Motivational interviewing is a patient-centered, communication technique that is commonly used by counselors to help motivate clients change behaviors and to help them explore and resolve conflicts. Motivation interviewing is backed by research, showing its effectiveness to increase motivation in individuals who may have been unwilling to change in the first place. Motivational interviewing is…
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If age appropriate, consider showing this clip to your child and having a conversation about active listening! Active listening is defined as: a pattern of listening that keeps you engaged with your conversation partner in a positive way. It is the process of listening attentively while someone else speaks, paraphrasing and reflecting back what is…
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It’s never too early to start planting seeds about body autonomy and consent. Even if your child is too young to hear the word “sex”, the first part of this short video can still lay the groundwork for later conversations. If you have already discussed consent with your child, this video might be a great…
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Did you know that taking a moment of silence in between statements is actually an important skill to mindful communication? Children (and adults) who don’t have the skills to control their impulsive behaviors tend to be more reactive (immediate and without conscious thought) than responsive (longer, thoughtful action) in a stressful situation. So when kids…
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We usually post bite-size tips and tools for busy parents, often with the opportunity to “Deep Dive” (look for the pineapple!) for people who want to learn more. Today, however, we are posting this broadcast from Life Kit for Parents as part of NPR.org. This listen is a little more time-consuming than our normal posts…
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Are you curious to how your child is feeling but he or she struggles with communication? This can be very frustrating to parents and caregivers to not know how their child is feeling during difficult times such as experiencing a loss in the family, stay-at-home orders due to the pandemics, or even bullying situations. That…
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National Prevention Week incorporates daily themes to focus on substance abuse topics and today, we will be talking about preventing illicit drug use and youth marijuana use. Did you know individuals between the ages of 12-25 years who use marijuana could potentially experience opioid misuse, heavy alcohol use, and major depressive episodes (SAMHSA 2019)? As…
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This week is the perfect week to cultivate communication with a teacher because it’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Not only does this help your child keep connection with an important adult in their life, but it also fosters gratitude. We’ve talked about the science of gratitude before: https://okptacultivate.com/2019/11/28/cultivate-knowledge-by-understanding-the-science-of-gratitude/ If you need some ideas for how to…
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Everyone knows that self-care is important and having a self-care routine can reduce our anxiety and restore our energy (physically and mentally). But sometimes, we lack the motivation to practice self-care. So what do we do if once we lose motivation and energy to continue our self-care routines? The answer: positive self-talk. We’ve mentioned before…
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Art has many benefits to our mental health using art in a therapeutic way can help us develop self-awareness and self-confidence. In fact, art therapy is also used to help children develop social skills and achieve their sense of well-being. No matter how creative or experienced you are, there are many art therapy practices which…
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