Grief and Children's response

There are many great resources that address grief, its processes and individualized responses to death or loss. The guru on this topic is Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who has written many books including "On death and dying" and "On grief and grieving". Both are excellent reads.

The following website is one that I found when seeking to assist children within my practice.

http://www.griefworksbc.com/HelpingChildren.asp

Learning Disabilities

There are many good online resources which may be helpful for practitioners and parents with regard to Learning Disabilities. The following is one of many good sites for such info. I will be sure to add more for those who are interested, as i find them.

Happy surfing!

http://www.ldass.org/index.html

ADHD information

The following is the website of an organization in Simcoe County that can provide info related to ADHD and has parent support groups. Families have shared that they have found this network helpful.


http://adhdnetwork.org/

Parental Separation and Divorce

Parental separation or divorce clearly impacts the children in the family. Depending on their stage of development at the time of the separation/divorce, they may react in a variety of ways. The following website has useful information about a child's process through separation. One may consider that the behaviour and mood of a child may be "normal" based on the situation and therefore should not be considered "clinical" unless a severe escalation of behaviour or mood occurs and is long standing. Should that be the case, it is advisable to consult with your family physician or other medical specialists.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/mh-sm/divorce/toc_e.html

Asperger's Disorder - Autism Spectrum Disorder

The following is an excellent link for parents or adults coping with a child who struggles with Asperger's Disorder. It was recommended to me by a well respected child psychiatrist out of Toronto. The site is affiliated with Sick Kids. The document is about 100 pages, but is very readable and full of great information.

http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/shared/pdfs/autism.pdf

Bipolar Disorder

I recently viewed this video with a teen whose parent and sibling struggle with Bipolar Disorder. She found it helpful. It is one of a six part series that can be found at www.youtube.com with a title "Bipolar Disorder: It is a brain thing". Perhaps others will be interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfiYvSFhvM4

The intent of this blog

Welcome guests! The intent of my blog is to provide a place to post information related to children, families, mental health concerns and aspects of life that impact these. I often find great information that would be nice to share with others. I'm hoping that this will be a good way of sharing some of the interesting readings, videos, or links that i find. Nothing on this blog should be taken as advice on its own, however as readers/bloggers you should consult with your family doctor or mental health practitioner if an issue seems relevent to you.

The video I spoke of...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvFNt8lOvHM

Please find the video I posted about at this url.

Supporting Children Worldwide

A good friend of mine, who suffers with a very rare, chronic, painful disorder. As a result, he has chosen not to have children. Instead he is running, swimming, and biking as many continents as possible to raise money for children internationally. I will be posting a short interview (courtesy of youtube.com) that he took part in recently near his hometown Nelson, B.C. to describe his goal. Look for this video and see Steve Archdeacon in action for kids!

Counselling services for children and adults

Harrison & Lambert



Nestled on a quiet street next to the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, a quaint, red-brick home provides a safe haven for people of all ages seeking qualified counselling and therapy services. Harrison & Lambert, whose motto is Healthy Families Build Healthy Futures, recently landed on the local social work scene specializing in private, confidential practice for individuals and families.

The two people behind the new name and new business are Sarah Harrison-Cragg and Meaghan Lambert, two thirty-something professionals who have formed a creative partnership dedicated to the emotional well-being of the people they serve: children/adolescents, adults and families.

“We are here to assist people in their desires to work through life and family issues and to meet their true potential,” explains Ms. Harrison-Cragg, who has a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and has worked with children and adults in a variety of settings including mental health, child welfare, the education system, the justice system, adult residential settings and shelters. Ms. Lambert holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and she has worked with children and adults in mental health, addictions, residential treatment homes, the justice system, HIV/AIDS, shelters, and child welfare. Both therapists are registered social workers with the Ontario College of Social Workers. Combined, they share almost 20 years of experience in the social work field, a profession helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Registered Social Workers (RSWs) specialize in resolving interpersonal relationship problems.

Statistics Canada estimates that more than 2.6 million people in Canada have a mental illness. Depression affects up to 3,000,000 Canadians. Of those, only 25% are diagnosed and 6% are properly treated. Respondents to a recent Ipsos-Reid and Warren Shepell survey identified that the top two contributors to absenteeism and/or health costs in the workplace are depression/anxiety/other mental health disorder (66%) and stress (60%). A 2001 Health Canada report described mental health as a $14 billion health issue in Canada before including the cost of absence from work, long-term disability plans, or untreated illness.

The broad spectrum of counselling offered by Harrison & Lambert encompasses individual therapy for behavioural and emotional disturbances (sadness, personal loss, stress, anxiety, depressed state); marital and family therapy; play and art therapy for working through children’s struggles; assisting adolescents coping with mental health issues; coping with loss through separation, bereavement, life-cycle changes, adoption, and infertility; dealing with alcohol, drug and other substance abuse; and assisting parents with alternative parenting strategies.

The main purposes of therapy are to ease the problems that brought people to treatment; to help them to function better with others; to cope with stress; and to enhance personal growth (confidence, self-esteem, enjoyment).
Harrison & Lambert is centrally-located at 78 Moberly Street in Collingwood. Their offices provide a private, nurturing and soothing environment for counselling services, whether it’s for individual, or family/group appointments.
Soft-spoken, down-to-earth and personable, Ms. Harrison-Cragg has worked continuously with children and adults in a variety of settings, including children’s mental health, during the past decade. Ms. Lambert has also worked with children and adults, including mental health and addictions. “We are solutions-focused,” says Ms. Harrison-Cragg. “We build upon a person’s strengths.”
“As therapists, we are known for our honesty, warmth and sensitivity which we top off with our enduring spirit of humour,” explains Ms. Harrison-Cragg. “Our clients have expressed that they find this combination extraordinarily effective.” For further information, contact Harrison & Lambert at (705) 441-5504, email harrisonlambert@yahoo.ca .


So, who needs therapy?

- people who value their emotional well-being
- people who want to live life to the fullest
- people who want to learn alternative ways to solve problems
- people who want to learn more about themselves
- people who realize that it is okay to look for help in dealing with issues that are too difficult to deal with on their own
- people just like you!