Postpartum anxiety doesn’t always look the way people expect. For many women, it shows up as constant mental “on-ness,” self-monitoring, difficulty relaxing, or a sense that you can’t fully enjoy the moment — even when things are going well. This post explores the less-talked-about symptoms of postpartum anxiety and when support can help.
Not sure if you have postpartum anxiety or postpartum OCD? Learn the key differences, symptoms, and which treatment actually helps.
Scary intrusive thoughts postpartum are common and treatable. Learn why they happen, when to get help, and how therapy can help you feel like yourself again.
Many children prefer routine and predictability, but for some, flexibility feels genuinely overwhelming. This article explores what rigid thinking looks like in children, why it can be so challenging for families, and how therapy can help kids build flexibility and emotional resilience.
Anxiety is a normal part of childhood, but sometimes it starts to take up more space than it should. In this article, I walk through how to tell the difference between typical childhood worries and anxiety that may benefit from therapy, using real-life examples from my work with children and families.
Back-to-school jitters are common, but they don’t have to take over. In this post, Dr. Yanet Vanegas shares a playful and powerful way to help kids manage anxious thoughts using the metaphor of mail—teaching them to recognize what’s important mail (helpful thoughts) and what’s just junk mail (worries that don’t deserve our attention). Learn how to support your child in sorting through their thoughts and heading into the school year with more confidence and calm.
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an intense emotional reaction to perceived rejection or criticism, and it’s especially common in kids and teens with ADHD. In this post, Dr. Yanet Vanegas explains what RSD looks like, why it happens, and how parents can help their child manage overwhelming emotional reactions. Learn how to support your child with empathy, build resilience, and understand the deeper emotional world behind ADHD.
Helping kids with ADHD stay focused isn’t about getting them to “try harder”—it’s about giving them the kind of support their brains actually need. In this post, I share the three strategies I rely on most in my work with children and teens: breaking tasks into smaller steps, using timers and predictable routines, and incorporating movement to support attention. These tools are simple, research-backed, and make a real difference. My goal is always to help kids feel more capable, not more overwhelmed.
If your teen doesn’t want to go to therapy, you’re not alone. As a child and adolescent psychologist, I’ve worked with many families navigating this exact situation. In this post, I share what might be going on beneath the resistance and offer practical, compassionate ways you can support your teen—without pushing too hard or giving up hope.
If your child eats only five foods, panics at the sight of anything green, and has you questioning how meals got this stressful—you’re not alone. While picky eating is common, sometimes it’s something more. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a real and treatable eating disorder that goes beyond preference and into fear, anxiety, or sensory overwhelm. In this article, I break down what ARFID is, how to tell if your child might have it, and what steps you can take (with a little humor and a lot of hope) to help your child develop a healthier, more confident relationship with food.
