Category: Families

Four Keys to Improve any Relationship

December 28, 2018

1) Staying Calm Frustration and anger fuel negative behavior. Most discussions fall apart as soon as one person’s heart rate increases. In situations where we feel emotionally or physically threatened physiologically our heart rate surges and our adrenaline rises. Our “fight, flight, or freeze” mechanism kicks in and problem solving becomes very difficult. When we are in this state we are more likely to verbally attack others, become defensive, or run away from the situation. At this point, we are

Teaching Children and Adolescents Responsibility

December 10, 2018

Parents often ask me, “How do you teach your kids how to be responsible?” Responsibility is defined as the state of fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management. So how do we teach our kids to be responsible? The Perfect Life As parents we want our children to succeed and do well socially and academically. We want our children to never have to struggle too much, be uncomfortable, or be disappointed. We

Helping Kids Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

November 24, 2018

Lately, I’ve been pondering a lot about how important it is to develop gratitude in families, and especially how important it is for our children to develop an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude helps kids be optimistic and combats entitlement. What is entitlement and why is it so rampant? Entitlement in this sense is a feeling that I deserve certain things simply because I believe I should have them regardless of the work that I have put forth to acquire them.

Is it possible for a baby to be depressed?

November 1, 2018

Many parents wonder if it is really possible for a baby to be depressed or to have anxiety, after all, he is just a baby. The truth is baby’s can become depressed and they can develop anxiety. Many things play a part in a child developing anxiety or depression. Part of it may be genetic, part of it may be due to medical or physical problems. A part of it may also be related to the home environment including family

Making Time for the Family with Garron Griffitts

June 7, 2014

Garron Griffitts, LCSW, talks about making time for the family on KTAR with Rob and Karie as part of their Family in Focus series. This segment aired about 1:30 PM, 5/21/2014. Garron Griffitts, LCSW, is an individual and couples therapist who specializes in the field of addiction and recovery. He is the founder of Reaching Greater Heights and is part of the Arizona Family Therapy Group. He works with couples on establishing safety and security within their relationship and helps couples

Media Influences on Kids with Shiloh Lundahl

June 6, 2014

Shiloh Lundahl, LCSW, discusses media influences on kids on KTAR with Rob and Karie as part of their Family in Focus series. The still Face Experiment Pay attention to the way this baby reacts when her mother does not respond to her. Now imagine the distress a child feels when a mother or father is not emotionally available due to constantly being occupied by electronic devices. Shiloh Lundahl, LCSW, is a child and family therapist in Gilbert and Mesa,

Shame Vs. Repair

June 13, 2013

Kids make lots of mistakes. The fact is we as parents make plenty of mistakes as well. As a therapist who works with children and families, I get to spend lots of time working with parents on their reactions to the mistakes their children make. In doing so, I have found that some parents react with an abrupt intensity when their children make mistakes. Unsurprisingly, many of these parents were reacted to in similar ways when they were kids and

Why include the parents when working with kids in therapy

July 18, 2012

As a child and family therapist in Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona, I often receive calls from parents who are seeking professional help because of a concern they have with one of their children. The first step I take is to set up an appointment with the parents to gather more information about what is going on in the family and to come up with a plan that can help that child. As I get to know the parents and how

Therapy for a child diagnosed with bipolar, oppositional defiant, ADHD, anxiety, or reactive attachment disorder (RAD) in Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona

June 12, 2012

Do you have a child who has been diagnosed with bipolar, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, anxiety, or Reactive Attachment Disorder? Have the behavioral programs that you have tried not worked with your child? Would you like an alternative treatment approach to medication? Parents Can Help The truth is, there is a lot that parents can do to help their children who struggle with mood disorders learn to regulate their emotions within tolerable levels. Understanding Emotions The first step to treatment

What is family counseling?

June 12, 2012

Family Counseling in Mesa Arizona Family counseling is where the focus of counseling is not on just one individual but rather the focus is on the way individuals relate within the family. A family systems approach to counseling is similar to understanding how a car engine works. Each part of the engine affects, and is affected by, other parts of the engine. If one part breaks, it doesn’t take long for other parts to be affected. Similarly, when one individual