Author Archives: Gretchen Derda (Woosley), MSW, LCSW
Autism Awareness
April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a group of developmental brain disorders called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD usually display symptoms of social impairment, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors. These symptoms can vary significantly from one child … Continue reading
National Sleep Awareness Week
Can you remember a time when you were significantly sleep deprived? The mental and physical “fog” that accompanies insomnia can zap us of our quality of life. If you’ve read my previous blog posts you know how important I believe … Continue reading
40 days
In many faith traditions there is a time of personal exploration and repentance, a time for spiritual renewal, a time to change direction, if necessary. In the Christian tradition today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. … Continue reading
Stress and Your Brain
When was the last time you thought about taking care of your brain? Your limbic, or emotional brain is responsible for how you respond to stress. It is the part of your brain that controls your emotional responses, your mood, … Continue reading
It’s All About Priorities
Many of us are rushing through life feeling frustrated. We’re frustrated because we aren’t doing the things that mean the most to us. Or we’re not doing enough of the things that bring us joy and we’re doing too much … Continue reading
Communicating with Adolescents
One of the most frequent complaints I hear as a therapist has to do with parenting adolescents. Parents often identify this time of a child’s life as the most difficult time to parent. And while I understand why that’s the … Continue reading
A New Year’s Resolution for Parents
As we ring in the New Year I believe it is the perfect time to look at our relationships and resolve to commit our best selves to those that are most important to us. That may be our spouse, or … Continue reading
The Importance of a Bedtime Routine
Last time I shared the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding the amount of sleep children need at various stages of development. So how can we help them meet those recommendations? First and foremost we have to establish a … Continue reading
Good Night, Sleep Tight–The Importance of Sleep
Why do so many of us have problems with sleep? As a culture, it seems we undervalue sleep and rest, in general. Perhaps we feel to rest and get a full night’s sleep is lazy. “We need to get everything … Continue reading
Television and Kids
Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics warned that children under 2 years of age should not spend any time in front of televisions, computers, or other “screens.” They stated that the time spent in front of these screens is not … Continue reading
Gretchen Derda (Woosley), MSW, LCSW 
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