Adolescent Counseling Services

Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes An Unhealthy Obsession

in Anxiety / Behavioral Norms / Disordered Eating / Disorders / Eating Disorders / Mental Health / OCD / Orthorexia / Parent Tips / Teen Self-Image / Teen Therapy by Adolescent Counseling Services October 6, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Megan Collom, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program ALTHOUGH IT IS NOTas well known as other eating disorders, orthorexia is just as damaging and dangerous. Orthorexia is not formally recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel and is not an official diagnosis, yet, it is still a form of disordered eating. Orthorexia […]

Cultural Stressors in Youth

in Cultural Stressors / Mental Health / Self care / Stigma / Stress / Stress Management / Teen Therapy by Adolescent Counseling Services September 29, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Kyara Mendez-Serrano, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program life as a teenagercan be a confusing time to navigate. It is a period in which folks no longer identify with being children, but they are not yet considered adults. In the midst of this journey, some adolescents might be experiencing the added pressure […]

Practicing Compassion to Balance Masculinity

in Academic Stress / Anger Management / Anxiety / Behavioral Norms / Depression / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parenting / Relationships / Self care / Society Norms / Stress / Teen self-esteem / Teen Self-Image by Adolescent Counseling Services September 22, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

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 […]

Being a Guide to Your Teen as They Explore Boundaries

in Anger Management / Mental Health / Parent Role Models / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Setting Boundaries by Adolescent Counseling Services September 15, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

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 […]

Adolescent Counseling Services to resume in-person services after more than a year

in ACS News by Adolescent Counseling Services July 1, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

ACS is committed to provide in-person and virtual services to fit the needs of youth in the community REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS), a community-based mental health agency, is opening its doors to the public for in-person therapy sessions on July 12th, 2021, at its new location at 643 Bair Island Road, […]

Body Image in Adolescence

in Behavioral Norms / Disorders / Eating Disorders / Mental Health / Middle School Behavior / Perfectionism / Self care / Teen self-esteem / Teen Self-Image by Adolescent Counseling Services May 19, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Tucker Chopp, Clinical Intern at ACS, Outlet Program for many young people,the teenage years become increasingly fraught with highly self-conscious thinking. It is typical for adolescents to become preoccupied with how they are perceived by others and how they fit into society. How teens present themselves physically often becomes a significant concern in […]

Autonomy in Adolescents

in Helicopter Parenting / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Setting Boundaries / Teen Privacy by Adolescent Counseling Services May 5, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Kenzie Bohnsack, Clinical Intern at ACS, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program A desire forautonomy is experienced at two critical stages in life, toddlerhood and adolescence. Autonomy can be defined as feeling, behaving, and thinking independently, a sense of self-governance or freedom to make choices. During adolescence, youth begin to separate from their parents […]

Practicing Self-Compassion

in ACS Institute of Psychotherapy & Training / Intern / Mental Health / Perfectionism / Self care by Adolescent Counseling Services March 31, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Elaina Vielbaum, Clinical Intern at ACS, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program rooted in buddhistphilosophy and psychology, the construct of self-compassion is considered to be a just as vital to feel as it is with other feelings (Neff, 2003). Similarly, to the definition of compassion, self-compassion encompasses the same qualities as compassion for others, […]

So You’ve Been Invited to Have a Family Session with Your Teen… An Attachment-Based Approach

in ACS Institute of Psychotherapy & Training / Family Bullying / Intern / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting by Adolescent Counseling Services March 17, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Jaimie Sandlin, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program and Community Counseling Program family sessionscan be tense, but the expected outcome is that you all emerge stronger together. When your teen’s therapist asks you, their caregiver, to join them for a session, it can be nerve-wracking. You might feel defensive. You might feel […]

Boundaries – For You AND Your Teen

in Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Setting Boundaries by Adolescent Counseling Services March 10, 2021January 27, 2022 0 comments

Written By: Elizabeth Rivera, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program “Your no makes the way for your yes. Boundaries create the container within which your yes is authentic. Being able to say no makes yes a choice.” ― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good […]