Dr. Dimitra Robokos Psychological Services PLLC

04/28/2026

The Roots of Kindness: How Prosocial Behavior Develops in Children: By Madeline Gottlob, B.A.

Prosocial behaviors are defined as “voluntary acts intended to benefit others” (Hammond, 2026).

These range from small, everyday moments of sharing, caring, and helping, to larger charitable and philanthropic efforts. While large-scale prosocial behaviors are more common in adolescence and adulthood, the foundations of prosocial development are laid remarkably early in life.

The Toddler Years: Learning Through Care
Prosocial behavior has both biological and socio-cultural roots. From birth, babies begin learning which behaviors are helpful and beneficial to others by being adequately cared for themselves. For instance, when a mother feeds her baby a bottle, the baby will eventually begin holding the bottle on their own, arguably because they understand that doing so is helpful to their caregiver.

As dexterity improves, toddlers may begin to grab hard-to-reach objects for their parents or point to items that have fallen. At this stage, prosocial behavior is primarily sympathy-based. This means that they help based on compassion and concern for their caregivers, rather than self-serving motives. Read more: https://therapyassociates.nyc/blog/the-roots-of-kindness-how-prosocial-behavior-develops-in-children

04/21/2026

How Attachment Styles Impact Early Friendships: In the mid-20th century, psychologist John Bowlby developed attachment theory, a line of work that has garnered widespread acceptance across academic, social, behavioral, and occupational fields.

His research examined how early caregiver relationships influence behavior and development, finding that varying relational experiences between child and parent produce varying impacts on future psychosocial outcomes. These impacts manifest in the ways individuals interact with others and form relationships throughout their lives. While attachment styles are commonly understood to shape adult romantic relationships, their effects are visible even in early childhood friendships. Read more:
https://childtherapysupport.com/blog/how-attachment-styles-impact-early-friendships

04/10/2026

Academic Stress in Students: Signs, Causes, and How to Help: Today's students face an increasingly demanding academic and extracurricular landscape.

What Causes Academic Stress?
Competition for admission to selective schools and colleges is fierce, pressure to enroll in advanced courses is mounting, and students are expected to maintain packed activity schedules. On top of this, social media and digital communication have amplified peer comparison in ways previous generations never experienced. As a result, academic stress has become widespread across nearly every age group.

At low, temporary levels, stress can actually support learning and performance. It serves as a motivator, prompting students to work efficiently when it matters most, perhaps before a big test, a key presentation, or an important game. Once the event passes, this kind of stress naturally dissolves. Chronic academic stress, however, is entirely different. It is persistent, pervasive, and can disrupt a student's daily functioning and long-term relationship with school. Read more:
https://childtherapysupport.com/blog/academic-stress-in-students-signs-causes-and-how-to-help

03/23/2026

Understanding Executive Functioning and Motivation:

Why do some children struggle to start tasks, manage their time, or follow through even when they want to? The answer often lies in executive functioning.

Executive functioning (EF) and motivation are tightly linked. EF skills are essential in everyday life, shaping an individual's ability to be an effective student, parent, teacher, or professional. When these skills are disrupted, the motivation to engage in productive, goal-directed behavior often suffers alongside them. Read more: https://childtherapysupport.com/blog/understanding-executive-functioning-and-motivation

02/25/2026

Understanding and Supporting Highly Sensitive Children
By Madeline Gottlob, B.A.

Understanding and Supporting Highly Sensitive Children
Approximately 15–20% of children have complex emotional and behavioral traits that identify them as Highly Sensitive Children (HSC). From an evolutionary perspective, these children possess increased nervous system reactivity and heightened "fight or flight" responses.

This means they perceive incoming stimuli and react to potential threats with greater sensitivity and intensity—sensing and responding to danger faster than their peers.

While this heightened sensitivity can make HSC more prone to anxiety, stress, and emotional dysregulation, these children also possess exceptional empathetic, creative, insightful, and passionate qualities that make them truly remarkable.

HSC are neurologically wired to experience the world more deeply. These children are often misunderstood as being overdramatic, problematic, or fussy when, in reality, their inner worlds and feelings are simply more intense than they know how to manage. Some HSC are more demanding, active, and impassioned, while others can be turned inward and extremely obedient.: Read more https://therapyassociates.nyc/blog/understanding-and-supporting-highly-sensitive-children

02/12/2026

Sleep Hygiene for Children
By Madeline Gottlob, B.A. : Quality sleep is essential at all ages, but it plays a particularly critical role in children's development. Adequate sleep supports school performance, extracurricular participation, immune function, stress reduction, and the consolidation of newly learned information.

How Much Sleep Do Children Need?
Sleep requirements vary by age. Here are the recommended hours per night:

Ages 3-5: 10 to 13 hours
Ages 6-13: 9 to 11 hours
Teenagers: 8 to 10 hours

While falling short of these recommendations is certainly problematic, it's worth noting that excessive sleep can also have unfavorable outcomes. The goal is to help your child achieve sleep that is both adequate and high-quality.

Many children and parents struggle with maintaining healthy sleep patterns. Fortunately, there are evidence-based strategies that can help regulate sleep-wake cycles and improve overall sleep quality. Read more: https://therapyassociates.nyc/blog/sleep-hygiene-for-children

01/16/2026

Neuropsychological Evaluations for Children, Teens & Young Adults: When a person struggles in school or experiences behavioral challenges, parents and educators often seek answers.

Why does homework take twice as long as it should? Why does a bright child have trouble making friends? Why do some subjects come easily while others seem impossible? A neuropsychological evaluation can provide the clarity individuals and families need to understand these challenges and chart a path forward.

Neuropsychological evaluations are comprehensive assessments that reveal the relationship between brain function, cognitive abilities, and daily behaviors. Rather than individuals and their families feeling confused by unexplained difficulties, these evaluations identify specific strengths and challenges, often validating their experiences, restoring confidence, and enabling targeted interventions and support. Read more:

https://childtherapysupport.com/blog/neuropsychological-evaluations-for-children-teens-young-adults

01/14/2026

https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-success-failure-9d96981fbe07429ba8508a006b732b15

Olympians can teach us to redefine what it means to be successful. They face daily setbacks and have to learn to deal with coming up short.

01/05/2026

The way we parent plays an important role in our children's emotional development, decision-making abilities, and capacity for healthy relationships.

While no parent is perfect and every child is unique, understanding the four main parenting styles can help you make intentional choices that foster growth and positive parent-child bonds. Overall, research consistently shows that authoritative parenting creates the strongest foundation for children to thrive. Read more: https://childtherapysupport.com/blog/understanding-parenting-styles-a-guide-to-raising-confident-well-adjusted-children

12/20/2025

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/the-positives-of-social-media-for-teens-and-how-parents-can-guide-safe-use

It’s easy to think of social media as the villain in every teen’s story, but it doesn’t have to be. Focusing only on the negatives overlooks an important reality: social media can help teens connect, create, and discover who they are — especially when guided to use it thoughtfully and safely...

12/20/2025

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/were_missing_the_good_news_about_youth_mental_health

There is a lot of positive news about young people's well-being that is not receiving much attention.