All posts by Sara Dimerman (aka HelpMeSara)

  • The passing of pets

    It’s so hard to believe that it’s been a year since our beloved Siamese cat, Flurry, died. He and his sister, Flicka, came into our lives after our flame-point Siamese, Slinky, passed away 13 years ago, and...

    • Posted March 1, 2024
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  • Reasons you might be feeling the winter blues and how you can combat it.

    The Winter Solstice marks the “shortest” day of the year. So, there’s less light than on any other day. Most of us prefer light to dark. So, looking on the bright side of life, its good to...

    • Posted December 28, 2023
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  • The trouble with “tracking”

      Now that school is back in full swing and family members are spending more time apart, you’re not alone if you’re feeling some separation anxiety. And what better way to alleviate the anxiety than to be...

    • Posted October 4, 2023
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  • Beyond school: Is homeschooling the right choice for every family?

    I had the pleasure of chatting with Kimberly Gawne, educator and founder of Star Students, about the benefits (and potential concerns) of homeschooling. Perhaps you’re homeschooling already or thinking of doing so. Many people were introduced to...

    • Posted October 4, 2023
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  • What to do if you don’t approve of the person your child is dating

    If your child is of dating or marrying age, you may relate to the impact that their choice of partner has on you. If you’re a fan of the Indian or Jewish matchmaking shows on Netflix, for...

    • Posted June 7, 2023
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  • Dry January

    What began as a public health campaign, initiated by Alcohol Change UK ten years ago, is still going strong around the world. The initiative to abstain from alcohol consumption during the month of January is trademarked Dry...

    • Posted January 11, 2023
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  • People need people.

    People. People who need people are the luckiest people in the world. This, according to Barbra Streisand but I believe it to be true, too. It doesn’t matter how old we are, most people feel comforted when...

    • Posted November 14, 2022
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  • When your child has flown and then comes home

    This weekend, after five years (minus “school” holidays) of my now 23-year-old daughter living away from home, she is returning from University and I’m preparing for it. In anticipation of accommodating her growing needs, a couple of...

    • Posted July 22, 2022
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  • Why working from home is here to stay

    If you’d have asked me a few years ago if I thought that working from home was part of our future, I’d have said no way. For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard people wish...

    • Posted July 15, 2022
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  • The Covid division equation

      If you’re a mathematician, you may best know division as one of the four basic operations of arithmetic. In my world – that of understanding human behaviour – I associate the word division with the way...

    • Posted April 13, 2022
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  • Words For Thought

    When we’re using words to communicate thoughts and feelings, we don’t always stop to consider how loaded or powerful they are. In my line of work (both as an author and psychologist), words are always powerful. There...

    • Posted February 17, 2022
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  • Feeling Nearly Normal

    For the first time in 15 months, I hugged a friend. It felt nearly normal. For many, before going in for a once normal embrace, it’s becoming routine to first qualify whether or not each has been...

    • Posted July 12, 2021
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  • Eat fries.

    September 24th is a very significant day for me because it marks the day on which my mother died 9 years ago. Losing my mother to cancer at the age of 71 was devastating. When I was...

    • Posted September 24, 2020
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  • Helping Families Cope with COVID… one day at a time!

    This blog has been percolating in my head for a while. The thought of writing it has been daunting because the topic is so enormous and there are so many angles from which to approach the many...

    • Posted May 15, 2020
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  • Helping Families Cope with COVID… one day at a time!

    This blog has been percolating in my head for a while. The thought of writing it has been daunting because the topic is so enormous and there are so many angles from which to approach the many...

    • Posted April 18, 2020
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  • Through your eyes

    During the honeymoon phase of a romantic relationship, your partner can do no wrong. You find their quirky mannerisms endearing and laugh at their jokes, even when shared over and again. You enjoy seeing them sleeping in...

    • Posted March 5, 2020
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  • Looking Up, Around and Ahead in 2020

    Now that it’s 2020, I have read several posts on social media playfully acknowledging this date in time as a period within which to view the world with increased visual clarity. As I age, so too do...

    • Posted January 9, 2020
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  • Newest ‘Sesame Street’ Muppet, the face of America’s drug addiction crisis.

    This month marks Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary. Funny how the long-loved characters Elmo, the Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie and friends, never age. What has changed, however, is some of this well reputed show’s content. Gone are the...

    • Posted November 13, 2019
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  • Help me Sara

    How to help your children navigate the complex sexualized digital world in which we live Click here to listen to the podcast Times are not what they used to be. Gone are the days when you could...

    • Posted November 13, 2019
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  • Child Off To College – First Year Jitters

    Now that there are only weeks left before your teen leaves home to live in residence at college or university, it may feel a little too close for comfort – for you, anyway! If you’re like most...

    • Posted September 3, 2019
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  • Managing Exam Anxiety

    If your teen is studying for, or in the middle of writing exams right now, then you may be interested in reading about how to make this period of time less stressful for everyone, but especially for...

    • Posted August 27, 2019
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  • Cannabis around your kids… what you need to know now!

    When Canada legalized the use of cannabis last year, the Japanese government has immediately issued warnings that Japan’s law on cannabis use may apply to Japan’s nationals even when they are abroad.  Under the penal code, Japanese...

    • Posted June 17, 2019
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  • Do you and your partner speak the same love language?

    In my practice, when counseling couples, I often hear from one or the other that they don’t feel loved. “But how can that be!” his or her partner may exclaim. “I tell you I love you all...

    • Posted April 9, 2019
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  • Fostering positivity in the family

    It’s a brand-new year. An opportunity to wipe the slate clean and to consider how to create a more positive home environment in which your family can connect and continue to grow. Here then are five tips:...

    • Posted February 26, 2019
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  • Don’t Treat Me Like a Child

    It’s very cool having a daughter majoring in Psychology at University because we speak the same language more than ever before. I also enjoy dusting the cobwebs from my brain when she shares some of her assignments...

    • Posted January 10, 2019
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  • Couples Connect

    Many couples tell me that their sessions with me are the only times in their busy lives that they connect with one another. But is this enough? Will one hour, once a week with me, be the...

    • Posted August 23, 2018
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  • If you met your husband for the first time today, would you be interested in going on a second date with him?

    I was enjoying lunch with a divorced friend, when talk turned to marriage and relationships. She asked: “if you met your husband for the first time today, would you be interested in going on a second date...

    • Posted July 15, 2018
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  • You’re Snoring Again!

    When I meet a couple for the first time, I ask questions so that I can get to know each of them as individuals, as well as how they interact and operate as a couple. Often, the...

    • Posted May 23, 2018
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  • Should parents be held responsible for their child’s bullying behaviour?

    There are rumblings in the USA that a lawmaker in Pennsylvania is wanting to pass a bill that will hold parents responsible for their children’s bullying behaviour. According to an article at thestar.com parents would be fined...

    • Posted April 19, 2018
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  • Best Friends Forever

    I was recently invited to be a guest on a radio show to chat about an article that focussed on the idea of schools banning “best friends.” After reading it, I recognized two parts to this story....

    • Posted March 19, 2018
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