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You Have Eight Senses. Your Child Is Using All of Them.
October is also Sensory Awareness Month, and I want to start with the senses nobody taught us in kindergarten. Most of us learned five. Your child's nervous system runs on eight, and the three we skipped explain a lot of what people call "behavior problems."
Cary M Hamilton
1 day ago4 min read
ADHD, It's Not a Deficit. It's a Traffic Jam.
At least once a week, a parent sits across from me and says some version of this: "He can build in Minecraft for four hours straight. Why can't he do ten minutes of homework?"
It's a fair question. The answer changes how you see your child.
Attention isn't what's missing. Steering it is.
For years I wrote "attention deficit" in treatment plans without a second thought. I explained it to parents in my office. It sounded precise and clinical.
Cary M Hamilton
3 days ago4 min read
Why Summer Is the Best Time to Stay Consistent in Therapy
Every June, we get some version of the same question: "Can we just pause therapy until school starts back up?"
It's a fair question. Summer feels like it should be a break from everything — schedules, structure, stress. However, when it comes to your child's therapy, summer isn't the season to step back. It's actually one of the best times to lean in.
Here's why, and here's what's changed about how we're approaching summer scheduling this year.
Cary M Hamilton
Jul 53 min read
Raising Capable Kids: A Life Skills Roadmap from Toddlers to Teens
If you've ever stood in your kitchen watching your child struggle to do something you know they're "old enough" to do and felt that mix of frustration, worry, and quiet guilt, I want you to take a breath. You're not doing it wrong. And neither are they.
Here's something I tell parents all the time: being old enough to do a task and being ready to do it independently are two different things. A child can be developmentally capable of clearing their plate, packing their backpa
Cary M Hamilton
Jun 36 min read
Parenting When the World Feels Unsafe: Helping Children Stay Regulated During Collective Stress
When the world feels like it’s stopping again, children don’t just watch—they feel it in their nervous systems because it is happening again.
Not a pandemic—at least not the same kind. But that feeling. That pit-in-your-stomach, world-tilting-sideways feeling that parents know too well. The one where you wake up, check the news, and think, "How do I possibly explain this to my children today?"
We're six years past March 2020, and our bodies remember. Our children's bodies
Cary M Hamilton
Feb 218 min read
What to Expect When You Bring Your Child to Play Therapy
If you're reading this, you've likely made the brave decision to seek support for your child. Maybe you've noticed they're struggling with big emotions, navigating a difficult transition, or simply need some extra support. You want to help them, and you're wondering what happens when you walk through our door. That's exactly what we're here to talk about today.
Cary M Hamilton
Jan 2512 min read
The Marble Jar of Trust: Why the Small Moments Matter Most
If you’ve ever listened to Brené Brown, you may have heard her talk about trust in a way that is deceptively simple: as a jar filled one marble at a time.
Each marble represents a moment—tiny, often forgettable on their own—when someone shows up for us. A small kindness. A kept promise. A gesture of understanding. A pause to really hear us. None of these moments build trust instantly, but together they accumulate into something solid, steady, and safe.
Amy Pittman LMHCA & Cary Hamilton LMHCS
Dec 4, 20253 min read
Thriving (not just surviving) During the Holidays
‘Tis the season, after all! Promoting gratitude as a stress-reduction tool as we head towards Thanksgiving may sound trite, and many studies have demonstrated that practicing gratitude supports mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being. Intentionally identifying things that are going well and that we are grateful for can shift our mindsets and moods, reduce stress, improve sleep and interpersonal interactions, and over time, can even train our brains to look for mom
Katrina Swenson
Nov 5, 20253 min read
Play Heals! National Play Therapy Week
What is Play Therapy?
Play Therapy is an evidence-based practice for working with children to improve their mental health. Play Therapy uses
Cary M Hamilton
Feb 10, 20214 min read
The information contained on this site, blog posts, videos, and interviews are for general education purposes and do not constitute professional advice. If you are a provider, it’s important to seek training, continuing education, or clinical supervision. If you are a parent, I encourage you to seek direct help from a qualified provider for your child and family. All identifying information, including names and other details, has been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
*The photos used are personal or are stock photography models and do not represent specific individuals in any way.
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