Children's Mental Health

Our 12-year-old son has a hard time admitting his mistakes and if we try to point things out to him, it can sometimes lead to a meltdown. He has been like this since he was very young. He also struggles with not apologizing when he does do something wrong. Should we be worried about this or is there something we should do?

My son is in the 5th grade and I am really starting to worry about his school performance. Since online learning started, I’ve noticed he repeatedly misinterprets directions and isn’t passing his tests or completing assignments correctly.

We are quick to judge parents, even when we don’t know the backstory. In residential treatment, we work hard to recognize the parent’s effort in trying to find help for their child, no matter how they show up throughout the treatment process.

It is very important for the caregiver to be involved in their child's therapy. As the caregiver you provide the most treatment, your therapist needs your input, and the therapists are here to support you.

The Cornerstone Café serves as a vocational program of Nexus-Onarga Family Healing where youth in residence build real-world skills by applying, interviewing, training and working at the café.

Our 14-year-old son is out of control. He is very aggressive toward family members and we fear for our safety. We have tried family therapy and we have had counselors come to our home and work with him. It helps for a little while and then his aggression returns. We are thinking about having him placed in a residential treatment program. Is this the right decision and how do we go about getting him admitted?

We know more about childhood trauma and its effect on the developing child than we ever have before. The resiliency of the developing brain provides an opportunity for us to intervene and provide healthy, safe, and nurturing experiences that grow the brain and help heal.

I was wondering if you could help me to better understand how early childhood trauma would affect a person’s behavior. Have you seen any correlations of certain forms of trauma and anger in early adolescence?

One out of four children will experience a traumatic event before age sixteen. There are key differences between run-of-the-mill stressful times and a traumatic experience. First, it poses a real or perceived threat to the life or well-being of the child or someone close to them (such as a parent or best friend).  Second, it causes an overwhelming sense of terror, horror, and helplessness. And finally, the body generally reacts to this threat automatically with increased heart rate, shaking, dizziness, and rapid breathing due to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

My 8-year-old son struggles with impulsivity and has little to no friends that initiate contact with him. He can participate and engage with them but there doesn’t seem to be any bond. How can I help him with his impulse control and fostering friendships?