The data is compelling that there is a Youth Mental Health Crisis. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and professional organizations like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Psychological Association all agree that children and high school students who are feeling sad and hopeless increased significantly over the last ten years. Adolescent mental health was already worsening prior to the COVID-19…

• Tics are uncontrolled body movements or vocal utterances • Tics are most common in children with an estimated 20% of kids experiencing transient tics that clear up on their own. Tics that last less than a year fall under the category of “Provisional Tic Disorder.” • Tics often improve with age and experts suspect brain maturation plays a role. • About 10 to 15% of people with Tourette’s Disorder display inappropriate utterances of obscenities or slurs. • A parent…

Life is full of numerous transitions. Some can be considered exciting, while others can be viewed as overwhelming, uncertain or painful. Change can be viewed differently from one person to another. While starting college or a new job can be exciting for one individual, it may be extremely overwhelming and stressful for another individual. Even positive transitions can create stress. Change often disrupts routines, challenges our sense of control, and pushes us into unfamiliar territory. During these moments, it’s easy…

• “I have missed my last three shots, I suck.” • “Coach might cut my playing time now.” • “I’m letting my teammates down.” • “I have to make the next shot, otherwise we could lose this game and not make playoffs” • “This ref hates me!” • “He calls everything on me and completely misses the same calls on the other end!” This is an example that demonstrates an athlete’s stream of consciousness whilestruggling with negative thinking and performance…