Parenting and Child Conduct Counseling

Let's talk about kids who seem to say "no" to everything! Maybe they frequently argue or throw tantrums that make you want to pull your hair out. If this sounds familiar, you might be wondering if your child has something called Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). This blog series will help you understand ODD and what you can do about it. Click Here to Review the Introduction: Stubbornness vs. ODD: What's the Difference? It's normal for kids to be stubborn sometimes. They might not want to clean their room, eat their vegetables, or go to bed when you tell them to. But this is usually just a temporary thing. They might get a little frustrated, but they eventually come around. ODD is different. It's when a child's defiance and arguments become a struggle almost every day for at least six months. ODD behaviors may disrupt one or more of these settings; your home, school, and peer relationships. Your child might argue constantly, even over small things. They

  Remember Part 1? We discussed the reasons behind your child's constant defiance, like brain chemistry, genes, and even stuff happening around them at home or school. Now, in Part 2, let's move past understanding why they act out and get to the real solutions – how to help them behave better! Click Here to review Part 1: Helping Your Child Behave Better: A Guide to ODD Treatment Does your child argue, get mad quickly, and frequently appear in a bad mood? They might have Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). It's a common problem for kids, but the good news is there are ways to help them act better. Think of it like a Team Effort. In many cases, the best way to tackle ODD is to work together with multiple mental health professionals. A combination of different treatments can be beneficial and sometimes crucial when your child also suffers from depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other disorders or problems. Core Treatments Parent Boot Camp (PMT):  This unique program teaches pare

Where We've Been and Where We're Going In Parts 1 and 2, we embarked on a journey to understand Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). We explored the factors contributing to ODD and the hope offered by Parent Management Training (PMT), supplemented with other therapies. Parents of children with ODD know the frustration and strain that managing disruptive behavior can create in the parent-child relationship. But here's the good news: more than 80% of children with ODD experience significant improvement when parents consistently practice effective parenting skills, which can translate to a lasting shift in communicating and connecting with your child. The Importance of Relationship Building Part 3 takes us from understanding to action. We'll delve into practical strategies and resources to rebuild the bridge between parents and children with ODD. This journey is for both of you. Whether you're a parent seeking to reconnect or a child yearning for a stronger bond with y

Imagine a bunch of curious kids around five years old. Bandura et al., 1961 wanted to see how these kids learn by watching grown-ups. So, he split them into different groups: Group 1: The Whacky Watchers:  These kids saw an adult hitting, kicking, and yelling at a big inflatable clown doll – not a pleasant sight! Group 2: The Calming Crew:  These kids watched an adult play with the doll nicely; no mean stuff was involved. Group 3: The No-Show Group:  This group didn't see anyone play with the doll. Here's the cool part: After watching, all the kids got to play in a room with toys, including that same big doll. Guess what? The kids who saw the grown-up acting aggressively were likelier to whack, kick, and yell at the doll themselves. They were copying what they saw! The other groups? Not so much. The kids who saw the grown-up being nice to the doll didn't act mean, and those who didn't see any playing didn't know wha

St. Charles Award Program ST. CHARLES, April 3, 2024 -- The St. Charles Award Program has selected Parenting and Child Conduct Counseling for the 2024 Best of St. Charles Award in the Counseling & Mental Health category. Each year, the St. Charles Award Program identifies companies we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These local companies enhance small businesses' positive image through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the St. Charles area a great place to live, work and play. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2024 St. Charles Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the St. Charles Award Program and data provided by third parties. About St. Charles Award Program The St. Charles Award Program is an annual aw

Welcome to Telementalhealth Hey there! I’m Andy, a therapist who specializes in training parents to better manage and change their children’s Disruptive Behavior Problems (Engelbrektsson et al., 2023a; Engelbrektsson et al., 2023b; Engelbrektsson et al., 2023c) , reduce Anxiety ( Lebowitz, 2020;  SPACE , n.d.) , and D epression (Eckshtain et al., 2015) . Behavioral Parent Training research into the effectiveness of  treating  ADHD has found  promising yet inconclusive positive results   ( 12 Behavioral Programs for Managing ADHD , 2018; Ciesielski et al., 2019; Hornstra et al., 2023) . My approach to child therapy, Parent Training, focuses on empowering parents to provide a home environment that enhances and treats their child’s recovery from behavioral, emotional, and social problems. And guess what? I offer counseling services exclusively through Telementalhealth or Live Online, as I call it. Why Telementalhealth? Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve shifted my private pra