Study Shows that Treating Depression in Teens Wards off Future Substance Abuse

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 […]

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National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week-Speak Up for Your Child’s Mental Health

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 […]

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From the Inside: Life as an ACS Intern

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 […]

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TeenSphere-A Teen Self-help App

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 […]

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Why Teens Think It’s Cool to be Rude

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 […]

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Spring Fever or Loss of Motivation: How to Help Your Underachieving Teen

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 […]

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Affordable Care Act Provides Teens Access to Mental Health

As the US Supreme Court sits in deliberation over legal issues that surround the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (ie. health care reform); one group of health care professionals, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has stepped out as supporters of the bill. “This law has already helped maintain or improve access to preventive services for […]

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How to Spot the First Signs of Teen Depression

Recently About.com posted a really helpful post about the “First Signs of Teen Depression.” The post was written by About.com’s resident teen health expert Denise Witmer. Here is the beginning of Denise’s post. Many times parents of teens who have tried to or have committed suicide struggle with the idea that there were signs of […]

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Popular Blog Site Polices Harmful Content

Thanks to the Internet, today’s adolescents have a one-stop-shop for information of all types right at their fingertips. Websites like Wikipedia, Ask.com, About.com, etc. can tell them everything they need to know, from history to word definitions; and then there are blogs sites with information and how-to material on everything else they might be interested […]

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From the Inside-Life As An ACS Intern

By: Ildiko Ran On-Campus Counseling Program Intern at Menlo-Atherton High School “I feel so much better that I got all that off my chest. I can go back to class now” – said one of my clients after a session when she unloaded the overwhelming stress that surrounds her everyday life. She keeps up the […]

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