October is ADHD Awareness Month!

Strong Children · Strong Families · Strong Communities

October, 2023 | Issue 29

About The Heart Leaf Center

Link to THLC

Books for Children

It's Hard to be a Verb

Written by Julia Cook and illustrated by Carrie Hartman

'It's hard to be a verb! My knees start itching, My toes start twitching, My skin gets jumpy, Others get grumpy.'

In this story by Julia Cook the main character, Louis, describes his experiences, things that can be tough, and things that can be fun. His mother provides him with helpful tips such as doing a dance, writing a list, and using a focus fidget toy! Louis story highlights how behavioral difficulties that can sometimes be related to ADHD can impact children, and ways that they can overcome these challenges with support from their family.

Upcoming Trainings

Connect Four: Play Therapy with Cultural Competence

Training Summary: Join us for a panel discussion as four culturally competent Play Therapists share about different cultural and ethnic experiences: African American, Muslim and Middle Eastern, Eastern Africa, Hispanic, and Asian. These presenters will share their cultural experiences to orient participants and increase cultural awareness with these four populations in the play therapy room. Participants will be able to identify culturally sensitive play therapy toys and play therapy themes that show up in the playroom.

Presenters: Kristian Owens, LCSW, RPT, Masumeh Farchtchi, LMFT, Mi-Kyong Kwon, Ph.D, RPT-S, Liliana Labonte, LPC, RPT

Where: Virtual-Zoom

When: Friday, November 3rd

Presentation: 9:00AM-12:00PM (EST)

Becoming an External Regulator for Trauma Integration in Play Therapy

Training Summary: This engaging and informative training, based on Lisa Dion’s Synergetic model, supports the participant in being able to understand the key components of becoming an external regulator for trauma integration. Participants will dive into concepts such as what the clients brain is scanning for in the environment to indicate a neuroception of safety, how the client borrows the therapists external regulatory system during sessions, what regulation is and is not, and much more.

Presenters: Judith Norman, MA, MS, LPC, RPT-S

Where: Virtual-Zoom

When: Friday, December 8th

Presentation: 9:00AM-12:00PM (EST)

OCTOBER IS National ADHD Awareness MONTH!

October is National ADHD Awareness month! Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, can present itself in many different ways for both children and adults and can lead to various unique challenges, needs, and skills. It may present as fidgeting, difficulty focusing, disorganization, forgetfulness, or other symptoms! This article from CHADD provides a multitude of information related to parenting a child with ADHD including ways to help your child succeed in school, ways to improve home life, and boosting your child's confidence!

Happy Mental Illness Awareness Week!

From October 1st-7th we celebrated Mental Illness Awareness week! The purpose of Mental Illness Awareness Week is to spread awareness and education on the multitude of ways that mental illness can show up for different individuals and the importance of staying educated on the topic.

The Stronger Together peer support group is a psycho-educational group which aims to introduce teens and young adults (age 14-22) to tools that can be used to navigate everyday challenges! Skills that are learned during the group include interpersonal effectiveness, conflict resolution, self-determination, and self-efficacy. A light dinner will be served during each of the 8 weekly sessions and regular attendance to each session is expected! Karen Chaudhry, LCSW who will be running the group has over 20 years of experience working with teens and adults in both individual and group settings!

Click here to learn more and sign up for the group!

THANK YOU!

The Heart Leaf Center is honored to announce that we were awarded as Washington Parent's Pick 2023 Winner in the Mental Health Category! We appreciate everyone's support in nominating and voting for us. We look forward to continuing to grow and support families around Northern Virginia!

Click HERE to enter our play therapy training giveaway! Running October 24th-November 7th!

Follow us on social media @heartleafcenter
Submit an application form!
Tag 2 below this giveaway post on Instagram!
If chosen, choose from one of our virtual training in the month of November, December, or January!

The Heart Leaf Center on Facebook and @heartleafcenter on Instagram

THE HEART LEAF CENTER SPOTLIGHT:

Introducing Rachel Keller, a Social Work Intern from Virginia Commonwealth University!

Why did you decide to become a counselor?

Ever since high school, I knew that I wanted my career to be in Psychology or a psychology-related field. I have always been passionate about helping others and I noticed that I always give people the space to talk.

What do you enjoy the most about working with children or why do you want to work with children?

I enjoy working with children because the way they express themselves can be a little different than adults. They express themselves through objects, art, and related activities. At a young age, it is hard to express your feelings verbally.

What do you like to do in your free time or what do you do for Play?

In my free time, I like to play Pokémon games on my Nintendo switch. I also love getting out in nature. I go on hikes and nature walks in national parks. I have traveled across the United States and love seeing all the different cultures.

Written by Rachel Keller

Hello, my name is Rachel Keller and I am currently getting my Master’s in Social Work from Virginia Common Wealth University. I am doing my master's online. On the flip side, I did all of my undergraduate in person. Doing my master’s program online has been different but I make sure to keep in touch with my professors. I believe that I can do both online and in person. I actually got my bachelor's in Psychology from George Mason University with a concentration in Forensic and Legal Psychology. Switching majors was uncomfortable at first but I have learned that Psychology and Social Work go hands-on with each other. Needless to say, I have been learning new material. What I have learned throughout my professional career is never to give up. Some days may be hard while others will not be. It is crucial to follow your passion especially when it comes to your professional career. With that being said, helping people is my passion. Even if I have to try twice as hard to achieve something, I will not give up. Even if there are some obstacles, you can rise from the ashes. Life is all about learning even if you fail at something at first. Sometimes we have to hit that bottom in order to grow. I am here to learn and achieve my dream of becoming a Social Worker. Follow your passion and make it a reality. The bottom line is, that your dreams can be achievable too.

Happy National ADHD Awareness Month!

October 1st-31st, 2023

You can make a difference towards the healing of children and families in

Northern Virginia!

·703-397-8163 · info@heartleafcenter.org

Visit our website: theheartleafcenter.org