The return to school can be an exciting yet anxiety-inducing time for students. After a period of remote learning, vacations, or even the transition from one grade to another, the adjustment back to the school routine can pose various emotional challenges. As therapists at Integrative Therapy and Coaching, we understand the importance of providing support during these critical times of transition.

In the intricate landscape of youth development, emotions play a central role in shaping experiences, behaviors, and even the process of learning. The journey through adolescence is marked by both profound emotional shifts and substantial cognitive growth. Understanding the connection between emotions and learning is essential for parents, educators, and young individuals themselves. In this blog, we will explore how emotions influence learning for youth, and the potential consequences of emotions acting as obstacles to the...

In today’s digitally connected world, social media has become an integral part of teenagers’ lives. While it offers numerous benefits, it also comes with its fair share of dangers, particularly concerning the mental health of adolescents. As parents, it’s crucial to be aware of these risks and take proactive steps to mitigate their effects.

Our children are sponges and they learn from what they see within and beyond their home. Summer is a unique and fun time to expose our children to new ways of thinking, exploring and playing. Typically, when the school year kicks we are nonstop until a holiday, school break or until summer rolls around once more. As a school social worker, I try to think outside the box on new ways and approaches to learning, playing and summer fun for children.

Today, we want to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – its occurrence during the summer months.

When your child has been given a diagnosis, it can at times feel overwhelming not knowing exactly what it is, how it came to be and what are the best next steps to take to ensure your child’s wellbeing and health. So… we are here to help!

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully and completely in the moment. Seems impossible, huh? Well, we at Integrative Therapy and Coaching (the best therapists in CT!) are here to shed some light and insight on that!

When summer rolls around we are often very excited for all the freedom and flexibility but sometimes we realize our schedules are more packed than we thought, and most certainly more than we would like.

As a child, Carly Terracciano watched as her younger sister grew up with a neurological disorder that severely impacted her speech, coordination, and overall brain development. The experience had a profound effect on Terracciano and sparked her interest in the human brain.

The wave of DBT has arrived, but what even is it? DBT has found its way into most schools, counseling centers and clinics and has proved itself over and over again for being a tool to our healing and our services. Whether you are introducing models of integrative psychotherapy, emotion regulation therapy or providing adolescent counseling services… DBT can be integrated into your intervention services to seal the deal!

When children and teens imagine their summer break, thoughts of freedom, no homework sleeping in and hanging out with friends are top of mind.

Children look at adults as the ones with all the answers, and most of the time, we come up with those answers on the fly, or trial by error because we too are simply human ourselves.

1. Restart Routines. Kids thrive off of structure and routines which often change during the summertime. Start off the year right by jumping right back into school time routines. Set the alarm clock, limit technology time and aim to serve dinner at the same time every night. 2. Make bedtime earlier. Coming back to school can be exhausting! Make sure your child gets to bed extra early to ensure he/she get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. 3. Go Over Ground Rules. Decide when and where homework will be done. Be sure to cover...

IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. "A plan or program developed to ensure that a child with an identified disability who is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services." (University of Washington, 2022). Essentially, an IEP is created for your child to outline the programs and accommodations that are constructed by the educational setting to accommodate your child's level of learning and access to learning. For example, an IEP can help determine...

Sometimes it feels impossible to get our child to help out with the household chores. As frustrating as that is, remind yourself that you at that age thought chores were the worst thing ever, TOO! First, we need to debunk how “terrible” chores are. Share with your child that a clean house, a clean bedroom and clean playroom is important for your home. Share with them that the cleaner the space is the more use they can get out of it. You can remind them that they will know where all their toys are and they will have more space to play.

SEL is an acronym for Social Emotional Learning. But... What is it? "SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions." (CASEL, 2022) SEL is an approach most commonly used in schools to better enhance each student's availability to learn and grow...

Today, most teens and tweens use some form of social media and have an account on a social media platform. While it used to be just Facebook and Instagram, today there is Snapchat, Twitter and the latest fan favorite – Tik Tok.