Does outdoor play make kids smarter?

We know that outdoor play improves kids' physical health. All that fresh air and exercise — what's not to like? The truth is, there may actually be more to like. Outdoor play is increasingly linked scientifically to stronger mental muscle.

Parents have long thought of outdoor play as the icing on the cognitive cake: Finish your homework, attend to all of the after-school lessons and clubs intended to gain you admission to Stanford or Cal, and then, and only then, can you go out and play. A growing body of research, however, suggests outdoor play offers such a positive bump in brain power, it should perhaps be a priority.

Food additives and ADHD

Do synthetic dyes, flavors and preservatives make the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) worse?

Missing a child's ADHD diagnosis

Missing a child's ADHD diagnosis can have a cascading impact that ranges from limited success for an individual to severe consequences for society.

Client-Centered Therapy What Is It?

Client-centered therapy is a therapeutic approach that was introduced in the 1940s by an American psychologist named Carl Rogers.

As its name implies, client-centered therapy places significant focus on the client. According to Rogers’s view of client-centered therapy, the client-centered therapist refrains from asking questions, making diagnoses, providing reassurance, or assigning blame during his or her interactions with the client.

Interpersonal Therapy What Is It?

Interpersonal therapy focuses on social roles and relationships. The patient works with a therapist to evaluate specific problem areas in the patient’s life, such as conflicts with family or friends or significant life changes. While past experiences help inform the process, interpersonal therapy focuses on improving relationships in the present.

Existential Therapy What Is It?

Behind the existential movement are such philosophers as Heidegger, Dostoevsky, Kafka, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre and others. Existential psychologists evaluate an individual’s experience in four dimensions of existence: the physical, social, psychological and spiritual. They believe that conflict stems from confrontations with the “givens” or “ultimate concerns” of existence. These include:

• The inevitability of death
• Freedom and the responsibilities associated with it
• Existential isolation
• Meaninglessness