In a world where demand for mental and behavioral health services is at an all-time high, access to qualified care remains a significant barrier, particularly outside North America. With only about 4.7% of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)—specialized practitioners who assess and treat behavioral challenges—practicing outside the United States and Canada, millions of individuals, families,…
A Call for Employers and Young Professionals to Collaborate We have a system that isn’t set up for the benefit of either job seekers or employers. On the one hand, recent graduates are desperate for a foot in the door; on the other, employers face a deluge of applications and quiet quitting, and without a…
There’s an unspoken game all the rage in behavioral healthcare–ghost networks. It is a silent crisis that is largely overlooked but causing real damage to families seeking care. Despite assurances that behavioral healthcare is accessible, these ghost networks make it nearly impossible to get the help we need. Two years ago, my family was hit…
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My daughter just came back from a summer at UC Berkeley. It was the first time that she stayed in a more metropolitan area where she wasn’t as sheltered. She asked me to buy her pepper spray. In fact, she carried one in each hand whenever she went out. A homeless person came up to…
One of our volunteers thanked me for believing in her and “I love you.” I was taken aback for a moment because she’s Asian, and we Asians don’t tell each other, “I love you!” ð Only Westerners and movies do that mushy emotional stuff. We only dream about it. Asian parents give kids food…
Everyone needs help from time to time—even the people who seem to have everything going for them. Sometimes, it is especially the ones who do well at school/work, the ones who don’t make a fuss, the ones who mask their symptoms well who need your time and care. I work with a wonderful and growing…
I’ve had some anxiety growing up—the stress of exams and ever-growing workload—but never to a point where it prevented me from sleeping or other physical ailments. Actually, that’s me in denial. I have TMJ and acid reflux periodically, but stress and anxiety have become so prevalent in our society that we accept them as the…
At its core, expectation management is about aligning hopes with reality. We’re taught to manage customers’ or employees’ expectations so they don’t become unwieldy, but the goal isn’t to settle for mediocrity; instead, it’s about being mutually transparent about what is realistically achievable. Managing expectations is a vital skill that can make the difference between…
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These are trick questions. Of course, you are. We all make assumptions, mostly subconsciously and automatically. They are mental shortcuts for our brains to help us learn and navigate the endless complexities of social interaction and decision-making in life. Assumptions are based on our past experiences or cultural influences, and Because they are different, we…
The rat race starts young now! And it’s easy to get caught up in it. As a parent of college-bound teens, I live the frenzy that often results from students (and parents) thinking that the rest of their lives are dictated by their college acceptance letters. High-achieving teens aim, at the very minimum, to maintain…
My 2024 started with morning cycling and an afternoon 5-mile hike with family. My dad is the one in the picture below. This is what 80 can look like. My father has traveled every continent and still adventures. My kids nicknamed my dad “cheetah grandpa”ð´ for obvious reasons. He is now semi-retired but still goes…
At a recent holiday gathering, a family member said his son “must go to one of the top 10 schools” to do well and have options in life. Like many well-meaning parents, this dad arranged a robust early reading and math instruction regimen, enrichment activities, and daily homework to build discipline. I was asked to…