The Lighthouse Evaluation And Psychotherapy Clinic

It was a good day at the Lower Gwynedd Fall Fest today with Dr. Epler and Jolie! The weather was great, and it was so much fun meeting the kids and their families. We loved exploring all the activities and enjoying the local vibes. Huge thanks to everyone who made this day special! Can’t wait for more events like this!

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We're thrilled to introduce our new child therapist, Emilie Flynn, LPC. Emilie specializes in working with neurodivergent children and young adults to support anxiety, social interactions, and behavioral challenges. She works from a strengths-based lens and is passionate about supporting the whole family. As we transition back to school, Emilie is here to support your child's journey, making this school year a successful and positive experience. 🎒✨ Let's tackle those back-to-school challenges together! 💪

Clinical Psychologist | The LEAP Clinic | Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania The LEAP Clinic provides comprehensive services for children and families in Montgomery County. We offer psychological evaluations, therapy for children and adolescents, and educational consultation for parents

How exciting!! The LEAP Clinic was featured on the WissNow website!! Our new parent support group, Beyond the Spectrum, was featured on the website, and we are so excited to see the community supporting the group!!

Parents of autistic children offered a helping hand from Lower Gwynedd-based 'Beyond the Spectrum' The LEAP Clinic will offer a parental support group Aug. 12.

Can't wait to be back at the Lower Gwynedd Fall Fest for the third year in a row. Rain or shine it is a good time!!

Clinical Psychologist | The LEAP Clinic | Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania The LEAP Clinic provides comprehensive services for children and families in Montgomery County. We offer psychological evaluations, therapy for children and adolescents, and educational consultation for parents

Today in therapy, Dr. Epler and The Jenga Master worked together to make a Jenga tower that was 32 1/3 levels high. We didn't get to take a picture before it fell down but we were able to get this picture on level 30. We are going to keep practicing and are aiming for a world record of 40 levels!!

While we have made strides on evaluating and diagnosing children at a younger age, the average age of diagnosis is still around 4.5 years old. The earlier we can get children assessed and started with services, the better outcomes we see in their overall development. While pediatricians and early intervention can help direct children to get evaluations, it is important that parents start to understand some of the early signs of neurodivergence. By doing so, you can get your child evaluated and connected with supports to improve communication, cope with sensory differences, and improve their ability to navigate new situations as they present. If you want to know more about developmental evaluations, including evaluations for autism, please reach out to The LEAP Clinic today and we can set up a consultation call for your family.

Come connect with other parents who have a child diagnosed with autism or another neurodevelopmental diagnosis. As a team, parents will come together to discuss shared experiences and unique challenges that come with having an autistic child. Therapists will be present to guide conversations, answer questions, and provide resources for families as they navigate new, unexpected experiences. Coffee and a light breakfast will be available. Visit our website to learn more about the group and sign up today - www.theleapclinic.com!!

Clinical Psychologist | The LEAP Clinic | Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania The LEAP Clinic provides comprehensive services for children and families in Montgomery County. We offer psychological evaluations, therapy for children and adolescents, and educational consultation for parents

✨New Blog Alert!!!✨ Lets begin to explore the parallels and distinctions between autism and ADHD on today's blog. More and more people becoming aware that autism and ADHD don't always mirror what has been stereotypically presented in the media. However, with this knowledge, families are starting to question or explore if someone in their family may be neurodivergent. Helping families understand their child and what they might experience if their are neurodivergent allows them to develop a game plan to support them as they move through their future. If you need help understanding your child's behaviors, head over to our blog to learn more: https://www.theleapclinic.com/post/diagnosing-neurodivergence-autism-vs-adhd

Teaching children to practice mindfulness is so important because the benefits are countless. However, kids often copy what they see their parents doing!! So here are some options for you to practice mindfulness yourself! Be the positive influence your children need to practice their mindfulness on their own!

New Blog Post!! This month we are talking about Mindfulness. In today's society, we fill our days with work, school, activities, screens, and more. With busy schedules comes constantly looking ahead and thinking about the next thing we are going to be doing. While its important to look ahead, sometimes we lose sight of what is going on right now. The use of mindfulness can help you and your children focus on the present and be in the here-and-now. It helps manage stress, cope with anxiety or depression, and bring a level of acceptance of situations that may be hard to tolerate at times. Mindfulness, like any other skill, is something that has to be practiced, but when you get good at it, there are amazing benefits. Head over to our newest blog to learn more about mindfulness and how you can practice it with your loved ones. https://www.theleapclinic.com/post/mindful-march-what-is-mindfulness

A person's self-esteem is rarely developed in a bubble. Interactions with others can help build our self-esteem, but it can also negatively impact our self-esteem. Here are 5 social skills that you and your child can focus on to help improve self-esteem on a daily basis. If you or your child need help building these social skills, a therapist may be a great place to start! Reach out today to learn more about how we can support your family as your child builds these and other social skills that will help them navigate day to day life.

Self-esteem, which is the confidence we have in our worth based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves and our abilities, is critical for every child to develop and nurture. Here are five things that children and teens can do to help build their self-esteem.

🌟New Blog Alert!! 🌟 This month we are talking about self-esteem. Self-esteem is a complex topic, but it is so important for children to develop a healthy sense of self-esteem. Read more about common misconceptions regarding self-esteem at our newest blog.

Use of technology is inevitable. How we use it makes all of the difference. There has been an explosion of apps available that are geared towards supporting mental health, which has been so helpful in supporting clients as they work towards their goals. Check out the different apps listed above for creative ways to help support your mental health. We are quite partial to the adorable Finch app, which allows clients to grow a pet Finch while building good routines and using positive coping skills.

Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay. As each family works to develop their own rules about how to navigate social media with their child, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of social media use. Included below are some things to consider when thinking about how to navigate the introduction and use of social media with your child.

🌟New Blog Alert!!! 🌟This month we are talking about electronics and screen time. Children and adolescents spend more time on electronics than ever before. Understanding the impact that screens have on our children is important. Head over to our newest blog to learn more about how screen time may impact children with ADHD.

https://www.theleapclinic.com/post/screen-time-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd

The Lighthouse Evaluation And Psychotherapy Clinic Where families can feel empowered to better understand their children and help them thrive.

Teenage years are filled with amazing opportinties for growth and independence. And with that comes a firestorm of hormones and changes that can be overwhelming for teens and parents alike. Coping skills are critical to help teenagers manage these ups and downs that come with adolescence. Below are some useful coping strategies that your teen can use when they find themselves starting to become dysregulated:

💥 Positive self-talk
💥 Exercise or taking a brief walk
💥 Writing in a journal
💥 Take a cold shower to reset their nervous system
💥 Talk to a trusted friend or adult

The time between Christmas and New Years can be chaotic and wild as children are coming down from the excitement of Christmas but are still on break. With that chaos can come dysregulation and meltdowns. As you notice your kiddo ramping up, help them use one of these coping skills so they can regulate their emotions before you are faced with a massive meltdown:

💜Read a book quietly
💜Do some arts and crafts
💜Stretch your body
💜Progressive muscle relaxation to help decrease tension
💜Take deep belly breaths
💜Cuddle a pet, stuffed animal, or comfort item

When coping skills are used early, families can learn to minimize meltdowns and maximize enjoyable family time.

During the holiday season, children often become ovestimluated or have big feelings. Parents can help children use coping skills as they start to notice children becoming dysregulated. By helping children use coping skills early, parents can help prevent a full blown meltdown that can ruin even the best moments. Some common coping skills for young children include:

🌟Set a timer and take a break somewhere quiet
🌟Coloring or drawing
🌟Ask for help
🌟Take deep belly breaths
🌟Hug a stuffed animal or comfort item

To help teach young children how to use coping skills, model these skills and label what you are doing when you start to feel frustrated. Children are very observant and want to copy what they see their parents doing. This is a perfect opportunity to use it to your benefit!

🌟New Blog Alert!!!🌟 This month we are talking coping skills. Holidays can be a very exciting time for people, but with that much excitement children can start to feel very overwhelmed! Head over to our blog to learn more about how coping skills can help families over the holidays!

Ways to Cope During the Holidays People have to deal with and overcome struggles and difficulties in everyday life. To maintain our mental and emotional well-being during those difficulties, we use coping skills or strategies. Coping skills are behaviors or activities we do to reduce unpleasant emotions and help us regulate them. T...

So excited to announce that Mommy & Me Yoga is coming to Awaken and Restore Yoga Studio, located right down the hallway from The LEAP Clinic!! Option to bring 1 or 2 kids (must be 5 yrs old and under). Rachel May is a beautiful, kind soul and it will be such a great opportunity! This will be a 4 week series in January, every Thursday from 10:00-10:45am to start, to see how it goes. Sign up links are below:

Sign up for 1 kid: https://buy.stripe.com/cN26pCgex9XG7yo14g

Sign up for 2 kids: https://buy.stripe.com/8wM7tG8M59XGaKA8wJ

Getting enough sleep is so important for children and teenagers because it impacts their physical and mental development. Between after school activities, electronics, and early start times for school, they often get far less sleep than they need. Are your children getting enough sleep each night? Are they fighting you to go to sleep? If so, let us help you navigate bedtime so your child can be well rested for the next day!

 

The LEAP Clinic wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!! Hope spending time with those you love leaves you plenty to be thankful for!!! I am so thankful for all of my clients and families who I work with who allow me to get a glimpse into their life and support them on their journey!

Breaking News
Fall Fest is still ON
We moved to Wissahickon High School.
Same time: Noon-5p.m.

Thank you everyone for your patience.

On this day 22 years ago, 246 people were getting ready for their morning flights. Another 2606 were preparing for another day's work at the office. 343 brave fire fighters started their morning shift, and 69 dedicated police officers started their morning patrol. Still another 8 paramedics, 8 pilots, and 25 flight attendants out on their pressed uniforms and packed their bags for the start of their long day.

None of them saw past 10:00 am on September 11, 2001. In one single moment, life changed forever. 2996 people lost their life due to the September 11th terrorist attacks and the number still increases with firefighters, paramedics, and civilian support staff who have died from illnesses related to the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of one of the darkest days in US history.

Today we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice on this day 22 years ago.

#911