Mental Health Resources

Shame is one of the most powerful and isolating emotions a person can experience. It creates a deep sense of unworthiness, often leading individuals to believe that something is fundamentally wrong...

Developing EQ can give you a greater chance of thriving in both your personal and professional lives. It is a commonly held myth that those on the autism spectrum can not develop this vital life skill.

We all define “success” differently, but for most of us, success means finding meaning in our relationships, career, and other aspects of our lives. Learning and developing Emotional Intelligence (EQ) makes that all possible.

You will eventually learn most of your child’s triggers and may be able to avoid a meltdown. If you can help your child to calm or redirect, or if possible, simply avoid their triggers altogether, you can minimize meltdowns.

Self care is a buzzword but if our basic human needs aren’t met, we can’t even think about self-care. What we need is to learn to love ourselves.

Why is the rate of suicide and suicidality so much higher in the autistic population? And how can we help?

Young people who are contemplating suicide often give warning signs of their distress. Some signs are subtle, yet some are more common and pronounced. Knowing the risk factors, recognizing the warning signs, and knowing how to respond can help prevent suicide.

This couple is impassioned about changing other’s misconceptions about people on the spectrum.

Some studies indicate that autistic adults are less likely to partake in drug use, however, research conducted by the Autism Research Centre indicates that autistics are nearly nine times more likely than non-autistic peers to use drugs to manage undesirable symptoms, including autism-related symptoms.

Millennials are the first generation to openly talk the problems that stem from mentally draining relationships, such as manipulative emotional abuse or gaslighting. But, as aware as we are of these issues and what we should do about them, we struggle to put one foot in front of the other and do the right thing.

Besides lightening the mood at home, playtime creates an atmosphere that everyone in the family is free to be who they are, and this inherently encourages confidence and self-love.

Many families bicker over trivial things, but when it escalates to constant fighting and finger-pointing, it often feels deeply personal, upsetting, and overwhelming. How do you maintain your sanity when things are bad enough that you don’t want to go home anymore?

Studies indicate that more women than men are engaged in people-pleasing. This results in adverse effects on our mental and physical health. So, how do we stop trying to please everyone and bring peace into our lives?

Many studies have found that people who practice gratitude tend to be happier and less depressed, but there is much more credit that can be given to the benefits of living a mindful life of gratitude.

Do you feel like you are still grieving your loss after more than the “appropriate” time? There is no acceptable timeline for grief. Be gentle with yourself.

The onset of hope in this pandemic, however, can unearth a sense of grief. You might be wondering, why am I feeling this now, and is it healthy to allow feelings of grief?

Coping is never easy, but it is easier when we forgive ourselves for mistakes, when we believe that we are living our life at ‘our best,’ and when we develop a mindset that we are always going to be in the process of learning and growing.

Younger children experience intense stress when they are the target of a parent’s anger. How do you help your child feel safe when their other parent is angry?

It is okay, and healthy, for children to understand that the world they live in has changed, but they need to feel safe. Here is how to help them with stress.

We are excited to announce that FGTC is now offering Cogmed Research Based Working Memory Training!

Do you have a child that gets anxious or becomes dysregulated and needs help calming down? This is an activity that we use with our clients that can help children with self-regulation when anxious or upset. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, distance learning and virtual school stress has become a new type of danger to our children. They might start feeling hopeless, scared, anxious, moody, irritable, and depressed. As a parent, what steps can you make to help them cope with this change?

Many times teens experience anxiety in ways that we may pass off as “being a teen.” Teens may experience debilitating anxiety and not know that those physiological symptoms are in fact anxiety; so they may not alert you to their symptoms. Anxiety is treatable. We can help.

As humans, we tend to compare ourselves to others, especially on social media platforms. But when do comparisons become unhealthy and how do you break away from it?

Please join Janice March, Parent Educator at The Family Guidance and Therapy Center, Petaluma for a free virtual support group for parents of Neurodiverse (ASD, SPD, and ADHD) Children in Sonoma County.

There is nobody in the world that knows you better than yourself, and this is the foundation for how you can and should love yourself when you are in the middle of a big life change and feeling as if the world is judging you.

The pandemic has led to loneliness and sadness through sickness, loss of life, economic hardship, and social distancing, but it has also produced a positive outcome in its wake, a powerful strengthening experience and opportunity in both our own selves and collectively in our communities. 

Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your guilt and giving it a name. Or call it what the world has tagged it—survivor’s guilt (i.e., pandemic guilt, coronavirus guilt, thriver guilt). This will help you to take the pressure off yourself.

To step into any new beginning, we must dump off any ‘heavyweights’ that can prevent us from moving forward. So, prepare to release what you cannot personally change. 

How is COVID impacting your 2020 Holidays and how are you managing to juggle the impact the virus has had on the season for you and your family?

Use preventive measures to ward off the virus, and then file your worries away. The more you worry, the more it can eat away at your mental health and your immune system. Remember, you are okay right now.

Our lives may feel out of control due to the pandemic, economic instability and the political climate. What is there to be thankful for this year? 

What do we do to keep ourselves from wallowing in life’s normal situations, or perhaps circumstances that are not so normal but seem to pile one on top of the other? How do we stay soft of heart despite life’s difficulties, including when others are not in agreement with our personal choices?

I have an eclectic approach that meets clients where they are and joins clients in a personal journey towards a healthy, productive, satisfying life.

I connect with words resiliency, authenticity, vulnerability, and humility. I value relationships above material possessions so I also connect with simplicity and warmth.

I’m starting to wonder if this pandemic will ever end. Back in March, I, like many others, packed a cardboard box full of files, a couple pens, and a paper legal pad- enough supplies to last me 2-3 weeks.

When I was pregnant, I focused a lot of my attention on pregnancy facts and resources, but I now realize that all the facts in the world don’t prepare you for the actual experience of bringing a baby home.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to strive towards authenticity in your communication, which in turn will promote greater openness and vulnerability and thus deepen your relationships.

When life feels out of sorts, especially during times like these with national and global news filled with a pandemic, shaky politics and political scenes, and other unrest and world issues, we can easily slip away from the root of who we are and forget about what we believe in. You may have heard the term “Stay strong in your beliefs.” It is important to weld a sense of surety and direction into your existence by being true to your values—your fundamental beliefs and guiding principles. By living your life based on your beliefs, you are being authentic to yourself.

Has worry about the future ever stopped you from sleeping well? Has worry ever affected productivity in your day? Has worry ever altered your mood? Our human brains are tuned into knowing that life has many unknowns and challenges, and we naturally want to make sure “everything will be okay”. So, ridding ourselves completely of worry may never happen. The good news is there are techniques that you can adopt to help you stop worrying about the future.

It may be tough for your child to talk about scary events and circumstances that happen in the world, but encourage your child to reach out to individuals that they trust and love, especially you, when they feel upset or fearful. This helps your child release feelings before they expand out of proportion. It also helps to clear any misconceptions your child may have before it becomes full-blown fear.

As a therapist, I cannot help but reflect that during a pandemic, people who have already been experiencing mental health issues are more at risk of them becoming worse. This pandemic definitely will have repercussions for some time, so let’s look at some simple ways you can nourish your mental health during this time.

At Family Guidance and Therapy Center, we are here to support you with the issues that may have presented challenges for you during the pandemic. The purpose of this blog is to help marital couples love each other and maintain ahealthy relationship as we are navigating the new reality of pandemic. We are here to support you especially through these tough times.

Some of us flourish when life changes come our way, while some of us have difficulty adjusting. Know this one key thing, whether you like or hate change, it is normal either way—it is just “you.” We are all different. Accept that in yourself

During the Covid-19 crisis, please be advised that we have adapted our assessment practices. Whenever possible, we provide virtual assessment through telehealth and online questionnaires. We limit...

No matter how hard we try to reduce the stress in our kid’s environment, it will still be a part of their lives but you can help your child develop problem-solving skills and equip them with ways that help them cope and move forward.

Are you a small business owner experiencing an onslaught of changes during COVID-19? If so, you are not alone. Learn how to stay focused during this time.

With children out of school and family life in upheaval, many of us parents are wondering how our children are coping with their new Covid-19 homebound lifestyle.

It seems like every few hours another part of our lives is adjusting.  Covid-19  is tapping into the heart of what it means to be uncertain of the future, grasping for feelings of safety and...

We remain open, able to serve families. This is because our business entity is healthcare.

How do you move forward with your life without letting the anxiety win?

Do you feel like there is never peace in your house because of the constant family fighting? How do we break through family tension and stop fighting?

Effective and open communication is foundational to the success of your blended family. You and your partner have a lot to talk about as you incorporate several different family dynamics into your...

If you are having trouble sorting your life purpose out, know that you aren’t alone with your feelings.

You’ve had a tough day at work. You could stay late and dedicate another three or four hours to make sure you start tomorrow with a clean slate; however, your autistic child has had a meltdown and...

Read this blog as intended as a means to help you make the decision if CBD (cannabidiol) is right for you or your loved one, coming from a therapist who has watched many families add CBD and THC as part of well-rounded mental health care.

Regret is the belief that a decision will result in something individuals do not accomplish.

Tania is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist interested in working with couples, individuals and families who struggle with depression, anxiety, dual-diagnosis, substance use, and want to...

Everyone’s work-life balance looks and feels different, but the reward is feeling relaxed, enjoying your job, and doing what you love each day.

Community is a feeling of connectedness as a result of shared beliefs, attitudes, and world views. Everyone needs to find their own place in the community.

Let’s dive in further into: Where do you find your hope? How to refocus when feeling hopeless, and giving yourself permission to not always have it figured out.

Being bored can help children become imaginative and self-reliant. So this summer, let go of your scheduled activities and just let your kids be bored.

Communication is important, but effective communication is required, not optional for a relationship to succeed, grow, and last a long time. 

Imagine a time when you can look back on the year, appreciate and feel grateful for accomplishing more than one new year’s resolution, for achieving more than one way of thinking, and identifying a new perspective in life.

New Diagnosis/Testing Centers for Autism The Family Guidance and Therapy Center is excited to announce that we are opening our first diagnosis and testing center for autism! We will be offering the...

I’m a big advocate for meeting clients where they are at. What changes do they want to make in their lives and how can we work together on getting them there?

My work with clients is only unique because of who I am, the experiences I’ve been through, and the things I have learned. I personally value wisdom, but it is not something easily transferred between people; the receiver has to be in the right place.

Think about the last time you made a mistake. For many, this isn’t a comfortable thing to do. For many, making a mistake is accompanied by self-judgement. A critical voice in our head that calls us...

My work as a therapist challenges me to be a pro in taking care of myself and be authentic by “walking my talk”. At the end of the day, it is very rewarding seeing the lives of my clients and my own grow side by side.

Join us for a Talk on Neurodiversity By Jenny Palmiotto We, at the Family Guidance and Therapy Center, love Love & Autism! We love it so much that we want to bring it to you year round! For...

Meet Arianna Farinelli! Arianna is a marriage and family therapist associate who has been a part of the Family Guidance and Therapy team for 3 months. She believes one of the most powerful tools for...

February has many of us thinking about love. You know that feeling when you discover you are in love? That intense energy, the preoccupied mind, the need to web your heart’s desire into every...

None of that mastery criterion, none of the counting, none of the reporting matters. Skills + Reduction of Symptom DOES NOT EQUAL purposeful living; now, or in your child’s future.

I am passionate about my work, because I know I am working from a place of purpose. I am one of those people that loves my job. I am fundamentally fulfilled by my work. But, this was not always the case and I paid for it with physical and mental unhappiness.

If we can create joy in our lives by living on purpose, would it be possible to create more joy by dressing on purpose?

Get to know the clinicians that make up the Family Guidance and Therapy Center.

I’m not sure if the dangers of hiding things away and pretending to be something you’re not are things we inherently know as humans, but somehow gets muddled over time by what our anxiety and fear does to push it away.

Kindness represents the age old saying of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  It’s about trying to have compassion and understanding for everyone we encounter throughout our day-to-day lives because everyone is struggling with something, even if we are unaware.

Let’s get brave together and let go of Shame and Judgment.

For many in this therapy world of ours, we know exactly what this means. It means that the person that has walked into your home and been part of your lives is ready to move on.

The most rewarding part of my work is when a client proudly shares about an experience that demonstrates their hard work and that they have achieved their therapeutic goal. While this moment may not be traceable back to one particular change in behavior or moment of insight, I can be confident that the hard work they have put into therapy has helped them achieve their goal.

Don’t stop reading if you read that last paragraph and thought…”if she thinks she isn’t getting enough done, then I’m a total failure.” This is the art of comparison and why we all feel so small, inadequate, and like failures most of the time. You still with me….

Cultivating an adventurous spirit reminds the body and soul that we as moms are powerful, can accomplish anything, and don’t need to live in fear and anxiety.

Trust and connect. I believe these words describe human relationships and what is essential in our therapeutic relationships.

The Family Guidance and Therapy Center in Central Texas is Ready for Business We have officially moved into our newest office, located in Central Texas! We are currently offering only RDI &...

We must stand firm in our values and express them in our daily actions. This is the only way to ensure change.

I see a world with a multitude of autistic experiences; love can be experienced in many ways. My friends and I would like to share our experiences with you.

We are such dynamic beings, we change day to day, moment to moment. It is awe inspiring to be able to spend time with someone and get to know who they truly are, find commonalities, and have a real heartfelt connection with another human being.

I’m hopeful that these young people who have to spend their formidable years being doubted and demeaned will collectively and individually create sweeping changes.

Using arbitrary and limiting labels of high functioning and low functioning, with the intent to help one get a “better picture of the person with autism”, is not only insulting, but dehumanizing. Pathologizing reinforces a deficits view of autism. These labels serve no one. No human is all one thing. We each have good days and bad. We all have struggles and strengths.

The most challenging part of this work I do is changing the mindset that RDI is like nothing else you have ever tried. The most rewarding part of this work is seeing a parent of an autistic child have an “ah ha” moment, then they finally get it.

I have chosen to continue my professional path with autistic people and their loved ones… I am exactly where I want to be.

Most women today feel that if they are not completely exhausted by the end of the day, that they haven’t done enough. Because it feels like there’s always more to do.

Displaying compassion and care for clients when no one is watching is what every therapist should do.

I firmly believe in the importance of collaborating with my client and am constantly learning and growing from each experience a client shares with me. I ensure that I view each client as an individual and support them to find the right level of challenge necessary to experience growth.

You are the most perfect mom for your child. Keep striving towards being your best and breathe through the pain and discomfort that growing and changing can create. Parenting is the business of guiding novice human beings into being kind, compassionate and understanding people. You have to work at it, but you can definitely do it.

Movement Method is misnamed. It’s not a Method – it’s a framework. It’s a lens to view behaviors, motivations and the brain science of what is happening.  It’s a lens to understand our own cultural upbringing and how we got to a place where we are applying techniques that don’t work – in fact, they create suffering.

Set an intention in your heart to discover what it means to be you. Find a therapist that can help you on your authenticity journey. Stay tuned for our annual gathering, Love & Autism, where this year’s theme is all about authenticity—Be-You-tiful. It’s going to be beautiful.

I’ve always felt that as the professional I needed to be in the passenger seat. I believe that parents have to be at the wheel when it comes to intervention. I am available to provide guidance, support, ideas and expertise but I can’t decide where we are going. I start my work with parent empowerment so they feel competent and ready to lead because while I may know autism they know their child.

The start of my business was entirely unplanned. I was actually six months pregnant with my first child when I went into private practice. In June 2010, I was laid off from a job that I had been at...