Dr. Tali Shenfield holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto and is a licensed school and clinical psychologist. She has taught at the University of Toronto and has worked at institutions including the Hospital for Sick Children, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, TDSB, and YCDSB. Dr. Shenfield is the Founder and Clinical Director of Advanced Psychology Services.
Research into attachment theory shows that the type of bond a child forms with their primary caregiver has important developmental implications. Kids who are securely attached to a caregiver (beginning in infancy) have significantly better social and communication skills (including empathy, cooperation, and trust) than kids who experience insecure or avoidant attachment. As a result, they typically form stronger, healthier ...
Time is our most precious resource, but few of us know how to manage it properly: According to research, less than one in five people employ any formal time management system. In addition to having a detrimental impact on productivity, this lack of time management contributes to multiple physical and mental health concerns, including reduced sleep quality and higher rates ...
The prospect of becoming a step-parent is an exciting part of starting a new relationship; however, it’s crucial to manage your expectations and understand the challenges that potentially lay ahead. Step-families are inherently more complicated than traditional families because they involve more people and, in some cases, there’s a history of conflict between the child’s biological parents. ...
Though eating disorders are typically associated with young women, they can affect people of any age and gender, including boys. Currently, at least one-third of eating disorder patients are men, and rates of disordered eating are rising more quickly in young males than females. These trends accelerated during the pandemic, as many children attempted to cope with heightened anxiety, isolation, ...
Children are experiencing a historic disruption in social development. The Covid-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated the preexisting trend of kids relying on digital devices (rather than face-to-face conversation) to stay in touch with peers, a phenomenon linked to language delays and increased social anxiety. Kids with poor communication skills also have more difficulties with academic learning, and research shows they face ...
ADHD is notoriously difficult to differentiate from typical childhood behaviour. Small children are often hyperactive, impulsive, and moody because their executive functioning skills haven’t developed fully, which mimics the deficits seen in those with ADHD. For this reason, most experts recommend waiting until a child is five or six years old before pursuing ADHD screening (unless the child’s ...
Establishing clear, consistent rules is fundamental to good parenting. Kids need structure to feel secure in their environment, learn the importance of boundaries, and understand which behaviors are appropriate. When applied in excess, however, rules can be counterproductive; while authoritative parenting is associated with a range of developmental benefits, controlling parenting can cause emotional and psychological harm. Knowing the difference ...
Praise has long been extolled for its virtues as a positive parenting tool. When used correctly, praise is a great way to let kids know which behaviours are appropriate, help them rebound from setbacks, and build their self-esteem. Unfortunately, praise also has a dark side: Excessive, nonspecific admiration from parents has the potential to encourage narcissistic traits – while actually harming ...
Anxiety disorders are found in children much more often than many people realize; ten to twenty percent of all children ...
The human brain processes all sensory information whether or not you are fully aware of it. Most children are able ...
Politics has always been a controversial topic, but rarely has our political climate been as divisive as it is right ...
