Emotions - MyHope

Can You Learn to Be Kind to Yourself?

Do you ever feel like your sense of self-worth goes up and down like a ping-pong ball, depending on whether you’re feeling successful or more like a failure? Do you sometimes tell yourself “nobody’s perfect,” but you don’t really believe it? You might benefit from developing what is called “self-compassion.” It’s learning to be kind […]

Setting – and Achieving – Goals

You may have heard the old saying, “Nothing succeeds like success.” While true, it can be frustrating. How do you get your first big win anyway? According to Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, research shows there are a broad range of things you can do and attitudes […]

Eliminating Life Clutter

Your closet may be a mess, but what does your life look like? It may be time to shed your objects and obligations with an eye toward something greater than just throwing things out. You can learn to simplify your space and your life, focusing on what you need to move forward. That’s the theme […]

Stages of Grieving

The stages of grieving – first described by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her landmark book, On Death and Dying (1969) – include five specific stages through which we pass in order to deal with a severe loss. That loss may be of a friend, loved one (human or animal), or even a job that has […]

Creating Meaning

Say you are in your 20s or 30s or 40s, and feeling depressed and hopeless. Perhaps you feel your situation is so bleak and hopeless that you are considering suicide. Now imagine yourself in your 80s. Looking back, how would your 80-year-old self tell your life story? Perhaps you have a pet that you rescued […]

Grief Counseling

Grief counseling, talking with a therapist or grief-counseling specialist about your feelings of extreme loss and sadness, can be very helpful if you feel overwhelmed by your grief and unable to move forward in your life. That grief may be from the loss of your parent, partner, spouse, child, miscarried pregnancy, friend, or even a […]

Steps for Overcoming Low Self-Esteem

Today I went to the nearby grocery store and passed by the section where they have day old bread and dented and damaged goods. It brought to mind how many individuals view themselves as damaged goods. The price mark-down shelves were an additional example of how we can make ourselves feel of lesser value than […]

Stages of Death

Understanding the stages of death can help loved ones and caregivers understand how to best support a dying individual in the most gentle, positive way possible. There will be changes both mental and physical, and it helps to be able to recognize those changes and prepare for them. Naturally, the stages of death will vary […]

Temperament in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Temperament refers to a child’s behavioral style, or tendency to act in a certain way in a specific situation. Researchers define dimensions of temperament in many different ways, but most writers discuss emotionality (i.e., how intense is the child’s emotional reaction), adaptability (i.e., how well does the child adjust his/her behavior to changes in the […]

Autism Spectrum Disorders – Lecture for Physician Assistants

Autism Spectrum Disorders A Lecture for Physician Assistants (August 2013)Presented by: Susan Hepburn, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Depts. Of Psychiatry & Pediatrics/JFK PartnersUniversity of Colorado School of Medicine. e-mail: Susan.hepburn@ucdenver.edu Objectives: To provide future health care professionals with a succinct overview of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including signs & symptoms at different ages and basic facts […]

Working with Parents – Major Points

Parents and teachers play different roles in the child’s life and development. Both sets of roles are important. Parents and teachers often have very different perspectives regarding the child, the disability, and the treatment. Both sets of perspectives are valid. Parents have valuable information about their child that is critical for establishing and implementing appropriate […]

Go Ahead and Ask: Going to the Grocery Store

Question: It is impossible to take my 5-year old to the grocery store. A trip to Walmart is an absolute nightmare. What can I do so that I can get my shopping done without my kid losing it? Signed,Chaotic in the Checkout Line Dear Chaotic, This is a very common problem, one that we hear […]