Staff, APPS

What To Do When Your Child Is Pushed Out Of Their Friend Group Dr. Mike, - Our 11-year-old daughter (5th Grade) is having a terrible time at school this year because she’s being pushed out of her longtime friend group.  There wasn’t an incident as far as we know, but she doesn’t get invited to play and hang out much, she’s not invited to many birthday parties, and she’s being put down or left out on social media.  We’ve had many a tearful night, and our daughter is now wanting to transfer schools since the friend group goes to the [...]

Fentanyl Strikes Loudoun County:  What Every Parent Needs to Know Nine students from Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia overdosed on suspected Fentanyl use this school year with eight of the overdoses occurring in just the last three weeks.  It was reported in the news that three of those students overdosed while at school and were administered Naloxone, and two of the students additionally received CPR.  Naloxone (brand name: Narcan) is a drug that is used to treat opioid overdoses. As a clinical psychologist in Loudoun County, I’ve seen, countless times, the devastating impact of drugs on our children [...]

Is Emotional Cheating Real? What To Do If It Happens In today's interconnected world, relationships have evolved in myriad ways, and while physical infidelity is well recognized, another form of betrayal, often less visible but equally impactful, has emerged -- emotional cheating. As a psychologist in private practice, the topic of emotional cheating or emotional affairs comes up often.  Just this past week, a client’s girlfriend became upset when she discovered that the client “liked” his ex’s social media post.  Over the years, several of my married clients have also shared with me that they’ve secretly reconnected with an old [...]

Discussing Separation or Divorce with Children Separation and divorce is fraught with emotional upheaval and adjustments; and as parents, sharing the news with your children can be a very challenging moment.  However, as difficult as that moment can be, there are compassionate and effective communication strategies that can significantly influence how your children navigate the forthcoming loss and all of the changes and adjustments that go with it. When discussing separation and divorce with your children, it’s important to keep in mind that the goal is to deliver the message with warmth, clarity and simplicity.  What exactly you share and [...]