Erin Castleberry Counseling & Educational Services, LLC

Depression (Taylor's Version) - Blog - Waypoint Wellness Center We think we know what depression looks like: crying, isolation, binging or starving, lethargy, brain fog. We probably don’t picture a megastar tackling a worldwide concert tour without missing a beat. We don’t imagine she would be in such great shape that she could train for this tour by singing...

“If you invite someone into your home and they start breaking things and insulting the decor, you don’t have to hate them, but you wouldn’t invite them into your home anymore. Boundaries are doing the same thing except your home is your mind. Your home is your heart. Your home is your time and your life. Univite the guests who don’t know how to treat your home with respect.” – Doe Zantamata

A personal boundary expresses where your responsibilities or space begins and other people’s end. It involves your body, emotions, and anything else that affects you. We have to love and respect ourselves enough to not let others use or abuse us.
When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. ❤☀

The Price of Popularity - Blog - Waypoint Wellness Center Do you remember the popular kids from your middle or high school experience? In my Boston-area middle school, these were the fast crowd kids who were first to throw coed parties, first to experiment with substances, and often first to cut another kid down for not falling in line.   The Perks of Po...

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ATTENTION PARENTS: Calling on legislatures to do more, US surgeon General Vivek Murthy says, “For too long, we have placed the entire burden of managing social media on the shoulders of parents and kids, despite the fact that these platforms are designed by some of the most talented engineers and designers in the world to maximize the amount of time that our kids spend on them. So that is not a fair fight. It’s time for us to have the backs of parents and kids.”

Social media presents ‘profound risk of harm’ for kids, surgeon general says, calling attention to lack of research | CNN There’s not enough evidence to determine whether social media is safe enough for children and adolescents when it comes to their mental health, according to a new advisory from the US surgeon general.

PARENTS: The earlier a child begins using a smart phone the worse their mental health as adults. Early smart phone ownership predicts LOWER levels of self-worth, motivation, and resilience as well as MORE sadness, anxiety and aggression...particularly for girls.

Are you looking for compelling evidence to make the hard choice of going against the crowd by NOT giving your child a smart phone? Here is an ongoing collaborative review of relevant studies to help you back up your argument.

Social Media and Mental Health Social Media and Mental Health: A Collaborative Review An ongoing open-source literature review posted and curated by Jonathan Haidt (NYU-Stern) and Jean Twenge (San Diego State U), with research assistance from Zach Rausch. You can cite this document as: Haidt, J., & Twenge, J. (ongoing). Soc...

In honor of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, I’m doing a series of virtual presentations for the Howard County Health Department on social media & mental health. Join me for tips to help your kids make safe and healthy social media choices this summer and beyond. There will be time for Q&A at the end. Tickets are FREE. Register using the link below for access. 👇

6/9: parents of ages 3-8
6/10: parents of ages 8-12
6/11: parents of ages 13-17

Social Media for Parents - Guide to Healthy Summer Habits Social Media for Parents - Guide to Healthy Summer Habits

My latest blog post on what needing to be “right” really means and how to resolve conflict without compromising your needs or your relationships.

Breaking through the "I'm right!" battle % Have you ever argued with someone about the “right way” to do something? The “right way” to tackle a problem?  The “right way” to get somewhere? Each person is sure they’re right. Each person is certain their way is the best way. This kind of conflict can be maddening because you have...

People make mistakes. While sometimes difficult, it’s a worthy goal to remain open to the possibility that they can grow and change.

Toxic traits.

My husband and I have two teenage sons and we are so grateful (& proud) that they check off all of these. ❤️👬❤️

7 Ways Teen Boys Show They're Grateful to Their Parents Gratitude and love obviously show up differently for everybody, but the little gestures, especially with teens, are more than meets the eye.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND you take 10 minutes to read this article which is less about how to persuade people or win arguments and more about how to connect with people to reach compromise. Very well written!

Harvard negotiator explains how to argue Arguments are a necessary part of life. But there are three barriers we need to overcome to have better, more productive arguments.

This article captures not only my counseling approach, but also my personal approach to parenting. ❤️

“Do I want my kids to experience happiness? Without a doubt, yes. I want them to feel happiness as kids and as adults; this is why I’m so focused on building resilience. Resilience, in many ways, is our ability to experience a wide range of emotions and still feel like ourselves. Resilience helps us bounce back from the stress, failure, mistakes, and adversity in our lives. Resilience allows for the emergence of happiness.

Developing resilience doesn’t mean we become immune to stress or struggle — these are, of course, unavoidable facts of life — but our resilience determines how we relate to those difficult moments as well as how we experience them. People who are resilient are better able to cope when stressful moments arise. Here’s a helpful (though slightly oversimplified) equation: stress + coping = internal experience. The good news? Resilience is not a static character trait that children possess or lack; it’s a skill that can be cultivated, and one that, hopefully, parents help instill in their kids from a young age. Because we can’t always change the stressors around us, but we can always work on our ability to access resilience.”

Parents: Don't focus on happiness, help build resilience instead Parents want their children to be happy, but resilience will help them better overcome life's unavoidable challenges.

So proud to be practicing at Waypoint Wellness Center…voted #1 mental health provider in Severna Park!

Our Readers Have Spoken: The Best Of Severna Park 2023 Winners After two months of tallying votes, we have the totals for this year’s Best Of Severna Park contest.

Interesting article on the importance of having good friends…and “good enough” friends.

A Teenage Experience Cherished for Generations Is Disappearing. What Are We Really Losing? On Jason and Mark, and an adolescent shift that gnaws at me.

HEADS-UP PARENTS: When kids are young, it’s important to protect them from being exposed to inappropriate content on social media. We also need to teach them how to use social media responsibly. Healthy parenting in this area looks like curating and monitoring app use and age-appropriate teaching. But, how do we monitor and teach kids when we don’t know what to look for? This article provides useful (if explicit) information on deciphering sexual communication online.

2023 Sexual Slang: Phrases and Emojis Parents Need to Know We’ve rounded up the latest sexual slang, emojis, sexting codes, and sexting text meanings for families. Here’s what you need to know!

HEADS-UP PARENTS: If you’re still in the monitoring stage of your child’s technology use, this article may be very insightful. It will help you decipher emoji text conversations to determine whether they’re related to drug use.

2023 Drug Slang Emojis: Here’s What Every Parent Needs to Know Learn how to recognize common drug slang emojis and terms your child may be exposed to on social media and in text messages.

If you’re like me, you have some the social media apps just to know how they work so you can help your kids navigate potential pitfalls. One of the downsides to doing that is that others may not know you use the app in such a limited way, including strangers who might try to add you if you haven’t managed your settings properly. Here is a great tutorial for blocking unwanted contact on SnapChat:

How To Stop Random People Adding You On Snapchat It’s time to stop random Snapchat friends.

BUT…we all need to understand that a dumpster fire could very well be burning just beyond the lens. It’s okay to focus on and preserve and share the sweet moments of our lives. We just have to normalize the fact that life is messy—everyone’s life is messy—and not because you’re doing it wrong or someone else is better at life than you are. Life is just messy AND beautiful. So, savor the good when you have it. It’s special...even the mess is special.

Heads Up TikTok users and parents of users.

TikTok's screen time limit for teens: How it works, and how to get around it TikTok says it's promoting conversations about 'digital well-being' in its new 60-minute screen limit for teens

Check out my latest blog post.

The law of 150: How a large social media audience may induce bad behavior - Blog - Waypoint Wellness Center In the television show, 1923 (a Yellowstone spin-off), main character Jacob Dutton references a study of ancient tribes which found that societies with fewer than 500 people were able to get along and work communally. That is to say, members focused on doing what was good for the group; they looked....

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/health/young-people-phone-calls-trust-loneliness-wellness-partner

The important reason why young people need to make more phone calls | CNN Calling someone engaging in a meaningful conversation over the phone can alleviate loneliness and help young people reconnect with others. Having dialogue in real time creates an opportunity to ask questions and listen, along with sharing knowledge and ideas in a mutual space.

Something to think about and something I cover in my social media presentations.

TikTok loves true confessions. Colleges, not so much. Generation Z grew up online. Their ‘digital footprints’ on apps such as TikTok may haunt them.

Here's a little love for the INTROVERTS! We all have strengths and one set of strengths isn't more valuable than another when it comes to human interaction. Even if the world seems to value or reward extroverts more, there is immense value in being and valuing the input from introverts. It takes ALL kinds!

A neuroscientist shares the 4 ‘highly coveted’ skills that set introverts apart: ‘Their brains work differently’ Neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius has worked with companies like Google and Deloitte on how to retain top talent. While many leaders prefer to hire extroverts, she says introverts are often more successful at work.

Waypoint Wisdom is back! Today, Erin Castleberry, MS, LCPC, NCC is focusing on cognitive dissonance.