Dr. Heather is a psychologist specializing in the development of babies, toddlers, preschoolers -- and parents. She has helped thousands of families to help make parenting easier -- and more fun! She combines cutting-edge scientific research with practical, "real-world" parenting solutions. She blogs about parenting and child development at BabyShrink.com, and maintains a Parent Coaching practice for families all over the world from her island home in Hawaii. Dr. Heather and her husband (who is also a psychologist) are raising their four young children on Maui.
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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How can I deal with a clingy child?
It is important to encourage your child to play by herself now and then, and this will stretch into longer periods of time of “self-directed activity,” which will be really important on...
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Why should I teach my baby the difference between night and day?
Your baby's internal clock isn't completely "set" at birth. That's why many newborn babies wake so often at night—and sleep through the day. After the first few months (...
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How can I stop my child's thumb sucking?
My advice is this: Pick your battles. And only pick the ones you can win. This one, you won’t win. I mean, is there any strategy or technique that actually works to make a kid stop sucki...
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Why do young children suck their thumbs?
Young children have such little control in their worlds. They’re physically small. They aren’t very coordinated. They’re not allowed to do a ton of cool-looking stuff. Their ...
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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-age...
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How do I handle a child who is playing favorites with relatives?
In every family, there are differences in the way one set of relatives relates to the kids, versus the other set. Differing cultural traditions and values can play a role. Sometimes, one family has...
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How can I help a child who has sensory integration issues?
I don’t know about you, but I certainly have my own sensory preferences. If there’s a lot of background noise, I find myself extra-tired at the end of the day. Conversely, my husband li...
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What are sensory integration issues?
Sensory issues in your child’s development affect many families around the world. Young children are a work in progress, neurologically. New connections are made every day, connecting the bod...
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How can I help my young child who is afraid of bath time?
Pediatricians say that we Americans bathe our babies way too much anyway; it’s not necessarily good for young skin. So you can back off the nightly baths. Don’t feel temped to force the...
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How do I get my child to stop picking at her nails?
In a situation like this, the rule is: Don’t pay attention to it. If you do, you risk turning a harmless self-soothing strategy into a power struggle and a nasty habit. Self-soothing str...
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What disorders are sometimes misdiagnosed as autism in children?
I am worried that there are several other distinct disorders being thrown together inappropriately with autism. Children with these disorders deserve to have them studied and understood uniquely, a...
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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, o...
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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'...
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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 childr...
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How do I know if my child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
If you're concerned that your child has problems with attention, concentration, or behavior, it's important that he or she is given a complete evaluation by an experienced clinician. I'...
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