I have been completing neuropsychological (and psychoeducational) assessments for many years, and COVID-19 has certainly turned the assessment world on its head. I have been viewing webinars, following discussions on list serves, and speaking with my colleagues, and at this time, I feel there is no way to do an effective, high-quality virtual assessment with …
Category: Adolescents
Law Society of Upper Canada
I had the pleasure of giving a talk entitled ‘Youth Mental Health: A Caregiver’s Guide’ yesterday at the Law Society of Upper Canada here in Toronto, ON, Canada. It was a wonderful group of people who had great questions, and it was amazing to speak about statistics in youth mental health, and some things that …
Test Anxiety
The end of the school year is upon us, and brings with it the mad rush to complete summative assignments and prepare for final exams. Writing exams can increase anxiety, and can be especially challenging for individuals with performance anxiety. Some adolescents may find listening to a relaxation exercise helpful. This one is geared specifically …
Sports-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents
With going back to school, the start of football, volleyball, basketball and hockey season are upon us. School and local teams are gearing up and the first games of the season have started. This may be the perfect time to review concussion symptoms and management. Please note, I am not a physician. You should always …
Transitioning Back to School
It is that time of year again – school is about to start. Summer has gone by, and the kids may not want it to end. Often, the thought of heading back to school can heighten anxiety, both in children and parents. Getting the new school year off to a good start can be important …
Relaxation on the Internet
There are a number of ways to help you relax and reduce feelings of tension or stress in your body. When engaging in therapy for mental health issues, practicing relaxation and learning to control feelings of tension or stress in your mind and body are often important steps to master. Some people may find doing …
Hot Topic: Bullying
Bullying has been in the news a lot in the past few years, and books, articles and movies have tried to help us better understand what happens when kids bully or are the victims of bullying. There has also been a lot of material developed for parents, teachers and other adults to help stop bullying. …
How to Maintain and Improve Our Brains
There are a number of websites and programs on the market today that advertise brain exercises and ways to stay ‘cognitively healthy’. However, there are also a number of simple ways to stay healthy and keep your brain functioning at it’s best. SharpBrains.com is a web resource co-founded by Alvaro Fernandez, a market and innovation …
Teen Mental Health
Mental health is an area that is easily neglected, and feelings of burn out in jobs and family life are all too common in today’s world. Learning to take care of yourself and monitor your mental health is something that can start at an early age. IWK Health Centre and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova …
Understanding the Teenage Brain
As our children enter the ‘teen’ stage of their lives, they are expected to become more independent in their thinking, both in school and in their daily lives. This independent, higher level thinking is thought to involve a set of skills sometimes known as ‘executive skills’ or ‘executive function’. Executive skills are those higher-level reasoning, …