Supporting College Readiness
As a psychologist known for assessing and supporting college readiness, I receive calls each summer from anxious parents. They’re worried that their college-bound child might not be ready for college. Honestly, I wish more parents reached out to me (and earlier). Why? Because, sadly, many of these teens aren’t ready for the Learn More
Saying Goodbye to Your College-Bound Kid (Part 3 of 3): After the College Drop Off
You’ve dropped your baby off at college… now what? Check out this video and learn what three things to keep in mind for a smoother transition. Learn More
How to Be Alone When You Hate Being Alone
There are so many different reasons people may hate being alone. For one person, boredom creeps in and she doesn’t know how to entertain herself. For another, negative thoughts intrude and he thinks about all of his regrets when he’s not busy and occupied. Someone else feels deep, depressing loneliness when she’s Learn More
Saying Goodbye to Your College-Bound Kid (Part Two of Three): The Day Of
The day of college drop off is filled with a swirl of competing emotions– you’re proud of your emerging adult, and you’re going to miss them like crazy. You’re happy… and you’re sad. You see your child becoming an awesome adult, and you wish you could hold on to him forever. This Learn More
Saying Goodbye to Your College-Bound Kid (Part One of Three): The Summer Before
Saying goodbye to a child heading off to college is bittersweet. You are so proud of your college-bound child. All the tough years of parenting have paid off, and you’ve successfully gotten your child to the next phase of their development. You’re also a big mess because you’re going to miss your Learn More
5 Tips to Maintain a Positive Relationship with Your Young Adult Child
Once a parent, always a parent! But parenting a young adult is totally different than parenting a child or teen. Learn 5 tips that will help you maintain a positive relationship with your young adult child. Need help maintaining a positive relationship with your son or daughter? Send us a message or Learn More
Secure Your College Accommodations
Transitioning from high school to college can be challenging and stressful. Unlike in high school, you need to self-advocate. In college, IEP teams don’t exist. Additionally, your parents no longer coordinate all of your needs. You must seek out and ask for the college accommodations you need to be successful. Learn More
How to Support Your Anxious Teen
When you have an anxious teen, it can feel very confusing how to help. You want to be empathetic, but you also don’t want to feed into your child’s anxiety. It can be quite a difficult balancing act. Watch this video to learn how you can best support your anxious teen. Learn More
Talking to Your Boss About Mental Health Struggles
It can be terrifying to think about talking to your boss about something as personal (and, unfortunately, stigmatized) as mental health struggles. This video will give you some ideas of what to think about before you decide to disclose. Learn More
Seven Qualities You Need as an Adult
Adulting this, adulting that! There are so many things that adults do, it’s so hard to figure out when you’ve finally arrived. There are seven basic things every adult should know how to do. Watch on to see what they are. Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know you’re finally an adult! Learn More
Forget Networking! Try Connecting
I will be very honest. When I was earlier in my career, the word “networking” felt slimy to me. It brought up thoughts of people using one another, connecting superficially, and being glib. It was the exact opposite of what I liked to do, which was to authentically connect with others and Learn More
Four Ways to Support Your Child with Depression
Do you or your child need more support? Send us a message or book a free 20 minute consultation call with Dr. Barajas or Dr. Goldman. Please read more about parenting an emerging adult here.
What Self-Care Is (And Is Not)
For better or worse, self-care has become a buzzword. On the positive, people are becoming more aware of the importance to take care of one’s self. However, self-care has become a seemingly empty trend that fuels a massive, monetized industry. People are losing sight of what self-care actually is, which is leading Learn More
Natural Consequences versus Logical Consequences
You may have read my previous article about shifting from a punishment mindset to a learning mindset. In it, I talk about the benefits of parenting from a learning mindset. I share about the power of using logical consequences. However, in that article, I didn’t talk about natural consequences, which are another Learn More
Shift from a Punishing Mindset to a Learning Mindset
I’m throwing out a challenge to all parents: the next time your child makes a mistake or a poor choice, instead of punishing your child, try implementing a logical consequence. You might look at my challenge and think, “this is just a matter of semantics” (and it kind of is because, in Learn More
The Argument Against Self-Esteem (And for Self-Compassion)
It used to be that self-esteem was all the rage. Literally thousands of psychological studies showed the many benefits of it. Parents obsessed over ensuring their child had positive self-esteem, believing it was the answer to a lifetime of happiness. Participation trophies were doled out so children’s self-worth stayed intact. However, now Learn More
10 Ways to Manage Your Child’s Screen Time
More and more parents are reaching out to me for support in managing their child’s electronic use. More so than generations before, young people’s worlds revolve around their electronics. Electronics are integral parts of the social lives. Even schools are beginning to rely more on the internet to do academic management. In Learn More
Top 5 Ways to Bomb Your Next Job Interview
Interviews are the time to really shine and win over your new potential boss. This is your first real impression, and you want it to be positive. I originally wrote this article many years ago after going through a hiring process where I interviewed dud after dud. A shockingly high number of Learn More
5 Tips for Communicating with Your Adult Child
Struggling to connect with your adult child? Send us a message or book a free 20 minute consultation call with Dr. Barajas or Dr. Goldman.
Supporting Your Emerging Adult’s Transition to Adulthood
Supporting an emerging adult’s transition to independence sometimes feels like a tightrope balancing act. Provide too much support to your child, and they become too dependent on your assistance or become resistant and resentful. Don’t provide enough support, and they may never successfully make it out on their own! Coupled with the Learn More
10 Ways to Build Resilience
Did you know that one in four college students struggles with their mental health? This is not a surprise, given how stressful college can be. Students leave behind the familiarity of home and their established support systems to live and learn with a bunch of strangers. This is why I speak at Learn More
Prevent Cell Phone Addiction with These 5 Tips
Recently, more and more parents are reaching out to me because their teen struggles with cell phone “addiction”. Sometimes the parents are describing unhealthy habits that haven’t developed into a destructive “addiction”. However, all parents who have children struggling with their electronics use can benefit from these five tips. Learn Learn More