In this episode of The Playful Psychologist, I explore 'Theory of Mind' (TOM). Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states: beliefs, intents, desires, emotions, opinions, and knowledge, etc. to oneself & to others. Theory of mind is necessary to understand that others have beliefs, opinions, and feelings that are different to our own. TOM begins to develop at a pretty young age, around the 18 months to 2 years. At this age, children showing concern for others is the most obvious way that children show TOM. You may even notice that your child frowns or gets irritable when another child is upset or an adult is yelling. They may even attempt to console that person using words/phrases they have heard other adults use. 

Having TOM is a really important social skill, as it provides the ability to predict and interpret the behaviour of others. During infancy and early childhood, children learn the early skills that they'll need to develop their theory of mind later on, such as paying attention to people and copying them. Theory of mind is crucial for everyday human social interactions and is used when analysing, judging, and inferring others' behaviours. 

This episode will help you understand:
- What is Theory of Mind?
- Why is TOM so important?
- How do kids show TOM at different ages?
- How can you encourage your kids to show TOM?
- Do all kids show TOM?
- What to do if you are concerned your child is not showing TOM?

If you have any questions about this episode, email me at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram @theplayfulpsychologist.

In this week's episode of The Playful Psychologist, I talk about my personal experiences growing up with a brother on the autism spectrum. I explore sibling jealousy/craving attention, sibling anxiety/guilt, worries about the future, and when my relationship with my own brother began to change and why. Having a sibling on the autism spectrum is challenging, and my aim with this episode is to highlight the difficulties that typically developing siblings experience. We talk about the mental health of parents and the mental health of the individual with additional needs, however the mental health of siblings seems to slip under the radar.

I discuss two resources in this podcast:

To access my published research on siblings of people with autism, follow this link https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/publications and click on the second button to download it as a PDF for free.

To purchase 'Dealing with Autism' by my mother, Randa Habelrih, click on this link: https://www.randahabelrih.com/mybooks/

In this episode of The Playful Psychologist, I share how you can use ANY story book to create an emotional learning lesson. I also share my own favourite picture books and  give you the reasons as to why I love them, and how to use them to facilitate a lesson on emotional awareness, identification, and regulation. 

Most story books have a clear beginning middle and ending and you can use almost any story book to talk about emotions. Picture books are perfect for teaching about emotions at home, but are also super useful in the classroom. The role of the 21st Century teacher has changed drastically. While teachers are there to facilitate your child’s learning, their roles and responsibilities have changed dramatically over the past few decades. When we think of the role of a teacher, we think of planning activities, delivering instructions, assessing learning, and managing classroom behaviour. However, more recently, teachers have been expected to also juggle their existing role, whilst also monitoring and assessing the emotional and behavioural well-being of their students. This is an extremely challenging task for teachers, especially considering that most teachers do not feel as though they are given adequate training during their tertiary studies to work on emotional expression/regulation skills with their students. This podcast episode explains how to use story books to explore these lessons with students at school, with your clients in therapy AND with your own kids at home.

For your reference, the books discussed are:

For Younger Children:

In My Heart by Jo Witek 

Unstoppable Me by Bethany Hamilton & Adam Dirks

Inside Out (the story books/activity books) by Disney Book Group

When I'm Feeling (series) by Tracey Moroney

The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside  

The Great Big Book of Feelings by Mary Hoffman & Ros Asquith

My Mixed Emotions: Help Your Kids Handle Their Feeling by Maureen Healy

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath & Mary Reckmayer

For Older Kids & Teens:

Some Brains by Nelly Thomas

Hey Warrior by Karen Young

Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders

Today's episode is all about mindfulness. The episode includes evidence-based information on what mindfulness is and the broader implications of practicing mindfulness regularly. I explain why I think it is important for kids and how it can help with impulse control, emotional regulation, and social skill development. I also explain why I think it is best used as a preventative strategy. I then go on to share my favourite Youtube videos and explain how I use them in therapy, and share my top three favourite mindfulness apps.

In the session transcript, I’ve included a huge range of free links to free mindfulness activity downloads so you can have a read through them as well and implement them however you please. 

In this episode of The Playful Psychologist, I chat about anxiety and children. Did you know that anxiety is the most common mental health diagnosis in children, and that 1 in 10 children experience high levels of anxiety? Even more concerning, is the statistic that 1 in every 14 young Australians (aged 4-14) have experienced an anxiety disorder! This episode will hopefully shine some light on childhood anxiety, by discussing the following:

- The difference between fear vs anxiety
- Signs of anxiety in children
- Causes of anxiety
- Different presentations of anxiety

I also answer the five most common questions asked of me in regards to anxiety!

For more information, including blog posts and free resource links specifically related to anxiety, head to my website: www.theplayfulpsychologist.com!

Hi and WELCOME! This first episode is just a quick introduction to me, who I am, and what you can expect from this podcast in future episodes! 

I can't wait to share more content with you guys in the future!