A New Approach, PLLC

Last chance to sign up for our Friday event! Perfectionism and self acceptance.

Does your child struggle with perfectionism or fear of mistakes?
This one-night collage workshop helps kids explore imperfection, creativity, and self-compassion—in a fun, low-pressure setting.

Big expectations. Sensitive kids. Creative relief. 💛

🗓 Feb 27 | 5:30–7:00 PM | Canton
🎨 One-night workshop | $30

DBT Skills Groups & ADHD: More Than Just “Paying Attention”

Kids with ADHD often know what they’re supposed to do—staying focused, managing big feelings, waiting their turn—but their brains need skills, not just reminders.

DBT skills groups help children with ADHD by teaching:

🧠 Emotional regulation – handling frustration, rejection, and overwhelm without melting down

⏸️ Impulse control – pausing before reacting and making choices they feel good about later

🗣️ Social skills – navigating friendships, conflict, and group settings with more confidence

🧘 Mindfulness (kid-friendly!) – building awareness of their body, thoughts, and emotions

And because it’s a group, kids learn they’re not alone—and they get to practice these skills in real time, with support and encouragement.

DBT isn’t about changing who your child is.
It’s about giving them tools to work with their brain, not against it. 💜 Check out our DBT skills groups!

👋 New child group announcement! 🖊️ Sign ups starting NOW. Emotion regulation for tweens.

🌟 Test Anxiety Isn’t a Study Problem — It’s a Brain Problem. Here’s Why. 🌟

Ever blank on a test even though you definitely studied?
That isn’t failure — that’s a brain glitch.

When your nervous system senses pressure (yes, even from a vocab quiz), your amygdala hits the alarm button. Suddenly your brain is prioritizing survival mode instead of recall mode.
It’s trying to save you from a tiger that… doesn’t exist. 🐅✏️

And here’s the twist most people don’t talk about:

Your working memory — the “backpack” your brain uses to hold information — gets stuffed full of things like:
• “What if I fail?”
• “My mind always goes blank.”
• “Everyone will think I’m not smart.”

By the time the test begins, there’s barely any space left for the things you actually learned.

Test anxiety isn’t about ability. It’s about bandwidth.
Clear the emotional clutter → your knowledge finally has room to show up.

With the right tools, students can teach their brains to shift out of panic mode and into performance mode. And that’s the part we help with. We will list just a few of the strategies we help children learn and use in the comments.

💜 If your child struggles with test anxiety, support is available.
A New Approach Counseling | Canton, MA