Adolescent Counseling Services

Parental Control Apps: Ensuring Online Safety or Eroding Trust?

in Helicopter Parenting / Monitoring Media / Online Monitoring / Online Privacy / Online Safety / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Teen Apps / Teen Privacy / Teens and Technology by Adolescent Counseling Services October 9, 2024October 8, 2024 0 comments

Written By: Noosha Nafarzadegan, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program WITH THE EVER-INCREASINGprevalence of smartphones among teens and pre-teens, parents often turn to parental control mobile applications (apps) to protect their children from online risks. These apps can block, filter, and monitor a wide range of online activities, providing parents with the tools to […]

Creative Arts in Therapy: How Drawing, Music, and Drama, Can Help Kids Express Themselves

in Art Therapy / Emotional Regulation / Expressive Arts Therapy / Mental Health / Mental Health / Play Therapy by Adolescent Counseling Services October 2, 2024September 30, 2024 0 comments

Written By: Faith S. MacDonald, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF THERAPY, they may think it consists of sitting in a room talking about their feelings, or perhaps not talking at all. But typically when they think of therapy, they don’t usually think of children. Maybe because there’s […]

How to Recognize a Child in Crisis and Intervene Appropriately

in Anger Management / Behavioral Norms / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Stress / Stress Management / Teen Therapy by Adolescent Counseling Services April 17, 2023April 14, 2023 0 comments

Written By: Andrew Cecil, Clinical Trainee at ACS, Adolescent Substance Addiction Treatment Program IT IS COMMONfor parents to feel concerned about their child’s well-being when they notice things like poor academic performance, substance use, and unhealthy relationships. However, few parents are as familiar with the behavioral signs of a crisis. A crisis refers to a […]

Irritated or Debilitated: Helping your Teen Identify their Depression

in Academic Stress / Anger Management / Behavioral Norms / Co-Occuring Disorders / Depression / Disorders / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Stress / Stress Management by Adolescent Counseling Services April 5, 2023April 4, 2023 0 comments

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 […]

Supporting Teens on Social Media

in Cultural Stressors / Facebook / Mental Health / Middle School Behavior / Monitoring Media / Online Monitoring / Online Privacy / Online Safety / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Self care / Social Media Abuse / Stress / Teen Apps / Teen Peer Groups / Teen Privacy / Teens and Technology / Twitter by Adolescent Counseling Services September 28, 2022September 22, 2022 0 comments

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. […]

The Psychological Benefits of Exercise

in Depression / Mental Health / Pandemic / Perfectionism / Self care / Stress / Stress Management / Teen self-esteem by Adolescent Counseling Services May 18, 2022May 13, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Madeline Lee, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program EXERCISEhas many benefits beyond the improvement and maintenance of one’s physical health. Exercise can also act as a mental health tool or healthy coping method in that it can help improve mood, self-esteem, and work performance (Kunce & Wilfley, 1986) among other benefits. There […]

Adolescence and Suicide

in Academic Stress / Co-Occuring Disorders / Depression / Grief / Mental Health / Self-Harm / Stress / Suicide / Suicide Prevention / Teen self-esteem / Teen Therapy by Adolescent Counseling Services March 23, 2022March 18, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Dylan Lockey, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program For many, adolescenceis a period of intense change, be it physical, emotional, social, and cognitive. It can be simultaneously filled with the highs of endless possibilities and excitement over the future, and the low periods of doubt, frustration, anxiety, and intense stress. It is […]

Teen Pregnancy

in Dating / Discussing Sex / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Relationships / Romance by Adolescent Counseling Services March 9, 2022March 4, 2022 0 comments

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 […]

Teen Dating: 5 Tips for Parents

in Consent / Dating / Dating Violence / Discussing Sex / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Relationships / Romance / Setting Boundaries / Sexual Assault / Sexuality / Society Norms / Teen Peer Groups by Adolescent Counseling Services February 9, 2022February 4, 2022 0 comments

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 […]

First-Generation American Teens

in Academic Stress / Anxiety / Cultural Stressors / Depression / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Perfectionism / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / Stress / Stress Management by Adolescent Counseling Services February 2, 2022January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Patricia H. Scherer, MS, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program Growing up the child of immigrants can have numerous advantages for some individuals. Immigrant parents from many cultures, including LatinX, Asian, and Eastern European backgrounds, emphasize the importance of family, collectivistic values, and cultural and religious heritage, all of which can buffer […]