What Mindfulness Means

By: Jennica Janssen Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program Intern “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” – Buddha Mindfulness is a broad term that is […]

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Did you know it’s “National Catch Your Teen Doing Something Right” Month?

By Merrett Sheridan, LMFT Site Director at Palo Alto High School Ok so I made that up, but why not?   Ask yourself when was the last time you gave your teen a truly heartfelt “atta boy” for something significant and for no reason other than to make them feel good?  By significant I don’t mean thanking them […]

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Facebook and Its Effects on Our Mood

By: Sophia Dyer, M.Ed Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern After School Counseling Program (2012-2014) Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program (2012-2013) “Are you on facebook again? Why don’t you go outside and play?” Sound familiar? The” facebook argument” is a common one between parents and their teens. With the relatively new rise of social media, […]

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Teens and Parties

By: JoAnn Kukulus, MS, MFTI ACS Intern When our children were young, we parents had a hand in just about everything they did. We took on the responsibility of organizing and structuring their time in such a way that we knew what they were doing each minute of each day. If we couldn’t actually oversee the […]

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Building Appropriate Boundaries with Your Teen: The Fine Line Between Parent and Friend

By: Beverly Reyes After-School Counseling Program Intern As teenagers grow and start to individuate it is sometimes difficult for parents to find that fine line between parent and friend.  Parents with loose boundaries and rules may find it easy to get along with their teen because there is no power struggle and no arguments.  The teen […]

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How Do I Get My Teen to Counseling?

By: Connie Mayer, LMFT Director of Outpatient Counseling I often answer phone calls from parents who want to know how to get their teenager to come to counseling. I have been a therapist for 30 years and I have heard the same fears and hesitations. “My son told me he wont get in the car”,”I […]

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How do we teach our kids to cope with stress?

By Pamela Garfield, LCSW Site Director at Gunn High School Our kids just got through the end of the semester and finals.  Finals, holidays, college applications and the many other pressures of this time of year can be very challenging. Sometimes life just takes over and we have to go into “survival mode” to get […]

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Asking For Help – It’s Ok

Jennica Janssen, LMFTI ACS Outpatient Counseling Intern Is there anything wrong with asking for help? As you read this question, you are probably thinking, “Of course not.” However, the truth is that most people do not want to reach out of their comfort zone and ask for help. Instead, people accept too much responsibility and […]

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