Article from Palo Alto Weekly By: Chris Kenrick Palo Alto youth are emotionally healthier than they were two years ago, according to newly released data from the California Healthy Kids Survey. The percentage of ninth- and 11th-graders who said they had seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months dropped from 18 percent to 11 […]
Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light. ~Norman B. Rice The International Association for Suicide Prevention invites the world to light a candle in support of suicide prevention, suicide survivors and in memory of lost loved ones. Join your friends and neighbors in lighting a candle […]
Summer time for a teen can be a great time to unwind from a stressful school year, get a part-time job for extra spending money, or prepare for future challenges such as; college prep tests, college applications, AP classes or driving tests. For some teens it can also mean a plenitude of idle time without […]
An article published in the Saturday, June 9th, 2012, New York Times put a brilliant spotlight on the prescription drug abuse of Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, and other medications prescribed to treat symptoms of A.D.H.D, by high school students pushing themselves to succeed in high school and get into top colleges. At high schools across the […]
A study recently released in the Journal of Consulting and Clinicial Psychology found a correlation between the treatment of severe depression in teens and the likelihood of future substance abuse. Nearly 200 youths at 11 sites across the United States were studied for five years. The participants analyzed by the study were ages 17-23 at the […]
May 6-12 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week organized by the Child Mind Institute and supported by a number of adolescent health and substance abuse organizations. The following is a message from the president of the Child Mind institute, Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D., a leading child and adolescent psychiatrist. Why is it important to […]
Written by: Jolla Delos Santos, MFT Intern After-School Counseling Program A typical day at ACS…The After-School Program Counselor paces to and from the art therapy room and the intern area approximately 30 minutes prior to her upcoming session in attempt to plan a productive and focused session. The counselor formulates the idea for the client […]
Have you heard the phrase, “There’s an App for that.” Well apparently that is true in the case of teen mental health, as well. Its called TeenSphere. The app is designed by a licensed psychotherapist who worked with kids for years. The topics it covers are all from teens’ real life concerns and worries. There are […]
Have you ever observed your teen being rude to a peer or another adult, and wondered, “Where did they learn that behavior?” Does being “rude” equal being “cool?” This theory was tested by a study performed in 2011 by scientists from the University of Amsterdam. “Breaking the Rules to Rise to Power: How Norm Violators Gain […]
By Jennifer Jones, LCSW, Site Director, Palo Alto High School It’s that time of year; the long winter is over, trees are blossoming, the temperature is warming, and we all want to go to the beach instead of to work. That’s why Spring Break was invented. But what if a week of vacation doesn’t revive […]
