Amare News

Emotional Meltdowns as Opportunities

Emotional Meltdowns as Opportunities

Managing emotional meltdowns (aka temper tantrums for younger children) has been the most frequently requested topic in my 20 years providing family therapy and workshops for parents and childhood professionals. Similarly, most pediatricians cover the topic of temper tantrums at the 2-year wellness check-ups.  To aid these conversations, the American Academy of Pediatrics created the…

Mending

Mending

Twenty years of working as a therapist and mental health consultant/trainer have taught me that wellness is a sequence of hardships and reparations.  “A good life” is not full of joy and fortune; though we wish it would be, and the mass media leads us to believe so.  Instead, any given person’s life is a…

Spring 2022 Webinars: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood

Spring 2022 Webinars: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood

Dr. Diana Bermudez will teach a 4-Part webinar series on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood, hosted by The Source for Learning.  These webinars will be recorded and available to view in English and Spanish in the Fall of 2022. Webinars Schedule Be the Change you Want to See: Are you Ready to Advance…

Lessons on Falling: 2020

Lessons on Falling: 2020

When my son was 2 years old, he loved letting himself fall forward on a mattress, over and over as he beamed with excitement. His entire body safely bounced up and down. He perfected his technique over the years, and then started teaching it to me.  I took these “Lessons on Falling” as a challenge to…

Wishing You Serenity

Wishing You Serenity

Upon 20 years as a psychotherapist and 45 years on the planet, I continue finding strength in the Serenity Prayer by Karl Neigbuhr (scroll down). In the past year, significant personal losses brought the value of this prayer to the forefront of my daily coping. I created the following adaptation that I’d like to share,…

The Most Valuable Gift for Children’s Mental Health

The Most Valuable Gift for Children’s Mental Health

In celebration of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day (May 10), I advocate for the most valuable gift we can give to our children…mindful parents and caregivers!!! Mindfulness does not require meditating regularly (though it is helpful). Mindfulness is a way of being, rather than doing. Being a mindful parent/caretaker means being fully present in the moment,…

Build a Fort For Resilience

Build a Fort For Resilience

Having a place for psychological safety is particularly beneficial during times of stress.  Autumn is a season of many transitions that generate anxiety for children: new schools, new classrooms, new teachers, new routines, weather changes, etc.  This is a prime time to proactively support our children emotionally. Here is an idea… Have you wondered why children love…