Louis Zietsman Counselling Psychologist

21/02/2021

This article provides some really good insight into ‘How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers’, and is something I see happening on almost a daily basis when working with adolescents.📱👇

It also provides some useful advice that parents can follow to minimize the risks associated with technology.

Adolescence is an important period of social and intellectual development, and too few of us are paying attention to how our teenagers’ use of technology is affecting them.

10/02/2021

Wellbeing Wednesday🧠🌳 #1 ‘Preparing your child for the first day back at school.’

As schools begin to re-open to more children, parents and children may well be feeling anxious and/or overwhelmed. Here are some ideas of how to best prepare to your child to go back to school during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Be Calm. Your child will take their lead from you and be reassured if you are steady and matter of fact.

• Be Positive. Remind them of all the ways they have learnt to keep themselves safe: washing their hands regularly, sneezing and coughing into their elbow, not hugging other and staying in their own space.

• Be Supportive. Younger children in particular may struggle with separation anxiety and may become tearful, clingy or act out. Reassure them that you will miss them too and think of them through out the day. It might be helpful to draw a little heart on their wrist and one on yours too. You can call it the hug button and when they find they are missing you they can press the heart and know that you will be doing the same at home/work. Sometimes having a little object to remind them of you through the day helps, but please check this out with your school first.

• Be Curious. These are strange times and their imagination may run away with them. Listen and try not to dismiss or minimise their fears but validate how they are feeling (e.g. “It’s completely fine to feel like that at the moment” or “I can really understand why you would feel like that”).

• Be Thankful. Help your child think of things they are looking forward to: being with their friends, seeing their teacher and their favourite activities, but be mindful that some of these may not be available to them.

• Be prepared. Support and remind your child to be aware of the changes that may have happened to their classroom environment since they were there last and rehearse any new routines that their school may have shared. Rehearse and practice your ‘goodbye’ routine and create a ‘hello’ greeting for the end of the day for them to look forward to.

Source: https://www.traumainformedschools.co.uk

07/02/2021

Got my new private practice signage up earlier this week.☝️So happy with how it turned out.