Irritated or Debilitated: Helping your Teen Identify their Depression

Written By: Brett Trace, Clinical Trainee at ACS, Outlet Program If You’rea parent of a teen or someone who works with teens, odds are you’ve encountered teenage irritability. What may have felt like an easygoing, straightforward comment might cause your teen to become angry or withdraw from the conversation. Friends that they’ve had for a […]

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Supporting Teens on Social Media

Written By: Michael Burks, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program TECHNOLOGYand social media play complex roles in the lives of teenagers. Teens are at a developmental stage where social relationships have foremost importance in their lives. Social relationships and group memberships contribute to identity formation and self-esteem. Social media has tremendous value to teens. […]

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Social Media & Self-Confidence

Written By: Wendy Ortiz-Rodriguez, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program SOCIAL MEDIAhas become popular over the years and it has become one of the main sources for communication and entertainment. As much as we love to scroll through our electronic devices and keep up with our favorite role models, friends, family and so much […]

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Being a Guide to Your Teen as They Explore Boundaries

Written By: Dafne Garcia, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program RAISING A FAMILYis not an easy job. As children go through their developmental stages, it challenges parents to learn and adapt to where their child is at developmentally. Raising a teen is no different. Teens go through many changes in their lives that include […]

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Understanding Family Conflict and Learning How to Find Peace

Written By: Tarra Symons, AMFT at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program What comes to mind for you when you hear the phrase “family conflict?” Do you think of words like friction, strife, hostility, frustration, falling-out, and shouting? These are all possibilities, but these approaches to managing disagreements within a family make finding resolutions very challenging. Developing […]

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5 COPING STRATEGIES FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION

Written By: Aishwarya Subramanian, MFT Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program What is depression? What does it really mean to wallow in the depths of my mind, Feeling like I am drowning, When in fact I know how to swim. Maybe this is one of those times where swimming isn’t enough. Something else – a […]

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How Parents Can Help Their Underage Kids Resist Alcohol

Reported By: Aimee Cunningham, NPR Health News    “Parental monitoring and warmth are a protective device against kids’ binge drinking.”   While a sense of inevitability often surrounds the topic of teen drinking, adults can play an important role in preventing underage alcohol use. Two recent studies provide guidance for parents. One finds that parents […]

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Stressed Out? Music is the Cure!

Image: Stephen McLeod Blythe – Muzak Stephanie Olano ACS Outpatient Counseling Program Clinical Intern Music has played a very important role in my life. From the time I was 10-years-old I could list the various bands that were heavily influenced by The Beatles. Adults found this impressive, but I found this knowledge strange and confusing because they […]

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Allowing the Family to Grow and Adapt as the Needs and Abilities of the Family Evolve

Image: CC0 Public Domain by Jerod Gilbert, LMFT, Site Director at Jordan Middle School When we were expecting our first child, a graduate school friend of mine said, “It’s not just the birth of a child, it’s the birth of a parent.” I laughed and thought this was a bit corny. The cliché has stuck with […]

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Teens and Boundaries

By: Katie Luce, LMFT Site Director at Redwood High School Family rules and boundaries can provide a sense of stability to teenagers who are struggling to decipher relationships, roles, and even their own personalities. Although they may protest loudly against structure and boundaries, when they have a hand in what is being asked of them, […]

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