Bio
- @BabyShrink
Specialties:
- Psychology
- View Credentials
Links:
Group Memberships
Credentials
- Education
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Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, Alliant/CSPP-LA, Los Angeles, CA, 1994MA, Clinical Psychology, Alliant/CSPP-LA, Los Angeles, CA, 1992BA, Psychology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, 1990
- Internship
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Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, Wright Institute Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 1993 -- 1995Disaster Response/Critical Incident Debriefing/Forensics, Ventura County Department of Mental Health, Ventura, CA, 1994 -- 1996
- Additional Certifications of Specialty Qualifications
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1997 -- present1996 -- present1994 -- 199619951996
- Professional Membership or Societies
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American Psychological Association, 1994 -- currentHawaii Psychological Association, 2001 -- current
Activity
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Can vaccines cause autism?
People are desperate to find a cause for autism. Childhood vaccines protect children from some of the most horrible, deadly, disfiguring, dangerous illnesses that routinely used to kill thousands. Are there dangers with vaccines? Of course. As for all medical treatments, you must weigh the
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At what age should a child be potty trained?
This is an issue that triggers tremendous parental guilt, stress and competitiveness. We think, “My kid is supposed to be fully trained by now. My mom says I was potty trained at 18 months. He’s gotta be out of Pull-Ups before he starts preschool. The kid down the street has been trained for over...
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Should I write a birth plan for labor and delivery?
Labor is unpredictable. Labor can be dangerous. Not so long ago, women used to die all the time in labor. We shouldn’t get too picky about the labor process. Thankfully, the vast majority of women, today, survive the process just fine. But the notion that we can control for all the possible com
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When is it necessary to seek professional help for a child’s tic?
There certainly are cases that need professional evaluation and treatment. Since a tic could be caused by a medical condition (I know of a case of "shoulder shrugging" that was triggered by an undiagnosed neck injury), always involve your child’s pediatrician in the process. If the tic doe
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Why do toddlers have temper tantrums?
Toddlers’ brain development is such that their ability to control their behavior, control and understand their feelings, and use logic are barely starting to emerge. We might see our toddler acting patiently one day and screaming, hitting, and acting like Jack Daniels after an all-night whiskey bend
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Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) serious?
ADHD is thought to be largely an inherited neurological condition. The diagnosis requires (among other things) that the symptoms cause "clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning." So by definition, ADHD is more than just having a little difficulty c
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What treatments are available for postpartum depression?
For most women, a combination of counseling and short-term antidepressant medication makes all the difference in treating postpartum depression (PPD). If you don’t want to try medications, ask your therapist about starting with counseling first to see if that is enough; often, it is. Also make sure.
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What are the barriers to getting help for postpartum depression?
New moms are ashamed of feeling unloving about the baby, feeling sad, overwhelmed, and irritable, having trouble with sleep and appetite, and having feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and often don’t ask for help. They are told to “get a grip,” to “appreciate your beautiful family,” or that “i
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How can I get my baby to sleep through the night?
I have major beef with so many of the “baby sleep” books, because they set us up to believe that an infant’s inherent sleep patterns can truly be majorly altered by the external environment--us. And that if the baby isn’t sleeping like x, y and z by a certain age…well, that’s our failure in par
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What are some common triggers for toddlers’ temper tantrums?
You certainly can’t prevent all tantrum triggers, all the time. But you can try to keep them in mind throughout your day with your toddler -- and possibly prevent some tantrums as a result. Here are some common situations that can trigger toddler meltdowns: Not enough physical activity durin
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Can adults have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
ADHD is a neurological condition that is often not diagnosed until adulthood, although symptoms do begin in childhood. ADHD is thought to be inherited, in many cases. I've diagnosed many children with ADHD, and in my discussions with the parents, one or the other often says, "Hey, I wonder if A
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How can I reduce my stress levels as a parent?
It's all about BALANCE. Some parents find parenting stressful because they focus too much on their kids -- so the parents are paying the price. Others find it stressful because they don't focus ENOUGH on their kids -- so the kids are paying the price. Either way, it's stressful, because someone is..
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When should babies nap?
Until three months of age, there isn’t much you can do to influence this; babies will sleep where and when they want to. Until this age, they are more influenced by their internal needs and feelings, and less influenced by external stimulation. But after three months, you can try to limit naps
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How can I help my child cope with food sensitivities?
I am struck by how many have kids with food allergies and sensitivities -- more and more of us are discovering what a difference our food choices have on how we, and our kids, feel and behave. But it ain’t easy, managing special diets. The pressure to “join in” and have “just one cookie” is quite d
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At what age should children stop sucking their thumbs?
While finger and thumb-sucking tends to subside naturally by age four or five, it’s not uncommon for it to linger awhile longer. We expect a kindergartener to behave like other elementary-aged kids. But ask a teacher. Kindergarteners and first graders are really closer, developmentally, to pres
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