Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Patrons' Benefits at the New York Metropolitan Opera






A clinical psychologist and consultant on child behavior, Dr. Beth Grosshans served in a private practice in New Jersey. Now retired, Dr. Beth Grosshans is currently on the board of advisers of the New York Metropolitan Opera, better known as the Met. Founded in 1883, the Met has featured performances by the world's leading singers and orchestras.

For those who want to join, the Met offers several membership options, but for serious opera aficionados, the Patron level of support can be attractive. This degree of financial commitment, which ranges from $2,500 to $20,000, brings with it significant benefits, including:

- First choice of tickets and seating.
- Access to exclusive amenities such as the Belmont Room, the Patron Lounge, and a complimentary coat check.
- Admission to Young Artist Recitals.
- Attendance at certain rehearsals and a free backstage tour.
- Participation in the National Patron Weekend for members outside New York, and
- Presentations on stage management and improvements to the Met stage, as well as conversations with individual orchestra members and discussions of operas new to the Met.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Ways for Parents to Handle Child Refusals


Dr. Beth Grosshans is a retired clinical child psychologist and author of Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm. Her book provides parents with practical strategies for reigning in out-of-control behavior and creating harmonious family dynamics. One topic Dr. Beth Grosshans explores in her book is the occurrence of child refusals, which typically involve phrases such as, "You can’t make me!” and "You’re not the boss of me!”

This type of language means that the child has decided that the parent does not have authority and he or she will be the one calling the shots. In situations like these, where the child has crossed the line into rudeness and disrespect, it is important that the parent reassert control in a firm, calm, and non-angry way. The message should be short and direct and establish that it is not acceptable to speak to one’s parent in a disrespectful manner. For example, parents can respond to a child’s refusals simply by asserting, “You cannot refuse to cooperate.”

After setting parameters, the parent should escort the child to his or her room, with no further commentary, whatever protests emerge. This “tough love” approach teaches the child that there is no debate when it comes to basic matters of respect.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Beyond Time-Out - Advice on How to Handle Misbehaving Children


A retired clinical child psychologist, Dr. Beth Grosshans has been featured in The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Times over the course of her 25-year career. In 2010, Dr. Beth Grosshans leveraged her expertise in child behavior and development to publish the book Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm.

A 336-page book, Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm addresses undisciplined children and their out of control behaviors. The book encourages parents to evaluate their own actions to determine an appropriate solution for managing children and creating a balanced household, where a child does not have primary control. Specifically, readers are given advice on how to establish authority and power, which alleviates defiant battles with food, sleeping, and potty training. Likewise, the book offers guidance on calming fears and taming tantrums.

According to reader Ann Murphy, a parenting contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America, the publication delivers advice in an empathetic manner. The book sheds light on the difficulties of setting limits, while delivering a clear message about the rewards reaped when creating boundaries.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Diagnosing Anxiety in Teenagers


Clinical child psychologist Dr. Beth Grosshans practiced in Newtown, Pennsylvania, for more than 20 years. In her book Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm, Dr. Beth Grosshans addresses behavioral issues common in children, including unruliness and several types of anxiety.

As they grow, many teenagers experience short- or long-term anxiety. Symptoms may include insomnia, loss of appetite, mood swings, substance abuse, social avoidance or shyness, or developmental delays. Types of anxieties include separation anxiety, social anxiety, or general anxiety, and they may appear in conjunction with related behavioral concerns, such as an eating disorder or ADHD. The condition may be exacerbated by traumatic life events, the death or illness of a loved one, bullying, academic stress, and other environmental factors.

Parents may choose to consult with a professional if the level of anxiety is affecting the teenager’s daily life. Treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Physicians frequently prescribe medication to control abnormal serotonin levels, which can contribute to anxiety, although some patients find that a cognitive therapy program is enough to treat the anxiety by itself.                            

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Positive and Negative Body Image in Children

Dr. Beth Grosshans, who worked as a clinical child psychologist in private practice for over two decades, is the author of the book Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm, which concerns ways of dealing with fractious child behavior. Educators, parent groups, and clinicians frequently call upon Dr. Beth Grosshans to consult on matters such as child development and child psychology.

Body image is defined as the way people imagine or see their bodies. A positive body image indicates that a person feels comfortable in his or her body and generally feels good about his or her outward appearance. Negative body image occurs when individuals feel dissatisfied with their bodies, believing that it does not satisfy ideals created by themselves, their family members, friends, or society.

Children who suffer from a negative body image sometimes have a distorted view of how they look, may suffer from social anxiety or self-consciousness, and often feel shame about their bodies. When these thoughts occupy them more often than not, negative body image sometimes develops into a serious problem, such as an eating disorder. Teens with negative body image sometimes restrict their diet or practice binge eating, for example. Parents who are concerned that their children may be suffering from a negative body image may consider seeking professional advice.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Understanding and Combatting Imbalance of Family Power

Dr. Beth Grosshans is a child psychologist who has retired from private practice and focuses on speaking engagements with educators and parents. The author of Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm, Dr. Beth Grosshans is currently working to revise and update the well-received 2008 book. One of the key concepts of the book and her presentations is imbalance of family power.

Imbalance of family power (IFP) describes a situation in which children control the home dynamic through incessant whining, tantrums, sleeping issues, and mealtime misbehavior. These behaviors are common to some extent in every family but can reach extremes when children act out constantly in public settings, such as school, and boldly defy their parents’ wishes at home. Displays of disrespect can take the form of refusing to be taught or trained and even threatening to run away.

Dr. Grosshans notes that, while such behaviors are diverse and vary in severity, they have a common root in IFP. The state of IFP is characterized by family life being disrupted and non-peaceful more than 30 percent of the time. In her book, Dr. Grosshans provides practical techniques for regaining control of the home environment and creating a healthier, more constructive family dynamic.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Skills for Anxious Children

Accomplished clinical psychologist Dr. Beth Grosshans has provided psychotherapy to children in both outpatient and inpatient settings. The author of Beyond Time-Out, a parenting text that discusses power dynamics and child anxiety, Dr. Beth Grosshans now focuses on sharing her expertise with schools.

When a child displays anxious behaviors, parents frequently rush to separate the child from the source of the anxiety. Experts warn, however, that such a response instead strengthens the anxiety and prevents a child from learning coping skills. Psychologists suggest that children with fears need to develop the confidence to manage their feelings and face scary situations.

This process involves both empathizing with a children's feelings and supporting them as they face their fears, a message that can be as simple as, “it's okay to be scared; I'm here for you.” Experts warn parents not to ask a child if he or she is worried or to show worry themselves, as the child can then feel that he or she should be afraid. Instead, parents and other adults can model calm behavior, encourage tolerance of anxious feelings, and make a plan for coping with a potentially frightening situation. However, if the child seems to be experiencing disruptive levels of anxiety, parents may need to consult with a mental health professional.