Tag Archives: Dr. Leesha

Antidotes to 5 Parenting Pitfalls

October 3, 2018 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Healthy Living, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Parenting, Work-life balance Dr. Leesha

Parenting is hard work, and the pitfalls are many. Our children don’t always listen, the try our patience, and they frequently test limits. Here are 5 ways to conquer common parenting hazards: 1. You’ve got to be more flexible Families are as diverse as the parents and children that comprise them. We bring our own personality traits, strengths and weaknesses, gifts and talents, preferences, and hang-ups. Those similarities and differences define the core of our identity and make our lives and relationships rich, interesting, and unexpected. To think that one broadly applicable parenting strategy would work for all children and […]

Who Would Win?

September 4, 2018 2 comments Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Parenting Dr. Leesha

The Cox family of 5 lives in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb just south of Birmingham. My 2nd and 6th graders attend Hoover City schools. In our school system, we can purchase books for our children through the Scholastic Book Club. Who Would Win by Jerry Pallotta is a popular series sold through the Scholastic Book Club. The premise of this creative series is to pit two ferocious beasts against one another and then determine which one would win in a fight based on the unique characteristics of these two animals. Doesn’t that sound like parenthood? It often feels like a […]

Back to School Prayer

August 5, 2018 0 comments Faith, Parenting, Schools Birmingham, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, education, Faith, Psychiatrist, schools Dr. Leesha

As many of you know, I have 3 children. My son is 7 and my daughters will be 4 and 11 in just a few days. A new school year is rapidly upon us and always rouses mixed feelings in the Cox house and heralds beginnings and endings simultaneously – the end of summer and fall’s arrival; late nights become the morning rush; we swap summer vacation in eager anticipation of winter’s holidays; and the crack of the baseball bat and homeruns turn into quarterback sacks and touchdowns. In preparation for the new academic year, I want to share my […]

Live in the Moment and Just Be

April 24, 2018 0 comments Healthy Living Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Common, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Hip hop, Mental Health, Music Dr. Leesha

Common is one of my favorite hip hop artists as he deftly weaves dope beats and fresh rhymes to create socially conscious music. He uses his artistry to sing of love for his community but also to speak out against social injustice. He released his sixth studio album, Be, in 2005. To quote lyrics from the title track, Be, “Never looking back or too far in front of me, the present is a gift, and I just want to be.”

3 Tips For When Your Child Worries

March 22, 2018 1 comment Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Parenting, Schools Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Parenting, positive parenting, Psychiatrist, schools Dr. Leesha

Honestly, these last 2 weeks have been pretty tough for the Cox family of five. Between my husband hosting the 2017 – 2018 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship at Birmingham Southern College, my son’s weekly baseball practices and games, the daily grind of work and school, and threats of severe weather, we have been stretched thin. On top of that, there have now been 3 school shootings as of this writing – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, Huffman High School In Birmingham, AL on March 7, AL, and Great Mills High School in Great Hills, Maryland on March 20. Each shooting, tragic, and occurring within weeks of the other, my own anxiety escalated. But, this time my oldest was deeply impacted.

The Scoop on Schizophrenia

March 15, 2018 0 comments Health Education, Mental Health Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

Misunderstood. Feared. Stigmatized. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia regularly battle derogatory stereotypes. The media portrays those with schizophrenia as crazy, suffering from split personalities, or as deranged killers that commit mass murders. Others use the term “schizophrenic” to describe erratic weather patterns. But the psychiatric illness that is schizophrenia is none of this. Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that impacts about 1% of the adult population.

Dr. Leesha | Psychiatrist, Therapist, and Parenting Expert