ADHD continues to be a misunderstood neurological disorder. Typically associated with childhood, most still assume that ADHD doesn’t exist in adults, a myth that contributes to many adults struggling with negative symptoms and the shame, frustration and negative self-image that often result. In addition, the presentation (i.e. range of symptoms) varies so much from person to person it can be difficult to identify and often people are simply labelled as “scattered”, “lazy”, or “irresponsible”.
As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I can relate to these struggles. I was fortunate because I had so much more information about ADHD than most before I was even diagnosed (I actually diagnosed myself and then went to a specialist to confirm my suspicions!). When I speak to both children and adults about ADHD I encourage them to think of it the same way they would diabetes. We have brains that work differently, just like people with diabetes have a pancreas that works differently. Sometimes that “differently” creates difficulties and sometimes hidden gifts.
CBC is screening a new documentary tonight on The Nature of Things on adult ADHD. http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/
For more information on ADHD, here are some reliable sources:
http://caddra.ca
http://www.caddac.ca/cms/page.php?2
http://addvance.com
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Hi! This week is #playtherapyweek in the US. The Association for Play Therapy has launched a number of campaigns and initiatives to raise awareness about #playtherapy. Our Canadian association @cacpt also does a ton of work to regulate and train professionals and inform the public about child and play therapy.
#playtherapy is a specialized form of child therapy that recognizes the unique developmental needs of children and applies all forms of play including music, art and movement to counselling children. A registered or certified play therapist has undergone advanced training and supervision and ongoing professional development. Contact me to get more info!
I’ve attached a link to the Alberta Play Therapy Association. Check out this lovely explanation of what play therapy is. http://www.albertaplaytherapy.ca/go.php?page=4
Don’t forget to play today!
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Typically this time of year is a time for looking forward, setting goals, renewing commitments and turning the proverbial new leaf. But not me! I want to take a moment to look back at December to tell you about a fantastic conference that I spoke at. The #2016ParentConference: Beautiful Things by #access52 was a packed morning of inspiring speakers all focused on the beauty and challenge of parenting. Each speaker inspired the audience to challenge themselves to find beauty in the messiness of parenting children and adolescents. I truly hope that everyone in attendance walked away feeling uplifted and with renewed confidence. I am so very proud to have been invited to participate. Thanks #access52 !
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By Adriana Sorbo
16 Jan, 2015
adoption, Adriana Sorbo, attachment, brain development, child development, infant development, language development, nature vs. nurture, parenting
brain development, Calgary, Calgary psychologist, Calgary therapist, child, child development, child rearing, children, development, discipline, divorce, parental separation, parenting, play therapy, psychology, social media, teenagers, teens, therapy, time-outs
Hi there! I don’t know about you but I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that it’s already the middle of January. Where did this month go?! The holidays can be a great time to reconnect with family and friends but for many it can also be a stressful time. I hope you were able to rest, connect and recover. I took some time to catch up on some reading and came across a great article in the National Geographic Magazine. I am just fascinated with brain development and especially infant and child brain development. There are so many parenting books, websites, “experts” in everything child rearing, etc. but I think that, fundamentally, the more we know about children’s development, the better caregivers we can be. Stay tuned for further posts on this topic but for now here’s the article. Enjoy!
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/01/baby-brains/bhattacharjee-text
Adriana
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Joining the blogosphere is a little intimidating. There are so many demands competing for our time on a day to day basis and if you’re like me, if the first couple of lines of any online article doesn’t catch my attention I’m gone. That’s a lot of pressure!
In the months to come I hope to keep this blog relevant, interesting and easy to read. So today, is just a little about me. After working for and learning from other (fantastic) people for a long time I decided that it was time to follow my dream and jump into my own private practice. There are so many other great therapists in Calgary and I truly believe that the variety of expertise in this city adds to its richness. As I’ve started out on my own many people have asked me what sets me apart from all those others? The truth is, that’s a hard question to answer. A large part of what works in counselling is the relationship between therapist and client but training and experience matters. What I can say is that I have had the great honour of being trained by some of the most respected experts in the field of child and adolescent therapy. That training culminated by becoming fully registered by the Association of Play Therapy (www.a4pt.org). Play therapy is a specialty recognized the world over as a developmentally sensitive approach to working with children in therapy. More on this in future blogs….. I also completed a certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy. This expanded my toolbox for working with adolescents, adults and families.
I believe strongly in lifelong learning and so I continue to seek out opportunities to learn and deepen my knowledge by attending courses, workshops and regular consultation.
I often find it hard to describe to people what I do in my office every day. There’s no simple explanation but people are curious because it’s a little mysterious to them. “So you don’t have a couch?”, people ask. No, no couch, just comfy chairs. “It must be so hard to listen to people’s problems all day”, people say. It is, but it’s not. It’s humbling is what it is. It sounds so cliche but it is true! I’m always touched and amazed at the courage that my clients have when they sit across from me and allow themselves to become vulnerable; to witness the moment someone gains important insight about their life or makes a decision to change something. I work hard every day to ensure that I am worthy of that honour.
Thanks so much for checking out my site. Stay tuned for future posts on play therapy, brain development, parenting struggles and more!
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