Written By: Rebecca Good, PhD, Intake Coordinator, ACS’ Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program Working as a post-doc at ACS, has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had in my professional and clinical career. Something that has struck me the most about ACS is how much everyone truly cares about the work they […]
Written By: Ingrid Ammondson, PhD, Program Director, ACS’ Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program Any of you who have attended parent education seminars at your school or at Adolescent Counseling Services already know that adolescence is an exciting (and sometimes dangerous) time of physiological, psychological, and spiritual growth. So much so that we might imagine placing […]
Written By: Ryan Fouts, LCSW, Outlet Program Director, ACS’ Outlet Program In honor of National Coming Out Day, celebrated annually on October 11th since 1988, here are some thoughts, reflections, and reminders about coming out in the 21st Century. 1. Coming out is a gift. It’s easy to see coming out as a scary, hard thing (because […]
Written By: Dara Gray Tynefield, AMFT at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program Eustress vs. Distress For our students, the excitement of a new school year often gives way to a full routine of classwork, homework, extracurriculars, sports, clubs, arts, friends, family, jobs… and while the positive stress of a full and productive schedule is not inherently […]
Written By: Charlotte Villemoes, LMFT, Site Supervisor, ACS On-Campus Counseling Program The cuteness is gone, and so is the desire to hold your hand on the way to school and cuddle up at bedtime. The kid who used to look to you for answers for anything from “Why does the earth spin?” to “Why do […]
Written By: Deborah Sloss, LCSW, ACS Site Supervisor, On-Campus Counseling Program Teenagers today are constantly “plugged in”– gaming, texting, tweeting, or posting on Snapchat and Instagram. As parents, we worry that our kids are addicted, detached, and distracted by their digital devices. We struggle with how to set appropriate limits and how to keep […]
Written By: JoAnn Kukulus, MFTi, Site Coordinator, ACS On-Campus Counseling Program Why do we need to talk about teen depression? What do we need to know? What can we do for our adolescent children? Fewer than 40% of the teens diagnosed with depression get treatment. The numbers are staggering: an estimated 1 in 5 adolescents […]
Written By: Kin Leung, LMFT | ACS Site Supervisor, Gunn High School Sometimes it can feel that teenagers are some of the most difficult people to understand on the planet. On top of that, being a parent makes it even more challenging to talk to your own teenage children. As a psychotherapist, my job is […]
Written By: JoAnn Kukulus, MFTI, On-Campus Counseling Program Site Coordinator Cooler weather, changing seasons, shorter days, Autumn holidays…..COLLEGE APPLICATIONS!!! High school students in general are reporting greater stress than ever and with deadlines for submitting college applications. Admission to next fall’s academic term is rapidly approaching, and to be perfectly honest, now is possibly one of […]
Written By: Marlina Selva, LMFT, ACS Site Supervisor, On-Campus Counseling Program The demands of school and daily routines can be a source of mental fatigue for students as well as for parents. Fortunately, there are ways of alleviating mental stress. One such way is through encounters with nature. Outdoor activities can help relax and restore […]
