Let's dispel a common misconception about agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is not a fear of the outdoors. Many people mistakenly believe this myth, due to the word's Latin roots. Because agoraphobia can be broken down into the roots agora ("marketplace") and phobia ("fear...
The Power of Being Selfish: Selfishness as a Key to Mental Health
I'm about to tell you something that your mother might not approve of...so for those of you sensitive souls out there, you might want to click on something less controversial. Here it is: It's okay (and sometimes even essential!) to be a little bit selfish....
School Refusal & Parental Stigma: Am I a Bad Parent?
Like any other behavior, school refusal does not have a singular cause. This is pretty self-evident, but in the heat of the moment when your child is having a tantrum, this fact is quickly forgotten. It is simply too easy to conclude that you have raised a "bad...
School Refusal Causes (Social & Anxiety-Related Factors)
With the summer quickly fading to black and the academic year looming largely, we will soon be entering the season of school refusal. When I use the term "school refusal," I'm not talking about that once-in-a-blue-moon occasion when a child forgets about an important...
Test Anxiety Treatment & Diagnostic Considerations
When considering treatment for test-taking anxiety, make sure that you have a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. Not all cases of test anxiety are alike, and sometimes symptoms of test anxiety actually reflect a...
Test Anxiety & Test-taking Anxiety Myths
Although most of us (at one point or another) have experienced significant fear, uncertainty, or dread about an upcoming examination or evaluation, oftentimes these milestones pass without incident. We get scared, our hearts race, and we ultimately live to fight...