August Letter from the Editor: Healthy Back to School

July 21, 2011 by

Where did the summer go?  We hope yours flew by with a family vacation, summer camps, and fun in the sun!  As fall approaches, families are busy preparing for school to kick back in gear.  If you’re like most families, the beginning of the school year brings mixed emotions.

Parents often feel relieved to return to a routine and get a break from arranging summer entertainment, concerned about how children will adjust to a new school year, fearful of new academic and behavior challenges, optimistic about what’s to come, or even sad or guilty about lack of quality time spent.  Children feel excited to see friends, proud to move to another grade level, ashamed about being held back a grade, or anxious about a new school year, new teachers, new classmates.  College brings even more mixed emotions and challenges as independence and increased responsiblity bring freedom yet also fear.

Change is exciting but not always faced with excitement.  We hope you will find some helpful information and inspiration on our website to develop healthy habits as we transition into another school year.  We challenge your family to consider healthy food choices (for example, packing an apple in your child’s lunch instead of chips), exercise (possibly bike riding together to school instead of driving if possible and safe), and healthy ways to express and cope with the mixed emotions (such as positive self-talk and deep breathing).  Best wishes for the school year! :)

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Filed Under: Child/Teen Health, Child/Teen Mental Health, Mental Wellness, Mindful Parents
About Kimberly Rodgers, LCSW, RPT-S

Kimberly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Florida and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor through the Association for Play Therapy. She also supervises clinical social work interns pursuing licensure. She has worked as a psychotherapist for twelve years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia and Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Central Florida.

Her experience includes foster care, adoption, youth shelter, youth related research, school-based counseling, and sexual assault crisis center settings prior to private practice. She specializes in counseling children, families, and adults struggling with stress, anxiety, trauma, and adjustment to life transitions. Kimberly is a current Board member of the Mental Health Association of Southwest Florida and former Vice-President of the Southwest Florida chapter of the Association for Play Therapy. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers and EMDR International Association.

Kimberly is founder of Monarch Wellness (originally Monarch Therapy), an integrative center focused on empowering individuals and families through emotional and behavioral metamorphosis. In addition to counseling and play therapy, the center offers other supportive modalities to further enhance emotional healing and stress management including support groups, yoga, laughter yoga, breathwork, integrative relaxation, and sound therapy. Monarch Wellness' sister site eFitFamily.com offers health related information and inspiration for everyday families to live healthier every day. The center is also involved with House of Gaia community center and other community and service focused organizations. More information about Kimberly and her practice can be found online: www.MonarchWellness.net.

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