Category Archives: Middle/Junior High School

Resilience During the Pandemic

I was feeling mightily sorry for myself the other day. My job is incredibly hard right now, harder than it has been at any other time since I became a licensed psychologist 28 years ago. A couple of other notably difficult times come to mind: the weeks after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on American soil and the weeks following the 2016 presidential election. Neither of those times comes anywhere close to the challenge I face in my work with clients these days. Continue reading

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Parenting Against Ism’s

Since the senseless, brutal death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers six weeks ago, I have attempted to write a post that would be helpful to parents in some way. I have a bunch of crappy drafts ready for the trash bin. Continue reading

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LET ME OUT OF HERE!

I have a problem. For the first time, I am starting this post with no clear ending in sight. No clever title (yet), no poignant vignette. I’m only about 82.7% sure about the point I’m trying to make. I’m writing this post to help me gain clarity about a problem that is brewing in my household. Continue reading

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Bah, Humbug!

‘Tis the season to be jolly. Yes, well, and stressed, tired, overfed, overindulged, greedy, spoiled, and cranky. No, I’m not a Scrooge, but I spend a lot of my time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s working with families who really … Continue reading

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Talking Turkey and Gratitude

Reposting this from 2014. This Thanksgiving, it feels more important than ever to focus on gratitude. For those of us fortunate enough to sit down tomorrow at a turkey-and-fixings laden table with friends and family, I have one sincere wish. … Continue reading

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What (Adult) Kids Want Us to Know: Growing up with OCD

After publishing 101 posts, I was starting to feel like I had said just about everything I have to say. I was considering laying this blog to rest and moving on to other pursuits. Then, I was in a session … Continue reading

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De-Escalating Conflict with Kids

Imagine the following interaction that took place in my office earlier this week between 17-year-old Shondi, her mother. and me. Mom (angrily): Tell Dr. Sayers what you and your friends did. Shondi: [says nothing, sinks lower into the sofa, shrugs … Continue reading

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The Last Word on the Last Word

I like to have the Last Word. Who doesn’t, right? In many of my roles, I usually get to have the Last Word: as a professor in a graduate program, as an owner of a private practice, and certainly as … Continue reading

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Questioning vs. Criticizing

In early May, I put out a request on Facebook to grandmothers and grandfathers. I asked for suggestions for a post that would be of interest to them in their role as grandparents. I received eight suggestions. One was about … Continue reading

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The Parent-Teacher-Student Partnership

You may have noticed that I have not posted anything new in several weeks. There are two reasons for this. First, I have been deeply immersed in creative writing over the summer due to the slower pace, visits to places … Continue reading

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