When a family comes to me presenting with this problem, I ask: what is this behaviour trying to communicate? All behaviour is a form of communication, so we have to decipher what the behaviour is telling us. What has occurred to cause this maladaptive behaviour and how can it be changed? But, as I said last…

Boundaries help children to understand the world, when they are communicated clearly and are not oppressive, writes Richard Hogan. Then, they make children feel safe and secure. However, there is another boundary to consider, one that promotes a healthy relationship between the parents as they endeavour to meet the demands on the modern family. The boundary I’m…

You’ve told your children there is going to be ramifications for the behaviour they displayed in public and now you’re home and it’s time to implement those promises but as I said, you’re tired, even exhausted and you do nothing. Instead, your child is in front of you demanding a chocolate biscuit, you know there is…

ONE of the most striking aspects I’ve noticed about working with teenagers in schools over the last 18 years is the sheer level of determination and commitment to self-improvement. When I was growing up as a teenager in the ’90s I never heard of abs or obliques. I never had a conversation about macros and micros.…

In last weeks article I discussed how The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently classified online gaming as a new mental health condition. For all of us working in the mental health profession, especially with teenagers, this came as little surprise, because parents have been accessing services for many years now seeking advice for their children…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently recognised a new kind of mental health condition. For many parents and psychotherapists alike it will be a familiar aliment, one that has been present in the family and clinic for many years now. It is a disorder that psychotherapists have had difficulty finding language for, because up until June…