning how to deal with that trauma and heal afterwards can be difficult, but there is hope, and that is important to remember. You would be amazed what your brain is capable of, one of those things is healing and recovering from traumatizing hardships. It is important to realize that one cannot repress and forget the feelings that come from a traumatic experience, but the only way to heal is to face those feelings and deal with them head on. If you don’t take the time to face your post-trauma distresses, it is highly possible that it could lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, which will be even more difficult to overcome. It is important to not repress your feelings or hide yourself from others, but to directly face your feelings and hold on tight to your relationships in life that give you strength. Whether your trauma is a divorce, the death of a loved one, falling ill, or even experiencing events such as natural disasters or war,…
Sadness and depression quite often go hand in hand. However, it is important to know the difference from when you are just sad, and when you are actually suffering from depression. It can often be difficult to differentiate between the two, but for your own mental and emotional health it is important that you do. It is very common that a person is suffering from depression, but just think that they are just sad a lot of the time. Depression is a condition that should never be neglected, which is why it is so very important that one can tell the difference between the two psychological states. There are a few key differences that will help to decipher whether it is sadness or depression that you are suffering from. Symptoms of depression Although some of these symptoms can occur with sadness, they are temporary. If you experience these signs for an extended period of time it could be more than sadness. If you are suffering from depression, the common symptoms will likely be associated: Feeling sad constantly Changes in your eating or sleeping patterns Difficulty focusing Irritability Loss of interest in activities or things that once brought you happiness Feelings…
Your marriage is one of the most important relationships in your life, that means you want to give it you’re all. After all, a happier marriage means a happier life. Humans are biologically built to need relationships in order to be happy. However, just like most things in life, relationships take work, and especially marriages. If you have ever thought about giving up, remember the promise that you made when it all began. If you feel like you have tried, but it isn’t working, then you should consider marriage therapy in Carrolton. When it comes to marriage, you must remember that the work you put in is what you will get out. It takes patience, love, compromise, and understanding in order to have a happy marriage. Alongside these qualities, you can implement and remember these tips to strive towards a good marriage. #1 Always focus on the positives & celebrate good things Research shows that divorce generally is a result of a lack of positive attributes rather than there being an immense level of negatives. It is for this reason that you should try and focus on the positive. While being positive in life will make you happier, focusing on…
