Mental Health

Adolescents in Middle School: Part 1

in Behavioral Norms / Middle School Behavior / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Puberty  by acsteens 0 comments

Image: Peter Ihlenfeld “Sicherheitshinweis Teenager im Haus” Originally Posted March 10, 2010 and has been updated By: Philippe Rey, Psy.D. As adolescents go through the physical changes of puberty, they also must deal with a variety of psychological changes. As a parent of an adolescent entering middle school it’s a good idea to get acquainted with a […]

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Co-Occurring Disorders: Treatment

in Alcoholism / Co-Occuring Disorders / Cocaine / Depression / Drinking / Drugs & Alcohol / Heroin / Marijuana / Mental Health / mental illness / Molly-Ecstasy / Other / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / Prescription Drugs / Recovery / Sleep / Stress / Treatment  by acsteens 0 comments

By: JoAnn Kukulus, M.S. Clinical Psychology BBS Registered Intern at Adolescent Counseling Services Part II of blog series on Co-Occurring Disorders Read Part I: Co-Occurring Disorders: Diagnosis Regardless of which issue presented first, mental health or alcohol/substance abuse, recovery depends on acknowledging and treating both the alcohol/substance abuse and the mental health issue. The most […]

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Co-Occurring Disorders: Diagnosis

in Alcoholism / Co-Occuring Disorders / Cocaine / Depression / Disorders / Drinking / Drugs & Alcohol / Marijuana / Mental Health / Molly-Ecstasy / Other / Recovery / Risky Behaviour / Self-Harm / Stress  by acsteens 0 comments

By: JoAnn Kukulus, M.S. Clinical Psychology BBS Registered Intern at Adolescent Counseling Services Increasingly at Adolescent Counseling Services, we are encountering clients who are struggling with both alcohol or substance use/abuse and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, and the effects of trauma (PTSD). The intersection of these conditions is rapidly gaining […]

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Ambien Abuse and Teens

in Ambien / Anxiety / Drugs & Alcohol / Mental Health  by acsteens 0 comments

By: Tiffany Goodsite Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program Intern According to the Partnership at Drugfree.org, many of today’s teens abuse Ambien.  Often called “A-minus” or “Zombie pills,” the teens who take them report experiencing hallcuinations or blackouts while under the influence of the drug and rather than trying to go to sleep, teens who take the […]

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What Mindfulness Means

in Mental Health / Parent-Teen Communication / Teaching Mindfulness / Uncategorized  by acsteens 0 comments

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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Erasing the Stigma of Mental Illness

in Depression / Disorders / Mental Health / mental illness / Stigma  by acsteens 0 comments

by Katie Luce, LMFT Site Director of Jordan Middle School and Redwood Continuation High School Stigma regarding mental illness is an issue that needs to be addressed, even in our educated and progressive community. We must be careful about the words we use, especially in front of our children, and work to educate others in […]

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When a Teen Needs Help, Now They Can Text For It

in Academic Stress / Dating Violence / Depression / Domestic Abuse / Risky Behaviour / Self-Harm / Sexual Assault / Suicide Prevention / Teen Therapy / Texting Hotlines  by acsteens 0 comments

By Monica Ippolito MFTI Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment/After-School Counseling Program Intern Parents, have you noticed the way that your teens communicate with their friends and family?  If you have spent anytime on a middle or high school campus or seen a group of teens standing around at the movie theater, mall or amusement park then you have […]

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How Do I Get My Teen to Counseling?

in Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Teen Therapy / Uncategorized  by acsteens 0 comments

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?

in Academic Stress / Mental Health / Parent Role Models / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Stress  by acsteens 0 comments

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

in Academic Stress / Behavioral Norms / Mental Health / Parenting / Stress  by acsteens 0 comments

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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