Teen Pregnancy

Written By: Ruby Ortiz, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program ONE OF THE MOSTtransformative experiences that anyone can encounter in their lifetime is going through a pregnancy. Individuals go through a significant amount of physical, emotional, and psychological changes during this period in their life. It doesn’t only include the body changing throughout each […]

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Teen Dating: 5 Tips for Parents

Written By: Wendy Ortiz-Rodriguez, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program There comes a timein an adolescent’s development when friends turn into crushes and crushes turn into potential dating relationships. Dating can be tricky at any age in development, therefore it is worth having a conversation about this topic with your teen to guide them […]

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Practicing Compassion to Balance Masculinity

Written By: Cristian Lemus, Clinical Trainee at ACS, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program TRADITIONAL MASCULINITYis a social construct that presents itself in many different forms across the world. In the U.S., masculinity typically embodies winning, hyper-sexuality, controlling one’s emotions, risk-taking, violence, dominance, and dislike of being perceived as gay (Mahalik et al., 2003). When masculinity […]

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Asexuality: An Explainer

Written By: Tucker Chopp, Clinical Intern at ACS, Outlet Program what is asexuality? Broadly speaking, it refers to folks who do not experience sexual attraction to others. “Asexual” or “Ace” is often used as an umbrella term to refer to people who consider themselves to be included in the asexual community. A lack of sexual […]

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What’s the Word?

Written By: Rey Boone, Clinical Intern at ACS, Outlet Program why is language important? Sharp (2015) emphasized the importance of language in the connection of people worldwide and how it ties them to their history and roots; this author also highlights how certain languages are in danger of dying out permanently and the connections being […]

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Developing Healthy Relationships in Adolescence

Written By: Andrea Delariyala, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program relationships are an important part of any person’s life. This is especially true for adolescents – they will often experience an increased desire to explore friendships and romantic relationships. This increased interest in friends and movement away from family is a normal part of […]

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Healthy Relationships in Adolescence

Written By: Briana Rodriguez, MFT Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program Relationships are an important factor in development throughout the lifespan (Adams & Williams, 2011). However, relationship formation is particularly vital for adolescents’ development as they learn to navigate friendships and romantic relationships, as well as understand how those two things interact (Adams & Williams, […]

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When it’s Time to Exhale: Thoughts and Reflections on Coming Out in the 21st Century

Written By:  Ryan Fouts, LCSW, Outlet Program Director, ACS’ Outlet Program In honor of National Coming Out Day, celebrated annually on October 11th since 1988, here are some thoughts, reflections, and reminders about coming out in the 21st Century. 1. Coming out is a gift. It’s easy to see coming out as a scary, hard thing (because […]

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Tech-Positive Parenting

Written By:  Deborah Sloss, LCSW, ACS Site Supervisor, On-Campus Counseling Program   Teenagers today are constantly “plugged in”– gaming, texting, tweeting, or posting on Snapchat and Instagram.  As parents, we worry that our kids are addicted, detached, and distracted by their digital devices.  We struggle with how to set appropriate limits and how to keep […]

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Technology and Teen Dating

Written By:  Sarah McLaughlin, LMFT, Site Supervisor, ACS On-Campus Counseling Program Teen relationships can often seem mysterious in this digital age. It’s not always easy for a parent to ascertain the nature of their child’s relationships or to keep track of the ups and downs that take place during these romantic relationships. How are teens […]

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