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.
With as busy as most parents are, it’s easy to overlook the many small opportunities we have to strengthen our relationship with our kids. Fortunately, building a solid, trusting bond with your child doesn’t require hours of research or complex parenting techniques. Instead, as is the case with any relationship, the parent-child connection thrives on consistent positive attention. ...
Adolescence is a period of intense growth. The parents of young teens often feel like their child has changed overnight, becoming moody, withdrawn, and difficult to reach. Newly altered behaviour and speech patterns can make it seem like your teen is suddenly speaking a foreign language—leading to frequent disagreements and misunderstandings. The first step to interacting with your teen ...
Bilingualism is a cornerstone of Canadian culture, and research shows that it’s only becoming more prevalent. The rate of French-English bilingualism rose from 17.4% in 2006 to 17.5% in 2011, and the number of Canadians who speak either English or French and another non-official language fluently is also on the rise. In 2016, 14.5% of all Canadians reported speaking a language other than French or ...
The news that your child has an eating disorder is something no parent wants to hear. Unfortunately, all too often, this revelation comes as a complete surprise. Not all eating disorders are marked by sudden, dramatic weight loss, and in many cases, the patient manages to hide her (or his) condition for months or even years. This delays treatment and ...
As any parent knows, kids are prone to worrisome behaviour. Whether it’s throwing explosive tantrums, telling fibs, ignoring the boundaries of others, or being sarcastic, children of all ages display odd and often unhelpful quirks. Many parents react to these behaviours with concern: What if they indicate the presence of a character flaw? What if they’re a sign ...
The motivations of adolescents sometimes appear completely irrational to adult eyes. What your teen says she wants and what she actually does may be so distant from one another as to seem contradictory. Your teen might sincerely want to join a sports team or excel in music, for example, then refuse to practice. She might dream of getting into a ...
The last two years have been a period of prolonged stress and isolation for many people, leading to an increase in restlessness, irritability, inattention, and other symptoms that resemble attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a result, a significant number of previously asymptomatic adults have begun to consider, or even actively pursue, an ADHD diagnosis. If you’re among those wondering ...
Parents of neurotypical children simply take it for granted that a school-aged child can get dressed on his own, feed himself at mealtimes, and complete other age-appropriate tasks. For the parents of children with learning disabilities or mental health issues, on the other hand, the normal progression from helpless infant to self-reliant adult is less clear. Sometimes these kids really ...
Politics has always been a controversial topic, but rarely has our political climate been as divisive as it is right ...
For parents, even the little white lies that children sometimes tell - e.g., claiming to have completed their homework ...
The human brain processes all sensory information whether or not you are fully aware of it. Most children are able ...
