Articles
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The GARS-3 Explained
Another day, another psychological assessment with a complicated acronym. Today, let’s look at the GARS-3 and talk about its function, its effectiveness, and how it is administered. First and foremost, the GARS-3 is an acronym for the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. The ‘3’ simply means it is the third edition. The psychological community is always…
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The Importance of a Comprehensive Assessment
Perhaps you are thinking about going to a psychologist or perhaps you have gone to a psychologist and are having second thoughts about whether or not you want to continue. When presented with what is involved with treatment and a comprehensive psychological assessment, it can be a little overwhelming! Sometimes so much so, that it…
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Living a Full Life with Chronic Illness
If you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, there are likely many emotions and changes taking place. It is normal to want to throw in the towel and surrender to the illness, but will some patience, love, and adjustments it is possible to live a fulfilling and happy life…
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The Challenges of Step-Parenting
There are many challenges of step-parenting. Raising a blended family can be full of unexpected blessings, but it can also come with some complications and unexpected bumps in the road. Whether you are new to being a step-parent or trying to navigate your growing blended family, these tips can help guide you as you strive…
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The Transition to Parenthood
Many people will cite the birth of their child (or the day they adopted their child) as the ‘happiest day of their life’. Parenthood is an incredible journey, but is a huge transition. We are often lead astray by social media or advertising that parenthood is only rainbows and butterflies to then realise that the…
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Dealing with Defensiveness: Why they do it and How to deal with it
Defensiveness is a complex topic and often surfaces in important relationships such as romantic relationships, friends, families, and even within a work setting. If you are struggling with a relationship where an individual is defensive, it may be helpful to understand why they are behaving that way, then work towards an solution to the defensiveness…
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What is the Conners 3?
If you have been doing research on getting your child evaluated for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder you may have stumbled across the phrase ‘Conners 3’. It can be easy to get lost in the acronyms and fancy psychology jargon. Let’s break down what the Conners 3 assessment is and the role it may play in providing…
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Off to School: Transitioning into Kindergarten
The big day has finally come, it is your child’s first day of school. Whether it be dropping your child off for the day for the first time, or their first day at kindergarten or preschool, there can be many mixed emotions! It can be surprisingly difficult as a parent to drop your child off…
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Specific Learning Disorders- What is Dyscalculia?
Just as children are so vastly different, this holds true with their development as well as with the way they learn. When caring for a child who is struggling with schooling, one may look into possible learning disorders as a cause. There are learning disorders that are as vastly different as the children they impact.…
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3 Tips on Managing Conflicting Values in Relationships
Sure, couples within a relationship have differences. The reality is that on some level, having a partner who has a different opinion, preferences, and perspective is probably what makes you love them. But there is a big difference in learning how to manage a difference in food preferences and TV preferences to learning how to…
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For Better or For Worse: Keeping Your Relationship Strong Through A Crisis
When getting married, you make a vow to stick together for better or for worse, but no one really thinks about the ‘worse’ in relationships. Married or not, keeping a relationship strong can be hard enough. Keeping a relationship strong through an external crisis can be even harder. An external crisis can be a variety…
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Can Your Psychologist Fix You?
Going to see a psychologist for the first time can be exciting but usually the dominant emotion that may surround the first visit is nervousness. It can be hard to know what to expect. Can a psychologist really fix me? It is important to manage your expectations for therapy. Understanding whether or not your therapist…
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Is my Boss a Psychopath? Dealing with Corporate Psychopathy
We hear it all the time. People whispering under their breath ‘What a psychopath’. Perhaps you are seeing how poorly your boss or a coworker behaves at work and can’t help but wonder, ‘Could they be a psychopath?’ Let’s take a closer look at what psychopathy really is to understand what you could be seeing…
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Letting Go: The Importance Of Raising Children Who Learn On Their Own
We all want to raise confident and well educated children and most importantly want them to enjoy the process! We most commonly struggle with the stereotype that teaching your child involves sitting down and pulling out a textbook or workbook. What if we are getting this concept all wrong? Self-directed learning is a different way…
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Does my Child need an Assessment or Therapy?
If your child is struggling with schooling or having some behavioural difficulties, you may have been approached by a teacher or a school psychologist about having an assessment completed for your child. It can be a lot to sift through with opinions of teachers, psychologists and whom ever else may be involved with the challenges…
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Choosing a Partner that is Right for You
It can be difficult to know whether or not your partner is ‘the one’. Our minds are filled with scenes from romantic comedies and novels so it can be hard to determine what kind of partner is truly right for you. Perhaps your biggest fear is that you will ‘settle’ with someone you may not…
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Assisting Children in Transition during Parental Separation
Any major shift in a child’s life can be greatly difficult to manage. This is also true for children who are coping with a recent divorce or separation. Most times, ending a toxic or painful relationship between parents is ultimately the best decision you can make as a family. There is no need to feel…
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Psychological Flexibility
Sure you may have heard of the importance of flexibility for you physical health in, perhaps your yoga class, but have you ever heard of psychological flexibility? Psychological flexibility is a term that is used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This therapy is gaining popularity and emphasises the importance of psychological flexibility. To define psychological…
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The Difference Between ADHD And An Active Child
We hear a lot about ADHD as parents today. The diagnosis rate is rising and it seems that ADHD is the first thing on everyone’s mind when a child acts out. But does every child who acts out or every child who is super active need an ADHD diagnosis? Absolutely not. Kids are kids. Some…
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How To Understand A Psychological Report
Psychological reports can look like a foreign language to someone who is not used to or does not understand how to decipher them. Here are some helpful tips to help you understand the results of your latest psychological report: Jump to the end Usually there will be a summary of findings from the testing as…
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Cure Vs. Management of Disorders
If someone offered you a cure or a way to manage a disorder, which would you choose? I think it goes without saying that we would all go for the cure without a second thought. For illnesses like a cold or strep throat, absolutely go for the cure. But if you are the parent of…