Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, kids can become overwhelmed, reactive, and dysregulated. Despite all the fun activities and people to see, the holidays can be just as chaotic for kids as for adults. Knowing when your child has “had enough” is more important than keeping up with the Clauses. Choose joy...
Building a stronger bond during the challenging teenage years can lead to more meaningful connections during these critical years and into adulthood. Is talking with your teen more like a debate class than an actual conversation? Communication can become challenging, if not uncomfortable, with our children during their teens. Many parents and teens feel frustrated...
How to combat the mental health crisis among teens is a topic the occupational therapists and mental health professionals at Zier Institute and Amy Zier + Associates have discussed for years. Fast forward to COVID-19 and “post” pandemic lives, there is a heightened demand for mental health services for teens and young adults. A quick...
We recently interviewed AZ+A’s mental health professional, Eliana Sigel-Epstein to learn more about psychotherapy, play, parent therapy and how she works with families. We learned she’s a wealth of knowledge and so much more! What core theories/values guide your kids and families? In many ways, I approach my work with children with the same underlying...
The benefits of receiving psychotherapy at an occupational therapy clinic are innumerable. Child psychotherapy at AZ+A, in particular, provides a unique experience with many benefits. First of all, AZ+A is a place designed specifically for kids to play. In fact, we often refer to it as the “playhouse.” The kids who come to AZ+A feel...
Scaffolding parenting includes three pillars: support, structure, and encouragement. In scaffold parenting lies the metaphor that the child is a “building,” and the parents are the scaffold around it. Your support, structure, and encouragement guide the child as they rise and grow. The scaffolding parenting strategy provides a framework of safety for which kids to...
Picky eaters and normal eaters each deserve the experience of happy mealtimes. Helping families have joyful and responsive mealtimes with kids who are picky (or normal!) eaters is an integral part of Feeding Therapy at Amy Zier + Associates. Call or click to discover how AZ+A can help! Our team of occupational therapists and our resident...
Childhood Anxiety has Many Disguises Childhood anxiety often masks itself within other emotions. Especially during times of stress or tension, such as homeschooling/online school, COVID quarantines, and the holidays. Let’s discuss. 1. Negativity Anxiety does not make people negative, rather people with anxiety tend to experience negative thoughts at a much greater intensity than positive...
Pandemic Parenting Pandemic parenting is resulting in parental burnout at alarming rates. Balancing the safety of your family, working from home/office/hiding in the car and hybrid/remote/virtual schooling solutions is difficult for the world’s best multitaskers. Putting added pressure on yourself to handle it all flawlessly is unsustainable. If ever there was a time to go...
