Competitive athletes are trained to push—physically, mentally, and emotionally. You’re expected to perform under pressure, recover quickly, and stay mentally “strong,” typically while carrying other workloads, such as academics, or upcoming life transitions like next steps after high school. What doesn’t get talked about enough is how past experiences—missed routines, injuries, coaching moments, or pressure-filled […]
Insight From a NJ Teen Therapist As a parent of a teen athlete, you know how much their sport means to them. It’s more than a physical activity—it’s a source of identity, social connection, confidence, and purpose. So when an injury happens, it doesn’t just affect their body. It can deeply impact their emotional wellbeing, […]
Performance anxiety is something so many of us have faced across multiple platforms in life. Whether you’re a dancer trying to perfect that final pirouette, or a gymnast struggling with a mental block on the beam, the feeling can be overwhelming. It can show up in different ways, such as: The constant overthinking during a […]
What is EMDR Therapy? Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a well-researched technique for therapy. EMDR can help individuals feeling “stuck” to move forward through reprocessing distressing memories. Including memories experienced after a traumatic event. EMDR is effective at helping adults, teens, and children. It uses bilateral stimulation of both the left and right […]
If you’ve experienced a distressing or traumatic experience with horses, you know how difficult it can be to mentally and emotionally heal. I discuss this more in my blogs on Equestrian Trauma. I have also written about how equestrians can find healing following an injury. If connecting with like-minded others and practicing work on your […]
Living with food allergies is a daily balancing act. It includes a lot of vigilance and anxiety. It’s a life filled with label-reading, meticulous meal planning, and emergency preparation. The fear of a severe allergic reaction can be constant. Indeed, it can shadow every meal, snack, and social event. Advocating for you or your child’s […]
As a parent, it is natural to feel a heightened sense of concern when your child is having problems. You want to be in the best position to make the right decision for your child, so you may be researching safe and effective treatments. Especially, when it comes to your child. You may have been […]
In the past two blogs, we have discussed the many ways EMDR can help individuals overcome trauma and PTSD. EMDR is a very well-researched form of trauma therapy that helps individuals who feel “stuck” move forward from trauma. It can be used in a variety of clinical settings by clients of all ages. However, it […]
Last month, we discussed a valuable therapeutic tool used at our Scotch Plains, NJ counseling clinic, EMDR. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and it can be used to help clients of all ages, even children! In fact, EMDR is especially great for children because it requires less talking and is a relatively quick therapeutic […]
You’ve tried various therapists who use different therapeutic techniques, but you haven’t found them to be very successful. You’re still suffering. Perhaps, you’ve heard about Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, or EMDR, before and you’re thinking about trying it. But, you want to gather some information first. Today, I want to give you some information about […]