Category: <span>Latest News</span>

Appearance on Ireland AM.

Hello
I will be appearing on Ireland AM this Friday 21st April to answer viewer’s questions/dilemmas. I will be on at approximately 9.35am and 10.10am.
Karen

TV Appearance

Hello
I will be appearing on the G Request Show tomorrow night 23rd August at 7.30 p.m. on Sky Channel 182. The conversation focuses on the value of family therapy for dealing with lots of relationship dilemmas with particular reference to relationship breakdown and children.

Hope you find it useful,
Karen

The sun is shining it must be exam time!

Hello
The weather has been really beautiful and as usual when the sun shines students are indoors doing their Junior and Leaving Cert exams. I have heard parents over the last few days talking about their young person and wondering how best to support them without putting pressure on them.

The focus at this point for parents needs to be one of nurturing the young person. By this I mean making sure they are sleeping well, eating properly and taking some breaks for exercise. Staying up late cramming and relying on caffeine can only add to feelings of anxiety about the exams. As a parent it is useful to remember that this time will pass, they will relax again and your role is to support them through this time by providing extra TLC.

Karen

Keep Calm and Carry On-Dealing with the lead-up to exams

For young people and parents the lead-up to exam time can be a difficult time to deal with. As there is likely to be more anxiety around, tempers can flare, moodiness can be frequent and this can contribute to rows and poor communication in families. Parents and siblings often report they are feeling like “they are walking on eggshells” around exam time.

While parents are trying to encourage their young person, the teenager may feel this as added pressure on them in terms of having also to please their parent(s). So the parent may be better served if they were to be a calm steady presence in the background for their son or daughter. By this I mean paying attention to their basic needs-good food, proper sleep and encouragement to take some study breaks, may be more useful than quizzing them on their study plans and how much they get done each day.

For parents and students alike while this is a stressful time, staying calm and looking after each other may ultimately be the best way of coping with the exam lead-up.

Hope this has been of some help. If you need further support feel free to contact me through the website.
Regards
Karen