Parents Navigating a New School

The summer season is winding down which means ‘back to school” is just around the corner. The start of the new school year can be stressful on kids and unfortunately parents often take the brunt of their children’s emotional angst. Here are some tips to help you and your kids get through this potentially difficult time.

First, try to keep in perspective what your kids are experiencing at the beginning of a new school year. Imagine what it is like for you to start a new job, with a new boss with a new work load that is significantly greater in quantity, intensity and difficulty (With no rai$e). Add to this, the need to adapt to increased social and peer pressure. And don’t forget having to manage all this your while your entire physiology is continuously changing and developing (especially for teens and pre-teens). Keeping this in mind can help you to be more patient and understanding.

Other tips include:

• Demonstrate genuine interest in your child’s personal and academic life.
• Spend time daily listening and talking about what your kids are experiencing in their lives.
• Nurture self esteem and confidence by encouraging and praising effort. Also help your kids set and work towards goals that match their skills and interests.
• Learn to provide appropriate guidance and discipline. Remember that children of all ages need parental support in establishing healthy and appropriate structure and balance. Be firm, kind and realistic about expectations. Also remember your job as parent is to “guide not control”.
• Encourage your kids to participate in physical activity on a daily basis.

Expect some kids to be more resistant or to act out more than others. However, patience, understanding, and persistence on your part can go a long way to providing the support and caring your child will need to adapt and excel at any grade level. If problems persist do not hesitate to utilize professional support. PTC

Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

 Amidst the glittering lights and festive cheer, the holiday season can bring a whirlwind of stress. Balancing family obligations, social events, and the quest for the perfect celebration can take a toll on well-being. Here are some practical tips to help navigate and alleviate stress during this bustling time:

1. Prioritize Self-Care: Dedicate time for relaxation and activities that bring joy.

2. Set Realistic Expectations: Manage your expectations and recognize that perfection is not the goal.

3. Plan and Organize: Create a schedule to avoid last-minute chaos, allowing for a more relaxed experience.

4. Learn to Say No: Don't overcommit; it's okay to decline invitations and focus on your well-being.

5. Delegate Tasks: Share responsibilities with others to lighten your load and promote a sense of teamwork.

6. Stay Active: Incorporate physical activity into your routine to combat stress and boost your mood.

7. Practice Mindfulness: Take moments for deep breathing or meditation to stay present and grounded.

8. Connect with Others: Share your feelings and experiences with friends or family members for support.

9. Celebrate Imperfections: Embrace the beauty of imperfect moments, recognizing they are part of the holiday tapestry.

10. Reflect and Gratitude: Take time to reflect on positive aspects of your life and express gratitude.

This holiday season, consider these strategies to unwrap a sense of serenity, allowing you to savor the moments that truly matter.

*For professional support, call the therapists at: www.lisafriedman.com or call us at 954-741-1099

Anger Management Tools

Here are some tools and skills to help manage anger:

Relaxation Techniques


• Deep Breathing
• Counting to 10
• Imagery or meditation

Rational Thinking and Self-Talk

• “Just stay cool, getting angry won’t help”
• “I am in control, I can walk away instead of losing it”
• Avoid being “demanding”
• Think in terms of “cooperation” rather than “winning”
• Avoid rigid thinking
• Challenge your “shoulds” and “musts”
• Increase insight into what battles are worth fighting; also be aware of the price of winning/losing.

Behavioral Techniques

• Talk about it
• Physical Activity (esp. cardio-vascular exercise)
• Walk away
• Practice assertiveness
• Thought stopping techniques
• Distraction techniques
• Avoid labeling
• Rehearse healthy “self-talk” for times you are likely to become angry
• Lower your voice


Tips in Diffusing Anger in Others

Most important keep yourself safe……if this is physical get to a safe place!!!!!

1. Stay calm
2. Keep voice low and even ( stop escalation)
3. If physically safe, sit down to model you are not a threat
4. Being non-defensive
5. Listen to what is being said
6. Focus on the issue not the other person’s behaviors
7. Be empathetic
8. Avoid advice giving
9. Avoid telling the other person how they feel or how to feel
10. Admit when you are wrong, but do not apologize when not responsible

At Professional Toolbox Consultants, we can help provide you with the tools and skills you need to manage your anger.  Give us a call at (954) 741-1099

New Year New You

The New Year is a time when people reflect on the year gone by, but more importantly it is a time when many people make promises to themselves to live their lives in a more effective manner. The most common New Years Resolutions revolve around being healthier, improving financial situation and/or strengthening family, work and social relationships. Surveys indicate that the majority of people who make new years resolutions are confident that they are going to be able to keep them. However further research indicates that less than 20% of these people actually achieve their goal. The following are some tips you can use that greatly enhance your ability to accomplish whatever you set out to do.

• State your goal in behavioral terms (Instead of saying “I want to be healthier”, define what behaviors you plan to utilize to achieve this goal).

• Make sure that your goal is measurable

• Set goals that are realistic

• Focus on behaviors that you personally control.

• Make sure that the goal you set is for you, not somebody else.

• Tell others about your goals and utilize family and friends as support.

• Write your goals on a piece of paper where you can see it often.

• Monitor your progress. Reward yourself for any move in a positive direction.

Be open to trying new behaviors if some you are already using are not working.

• Focus on “progress not perfection”

Setting goals and achieving them, especially when they entail making lifestyle changes, is often frustrating. Seeking the guidance and coaching of a professional can often increase your chances of success by helping you identify and define goals more effectively and providing support and encouragement in helping you to stay on task. To discuss in more detail how you can make effective changes in your professional and personal life call counselors at PTC ( 954-741-1099).

Have a safe and happy New Year!!

Summer Health & Wellness

Summertime usually conjures up images like relaxing at the beach, fun in the park, picnics, barbeques, and family vacations. Because of this, summer is a great time to think about taking more control of your health. Taking care of your body is a key element in making sure you are able to maximize peak performance in both your personal and professional lives.

The American heart Association identifies three major areas of health that most people need to be aware of. These areas are cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Small, inexpensive lifestyle changes often pay big dividends in allowing one to effectively manage these major health concerns.

General tips for improving your general health include:
Getting active: walking more and stretching are probably the easiest and most convenient was to increase your activity level.
Eating better: reduce salt and sugar intake, practice portion control, eat more fish, increase fruits and vegetables, avoid foods high in saturated fat and eat more whole grains.
Losing weight
Quitting smoking
Limiting alcohol intake
Practicing effective stress management.

A counselor can provide you with effective coaching in helping you begin to make healthy lifestyle changes and managing stress more effectively. You can reach counselors at Lisa Friedman LCSW, INC at 954-741-1099.

Effective Stress Management

One of the primary keys to establishing and maintaining good health is effective stress management. Stress is a constant and integral part of life. However, poorly managed stress can lead to negative physical, emotional and/or psychological consequences.

Physically, unrelieved can have a severe impact on your immune system. Other physical ailments that are commonly associated with being “stressed out” include but are not limited to:
· stomach and digestive difficulties
· high blood pressure and other cardio vascular problems
· insomnia
· muscle/body aches

Difficulties managing stress is also associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. These symptoms significantly diminish one’s ability to thrive either personally or professionally.

The good news is that effectively managing stress is not difficult to do. The key is to make a conscience effort each day to engage in activities that promote healthy living. Here are some tips for creating a healthy lifestyle:
· Establish and utilize a good support system
· Exercise on a regular basis (Find time every day to move more & stretch)
· Increase you intake of fruit and vegetables
· Decrease your consumption of foods containing high levels of fat, sugar and caffeine.
· Increase your daily intake of water
· Take time to journal your thoughts and feelings
· Avoid becoming overwhelmed by improving your assertiveness skills especially in regards to asking for help and learning how to respectfully say “No”.
· Improve your communication and other relationship building skills.
· Look for reasons to laugh and smile.

Effective stress management and healthy living is really about taking the time to take care of yourself. Avoid adding to your stress by working too hard to be healthy. Small behavior changes on a daily basis will lead to big benefits over time. If you need additional help with managing your stress call Professional Toolbox Consultants at (954) 741-1099.

Growing and Changing this New Year

As an old year ends and a new year rolls in, this is a time when many people make New Year’s resolutions. Many people do not realize how important this age old tradition is in establishing and maintaining sound emotional well being. One important trait that all healthy living things share in common is that they continue to grow. Another word for growth is change. When we fail to take the opportunity to grow in either our personal or professional lives we are susceptible to feeling all kinds of emotional distress least of which is state of boredom or stagnation. So, use the New Year as a catalyst to identify an area of your life you would like to improve upon and put into action a plan to make growth promoting changes.

Here are some tips to help make your healthy intentions come to fruition:
**Make sure your goal is behavioral in nature.
**Be specific (how, when, where, how much, how often, etc.)
**Small change is better than no change
**Make sure that your goal is beneficial for you
**Remember that change is often difficult and uncomfortable.
**Have realistic expectations and be patient with yourself.
**Write your goal down.**Share your goal with family and friends
**Monitor your progress.
**Strive for progress not perfection.

Have a safe New Years from the counselors at PTC !!!!