Sarah Dobkin, LCSW

We're bringing together newborn parents on 7/3 in Berkeley, CA to talk about being a new parent! And it's FREE! If you have a new baby or are about to, come join us and share in the experience with others who get it.

Find out more information here: https://www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/parenthuddle

Our groups have been such a wonderful space to discuss so many aspects of becoming a parent (or becoming a parent again) and having a newborn. Excited to announce we'll be hosting a summer group for all those spring babies. 🐣

Spread the word: New Parent Support Group starting June 10th! For more information, check out my website: www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/groups

Jen Clarke Pierson and I are hosting another new parent support group beginning 4/22! We'll meet in Berkeley - from 10am-12pm on 5 Mondays + 1 Tues (5/28 due to Memorial Day). If you know of any parents of new babies looking for a supportive community to reflect on their parenting experience, send them our way! More information on our website: www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/groups
You can also contact us through that page if you have any questions!

Jen Clarke Pierson and I are leading an in-person New Parent Support Group starting 1/29/24!

Our group this fall was a lovely space for community-building, support, reflection, and resource sharing. We're hoping to create a similar vibe for the group beginning in January.

Please share this flyer with new parents you know! More information on the website: www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/groups or email [email protected].

Jen Clarke Pierson and I are leading a New Parent Support Group starting Monday 10/23!

We are excited to support new parents in this journey and share in the learning!

For more information, visit our website - www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/groups

Judy Hu and I are locking ourselves in the bathroom this Thursday to escape our kids. AND you can join us! We've been talking to each other about so many different parenting things, (e.g. winter break -- will this feel like a return to the prior pandemic times of everyone being stuck inside together with no school??) and now you can listen in.

For more info and to register, go to: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/meetusinthebathroom/register

If you have a question you'd like us to talk about, send it to [email protected]. We'll be answering your anonymous questions during the chat!

(We'll be in our respective bathrooms, but you don't need to be. You are welcome from wherever you find yourself on Thursday.)

*Please note: while we are trained therapists, meeting us in the bathroom is not therapy and is not a substitute for meeting with a mental health professional.

My colleague Jennifer Dawgert Carlin and I are hosting a FREE workshop next Friday 11/12 for parents of young children who are managers/leaders at work. Please join us! For more information or to register to attend live or receive a recording, click here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/did-i-do-enough-today/register

It's February: the last month of last year that we weren't in a pandemic. What anniversaries might you already be noticing? www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/parenthood-puzzle/2021/2/2/the-lasts-of-the-firsts

The Lasts of the Firsts - The Anniversaries We're About to Experience — Sarah Dobkin, LCSW - Therapy for People and Parents in Berkeley/Oakland and the Bay Area A formal anniversary reminds us to pay attention with intention, to be aware of the types of memories that might be impacting us on a February afternoon, in contrast to noticing the azaleas in bloom or the large puddles on the street, both clues which might be too subtle for our busy conscious brain

New blog post up today: on facing loneliness
www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/parenthood-puzzle/2020/12/23/loneliness-and-the-human-condition

Loneliness and the Human Condition — Sarah Dobkin, LCSW - Therapy for People and Parents in Berkeley/Oakland and the Bay Area This year, 2020, we’ve all become acutely aware of loneliness and isolation. Being alone, feeling lonely, is nothing new, though, it's part of the human condition. The irony being, of course, that we are all together in feeling all alone.

3 simple ways to get babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to pay a little more attention to their adoring fans on the other end of the Thanksgiving Zoom call

Wondering how to talk to your young children about what the next two (or more) days might feel like? Here's how I started this morning:

www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/parenthood-puzzle/2020/11/2/what-i-told-my-kids-this-morning-monday-november-2-2020

What I told my kids this morning, Monday, November 2, 2020: — Sarah Dobkin, LCSW - Therapy for People and Parents in Berkeley/Oakland and the Bay Area No matter how much practice you get, waiting can still feel hard, even for grownups! And since so many people are waiting to find out who wins the election tomorrow, lots of them will be distracted today, tomorrow and maybe all week.

Lately, it feels like everything we do these days involves a risk assessment. Activities that we used to not give a second thought to now require careful calculations and choices we never thought we’d need to make are now thrown in front of us like a menu of bad options. Lately, I’ve found myself wanting clarity - wanting someone to just tell me what to do. And I don’t think I’m alone in this.

Now on the blog: https://www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/parenthood-puzzle/2020/10/24/just-tell-me-what-to-do

I started a blog! There are a few posts up so far. Most relevant right now: what to expect emotionally/behaviorally as kids start to go back to school.

https://www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/parenthood-puzzle/2020/6/25/planning-reentry

Planning Reentry — Sarah Dobkin, LCSW - Therapy for People and Parents in Berkeley/Oakland and the Bay Area It’s been a long three months of impromptu homeschooling aka more screen time than we ever thought possible, but finally many of the daycares and preschools in the Bay Area are starting to reopen, and parents are wondering what to expect as they prepare to send their children back to school.

I've written a new story for young children because We're STILL Being Careful. And many of us are having lots of big feelings about that. Check it out (along with the last story) at my web site:
https://www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/stories

Covid Stories for Children — Sarah Dobkin, LCSW - Therapy for Parents and People (and Parents-to-Be) in Berkeley/Oakland and the Bay Area Stories to help explain shelter-in-place and other impacts of coronavirus/Covid-19 to young children. All stories are customizable so parents and caregivers can edit to best fit their specific family or situation. All stories include space for children to add their own artwork or pictures.

https://www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/covid19-resources

A few resources on talking to your young children about coronavirus including a storybook for very young children about the strange things that are happening right now.

Covid-19 Resources — Sarah Dobkin, LCSW  There’s no one right way to talk to your young children about the coronavirus pandemic. There are several resources out there you might use as guides. What you’re aiming to do, as well as you can, is convey a sense of safety to your young children, in the midst of situation that has left all o...