BEHAVIORS - MyHope

What is Forgiveness?

What is forgiveness? What does it mean to forgive someone, or yourself? Most psychologists would define forgiveness as a conscious choice to let go of your feelings of resentment, anger, or need for revenge toward a person(s) who has harmed you in some way. The key issue, however, is that this is a choice you […]

Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback method whose goal is to help train you to manage your own brain functions. The goal is to provide you with tools you can use to help your brain stay calm and focused, an especially helpful outcome for children, teens, and adults diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Usually performed in a […]

Autism: Living With It

Living With Autism Spectrum Disorder After your child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you may feel unprepared or unable to provide your child with the necessary care and education. Know that there are many treatment options, social services and programs, and other resources that can help. Some tips that can help you and […]

Autism: Signs & Symptoms

Signs & Symptoms Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) vary from one child to the next, but in general, they fall into two areas: Social impairment, including difficulties with social communication Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Children with ASD do not follow typical patterns when developing social and communication skills. Parents are usually the first to […]

Autism

Definition Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. Alternative Names Pervasive developmental disorder – autism; Autistic spectrum disorder Causes, incidence, and risk factors Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. […]

Autism: Treatments

Treatments While there’s no proven cure yet for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), treating ASD early, using school-based programs, and getting proper medical care can greatly reduce ASD symptoms and increase your child’s ability to grow and learn new skills. Early intervention Research has shown that intensive behavioral therapy during the toddler or preschool years can […]

The Four Steps of Taking in the Good: HEAL Yourself

The Four Steps of Taking in the Good: HEAL Yourself In his insightful, practical book Hardwiring Happiness, well-known psychologist and author Rick Hanson, PhD, makes the point that even though our brains are “hardwired” to give more weight to negative rather than positive experiences and emotions, you can learn to retrain your brain to switch […]

Awakening From the Trance of Unworthiness

During high school, I consciously struggled with not liking myself, yet it was during college that I became distressed by the intensity of my self-aversion. On a weekend outing, a roommate described her inner process as “becoming her own best friend,” and I broke down sobbing, overwhelmed at the degree to which I was unfriendly […]

Autism – The Basics

Every child has a unique personality. Some are outgoing, while others are shy. But there are certain kids who have trouble dealing with things that most children take in stride. They may not make eye contact or have conversations. They may not like to be touched or to hear loud sounds. If you have […]

Courage

Courage By Michael H. LeBlond, PhD, MBA Licensed Psychologist How often have you heard “just feel the fear and do it anyway.” This actually is not far from the definition of courage. What courage is not is the absence of fear. When most people think of courage they think of it in one […]

Should Parents Worry? Video Games and Their Impact on Children

When I started my practice almost thirty years ago, Sesame Street and the benign Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood captured our children’s attention. Disney movies proliferated throughout the video market and they followed a similar fairy tale pattern in which a hero or heroine is pursued by a villain but triumphs in the end. Children learned which […]

Embracing Vulnerability

Most of us have spent a good part of our lives trying to avoid feeling vulnerable. But learning to instead embrace that feeling can actually bring us closer to experiences that add purpose and meaning to our lives, according to Brené Brown, PhD. Brown, author of Daring Greatly, writes that vulnerability is uncertainty, risk and […]