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This is my painting. It doesn’t have a name. It started out as a flower and then it ended up this way. I was reflecting and painting based off the day my client had.

My client was really stressed out after school. So we decided to paint a picture. It helped my client calm down and open up about their day. My client really enjoyed the activity. I did have something else in my to work on but sometimes you have to improvise and go with the mood of the day.

My client felt better and open up like a Butterfly 🦋…

Here’s my client painting. Titled: “Lines”

Happy Friday Everyone!!

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I’m not sure if many of you know that I am a mental health therapist for children and young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. When I first started my job I was very nervous and thought the worse things a therapist can think of when providing therapy. I had to call one of my go to persons to help me feel better and confident. He assured me that I will do well and I will make an impact. My first few days of counseling was the scariest. It’s was only scary because I was allowing thoughts to effect me.

Photo Courtesy of Psychology Today

I love what I do. I find that providing therapy to others is very productive. Not only do I help them with their issues. I learn more and more about myself. Often times after session. I reflect on the session, assessing what works and what doesn’t. I also look at new ways to get a break throw. I love it when my clients have a break through. It’s as if the the light bulb just went off and they finally get what they felt was so hard to understand and or accomplish.

An Aha Moment is Always Rewarding.

I knew I wanted to be a therapist since I was a little girl. I remember watching a television show and the lady on the show was a Therapist. I said I’m going to do that when I get older. I always knew I wanted to help people by listening. I didn’t start out as a Therapist because Teaching was something I needed to accomplish before becoming a Counselor. Teaching was what helped me become a better mom for my child with Autism. I was fully equipped with laws and my rights as a parent with a child with a disability. I’ll tell you there is nothing like knowing your rights as a parent when dealing with your child’s development.

I made sure he had everything he was entitled. I also made sure he received any service he needed to help he improve.

I still teach!!

I teach the little ones. I’m a Preschool Teacher. I love Teaching the little ones especially the Special Ones. I love making sure services are in place for them and educating parents on their rights.

I’m known as the Social- Emotional Teacher Advocate Specialist at School. That’s not my job title but I swear it because of all of the work I do.

Just wanted to share a little bit more about myself. I teach during the day and I’m at Therapist by Night! 😊

What’s the use of patterns? Think about it. 🤔How often do we use patterns? ❤️💙❤️💙❤️

When growing  up you learn how to make patterns. You learn how to make simple patterns to complex patterns. You make short patterns even long ones. You make extended patterns and even make a new pattern.

Does the knowledge of patterns prepare us for the patterns we endure in life.

Now in life we experience patterns. We experience many patterns. We can go through simple patterns like the ones we learn in school and this can consist of our thinking, daily routines , how we handle small situations, and the little quirks about us. Then we have our more complex patterns and these patterns, are our relationships, money, and life. The complex patterns happen as we get older. We can choose to add on to these patterns, omit from them or create an entirely new pattern.

These past few months the theme around me seem to be breaking and creating new patterns. I’ve been breaking patterns and habits and so have many of my friends as well as clients. I’ve found that many people repeat patterns because the outcome is always the same making it familiar and easy to manage. Some people don’t want to break these patterns because of it’s familiarity. What is familiar, helps us feel safe and secure. It’s because we know what’s next.

I use to love familiarity. Always knowing what was happening next helped me be in control. So repeating wasn’t so bad as long as I knew the outcome and I was in control. However, I realized it was a problem, because of this pattern I didn’t know how to adapt to new things being placed on my path. I’d have panic attacks and start thinking the worse possible things ever. I’d cry for days, wanted to be alone, and didn’t know how I was going to adapt. I realized that I needed to change and to learn new patterns of thinking. It all started with my thinking. Once I changed my thinking I changed my patterns. I added and omitted what was or wasn’t working. I felt like a new person. I love change now and love creating new patterns.

There are some patterns I still repeat because I haven’t quite changed that part of thinking that controls this particular behavior. But once I change my thinking, I will create a new behavior and then add to my pattern.

Some patterns are okay to repeat but it must be healthy patterns. Understand that Opportunities may be missed if you stay in a pattern because of its predictability.  If you want change, change your patterns that causes unwanted behaviors.

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Some decisions are hard to make but when you make your finally decision. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing you made the decision for you.

Justin had a hard decision to make two weeks ago. He wanted to join Marching Band for his first year of High School. Yup! I now have a high school student. He missed several practices in July due to going home for the summer with his Dad. So August 14 was his first day of March Band Camp, it was a long day and boy oh boy, was he exhausted. He complained and I calmly listened and told him to think about things and give Marching Band a chance at least for the first week. He agreed, prepared for the next day and then got ready for bed.

I felt a little uneasy when I woke up in the morning. Couldn’t put my finger on exactly why I was feeling that way until both Justin and I walked out the door. You see, marching band practice is right in our backyard. Well his old school is, it’s so close it only takes Justin two minutes to get there. As I’m walking to the car, Justin is walking to practice, my mommy radar kicked in on high alert. I knew I had to remain calm because he was in a crisis and he needed help deciding what to do.

So I took a deep breath and asked him what’s wrong. He said ” I’m late and I don’t want to get in trouble”, he’s breathing really fast while he’s saying this. He’s also hiding so they can’t see him. I said okay, “what would you like to do?”, He said ” I want to go home, I don’t think I want to do this anymore.” I gave him a hug and told him to go home and relax and to not worry about things I’ll email the teacher. He thanked me about a millions times 😊.

I emailed the teacher letting her know about Justin’s feelings, she asked if we can meet and I agreed. Before we can meet the teacher Justin received so many text messages from his band mates. Some messages was nice and some not so nice. I was pissed because these messages was making Justin’s decision even harder to make. I’ll admit so of his mates were supportive while others were very mean.

When I mentioned this to the Marching Band Teacher it was passed off as just kids being kids. I get that but we need to teach our children to be supportive and to not make other children feel bad about making decisions for their future. After talking to his past Band Teacher and now his current teacher Justin decided to stay.

He made the decision on his own. I took his phone away so he can clearly think without the criticism or judgment. I listened to his feelings and reservations about being apart of marching band. He was happy with his decision and for now decided to only do it this school year.

I’m proud he made the best decision for him.

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Today, We decided to food shop, clean, relax, play games, go to the movies, and do lunch. Which won't be all in that order but it's going to take place today.

He's so much taller than I am. I miss him being my size or smaller. I'm glad he's back home. I've missed him being home. He came back a little anxious about school and friendships but we worked out his worries. I make sure I make it easy for him to come to me with anything he has going on in his mind. I try my best not to be his therapist but be his Mom with a lot of understanding.

He appreciates it. I'm glad my own personal and professional growth has changed me enough to be a better person for him.

He will always be one of my reasons why I do what I do. I love being his Mom 😊

The Emoji Movies was good. Go Check it out.

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By the way… I’m Show White. 

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Blizzard 2016 arrived and we didn’t have school yesterday. We both enjoyed a three day weekend. He got to go outside and have a snow ball fight with his friends and I got to catch up on treatment plans and lesson plans. I’m a teacher by day and a counselor by night. I don’t know how I make it work. Somehow it just all works. 

Yesterday I recieved a text letting me know that the schools will be closed again due to the amount of snow still left on the roads in the town I work in. I’m sure you may have seen it on the news. Many of Newarks residents are upset with the Mayor for not removing the snow in a timely and orderly fashion. I feel for the residents of Newark especially for those who live on side streets. It takes the city days before they get to you and plow your street and that’s with just a few inches. I’m sure it’s really gonna take them time with over 2ft of snow. 

Well any! I got another snow day and he didn’t. Justins not happy 😔 but I am ☺️. I have to attend his IEP meeting anyway today! He keeps questioning me on what I will be doing for the day. I told him for one thing I will be at your school and attending your IEP meeting. He smiled. I explained to him in a few years well actually next year he will begin to attend his IEP meeting. I can’t believe it. He’s going to be in the 8th grade and then off to High School. 😱

Time sure has ticked tocked by fast.