After a summer of play, trips, and adventure, it’s time for the kids to go back to school! Of course, going back to school can be stressful – a new grade, a new teacher, a new class, maybe even a new school. Middle school students have new experiences with class schedules, combination locks, and after...Read More

In her book, Wired for Joy, Laurel Mellin describes the Emotional Brain Training program (EBT) for combating stress, a program that draws on neuroplasticity for rewiring the circuits in our brain that trigger stress. In EBT, we have a description of five brain states in relation to five areas of function. Over the course of...Read More

Psychologists have identified five major personality traits (ocean). How would you describe your personality? Are you open to new ideas and activities or do you tend to avoid new experiences? Are you conscientious, self-disciplined, and achievement-oriented or are you rather spontaneous and freewheeling? Are you extraverted, assertive, and sociable or do you prefer individual or...Read More