While it might seem silly to some, it is well documented that sunlight is a large influencer on the mental health of people young and old alike. The common term for when you start to feel blue when hours of sunlight begin to drop in the winter months is Seasonal Affective Disorder. Studies have...
As fall leaves begin to change colour and the seasons begin to change in drastic ways, we can all expect the cold to kick in, the amount of sunlight to reduce, and our moods to shift as a result. This is particularly the case as folks begin to slow down in terms of their activity...
Back-to-school is often a very exciting time for students – a time when they can see their friends again, show off their new wardrobe, and take the new classes that they have been looking forward to since the summer. But school can also be a time when a young person’s depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder...
Teenage Self-Harming Seeing evidence of your child self-harming, or hurting themselves with intention, can be a terrifying experience for a parent. In addition to the fear, you may be unsure of what to do or say, and want desperately to stop the behaviour. This is a common experience for many parents, as the instances of self-harm...
“Feeling blue” or feeling “down in the dumps” is a normal part of being a teenager. There are many moments in one’s adolescence when they experience upsets or moments of sadness. Experts remind us that adolescence can be a very unsettling time and teens can be faced with an array of physical, emotional, psychological and...
In its latest revision to an international disease classification manual the World Health Organization announced “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition included in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases. Dr. Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a spokesperson for behavioural addictions at Britain’s Royal College of Psychiatrists said,”We come across parents who are distraught,...
Why all the fuss about fidget spinners? This year’s summer fad, in Ottawa and around the world, isn’t an exotic toy or a video game. It’s a little, metal device that spins. That’s right. It spins. How much entertainment could spinning really provide, in this age of virtual reality mainstreaming and endless...
Summer is here in Ottawa, and soon our high-schooler’s will be out of school! Summer vacation is a yearly occasion parents see as an opportunity to grow and strengthen their relationships with their children. Parents cook up a variety of ideas, some of which succeed and many of which fail. Learn from these experiences with Ottawa Youth Counselling to ensure...
In 2017, parents need to teach their children how to responsibly use the internet. Problematically, many parents don’t even have the skills they need to be teaching their children! If you find yourself struggling to teach your child how to responsibly use social media, online gaming, or the internet in general, Ottawa Youth Counselling can help....
The adolescent mind is a chaotic one. Not only is the brain going through a critical period of growth and transformation, but during this period is forced to learn new forms of thinking; and how to cope with new types of feelings. As adults, we have passed through the gauntlet of adolescence. Our brains have developed, and often...
