ashburn psychiatrist

Understanding “Resist and Refuse” (R/R) in Family Law: When Children Push Away a Parent Imagine a parent who has always been deeply involved in their child’s life -- helping with homework, cheering at soccer games, reading bedtime stories. Then, after separation or divorce, that same child refuses contact. What once felt steady now ends in tears, arguments, or avoidance. For many parents, it’s a bewildering and heartbreaking shift. In family law, this pattern is known as “Resist and Refuse” (R/R) or Resist/Refuse Dynamics (RRD) -- a situation where a child actively resists or refuses contact with a parent, even when that [...]

Beyond Screen Time: How Algorithms Shape Teens’ Exposure to Violence Picture this: a 13-year-old comes home from school, pulls out their phone, and scrolls through short videos. It starts innocently -- dance clips, sports highlights, comedy skits. But within minutes, their feed fills with footage of graphic fights, weapons, threats and even murders. They never searched for it, yet the platform’s invisible systems decided it was what they should see. This is not a rare story. For today’s adolescents, social media is the backdrop of daily life: how they connect, express themselves, and explore their developing identity. But emerging research [...]

Boredom: The Hidden Ingredient to Raising Resilient Kids As a psychologist -- and a parent -- I often reflect on the childhood rhythms of the 1980s. Back then, free afternoons meant roaming the neighborhood on bikes, playing pick-up games in the yard, or having adventures with friends, all with minimal adult supervision. With only a handful of TV channels and classic toys like Rubik’s Cubes and Lite-Brite at our fingertips, our play was open-ended and imaginative. Sure, there were arcades and new technologies like home computers and video game consoles were making their debut, but most of our days were [...]

Understanding Post-Separation Abuse: The Hidden Continuation of Domestic Violence For many survivors of domestic violence, leaving the relationship is just the beginning of a new chapter of fear, manipulation, and control. This phenomenon is known as post-separation abuse, and it can be even more damaging than the abuse that occurred during the relationship. What Is Post-Separation Abuse? Post-separation abuse is the continuation of power and control tactics by an abusive partner after the relationship has ended. While domestic violence during a relationship may involve physical, emotional, verbal, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse, post-separation abuse shifts the venue from the home [...]

Understanding and Addressing Bullying: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers For many children, bullying is more than just a difficult rite of passage or a phase.  It can be a painful experience that can shape a child’s sense of self, influence their relationships, and impact their mental health well into adulthood.  As a psychologist who works closely with children and families, I’ve seen how bullying—whether physical, verbal, or digital—can leave lasting emotional scars. What exactly is bullying and what are the different ways it can occur?  Physical bullying involves hitting, pushing, or damaging someone’s belongings. Verbal bullying includes name-calling, teasing, [...]

The Pros and Cons of Reconnecting with an Old Friend Have you ever felt a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and nostalgia as you contemplate reconnecting with an old friend? Life has a curious way of moving us along separate paths, often gently guiding once close friendships into later distant memories. But for many, there comes a time in life when we find ourselves wondering about those we've left behind, feeling drawn by the warmth of a shared history. Imagine sitting across a café table from someone who once knew your hopes, dreams and secrets.  In that moment, you could experience [...]

As a young adult… Do you struggle with motivation to pursue school, personal goals or career aspirations? Are you socially awkward and do you withdraw or isolate from family or friends? Do you still live at home? Is your sleep routine reversed or off? Do you rely on your parents for financial support, decision-making and daily tasks? Are you unhappy with how you’re living your life but lack realistic ideas or a plan to improve things? Do you avoid responsibilities such as keeping your room clean, paying bills, scheduling appointments, managing your time or finances, or making long-term [...]

Urge Surfing: A Mindful Approach To Managing Cravings And Impulses Urge surfing is a mindfulness-based technique designed to help individuals navigate the discomfort of cravings or impulses without succumbing to them. This powerful tool, first introduced by Dr. Alan Marlatt, a pioneer in addiction research, provides a practical and effective way to manage urges associated with bad habits or negative behaviors that are difficult to control. Whether you're trying to quit smoking, or you’re struggling to manage your drinking or emotional eating or other impulsive actions, urge surfing offers a pathway to greater self-awareness, emotional balance and long-term positive behavioral [...]

Mental Health Professionals and High Conflict Divorce: 7 Pitfalls for Attorneys to Avoid In the ideal divorce situation, family law attorneys are able to mitigate or circumvent problems for the involved parties without the need for adversarial negotiations and/or aggressive litigation. But when it comes to high-conflict divorces, things like mediation, collaboration, and cooperative negotiations are often not an option, especially when the matter of custody is at hand. Mental-health professionals can be helpful to family law attorneys during high-conflict divorces, but unfortunately, it is not uncommon for some attorneys to attempt to blur a clinician’s boundaries in order to [...]