What’s Self-Esteem Got to Do With It?

By: JoAnn Kukulus, MS Clinical Psychology/MFTI, ACS Clinical Intern If esteem (as in “my esteemed colleagues…”) is the value and worth one applies to people, places, and situations then it naturally follows that ‘self-esteem’ is the value and worth an individual applies to herself or himself.  We can frame a picture of how we feel […]

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Conscious Parenting

by Roni Gillenson, LMFT Program Director, On Campus Counseling Program   It has been said time and time again that parenting is one of the most challenging jobs.  As we think about how we were raised, what we want to do the same or different in parenting and examine the role models we want to be […]

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Dating Violence – Is Your Teen At Risk?

Image: Jan Fidler Kissing couple Author: Maria Horwich, LMFT Site Director at Redwood High School Adolescence is an exciting and turbulent time for many of our teens. It is at this age that many of our children start dating. Many parents I meet are surprised that teen relationships are sometimes abusive.  In a nationwide survey, […]

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The Art of Saying “No”

Image: Heather Wiliams JoAnn Kukulus, ACS Outpatient Counseling Services Intern During adolescence, a great deal of communication that is initiated from teens toward their parents entails a request for permission to engage in an activity (sleepover, concert, party, use the car, etc.) or acquire a desired object (new clothes, athletic equipment, video game, etc.). Responsible […]

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What is the Choking Game?

By Beverly Reyes ACS Outpatient Counseling Services Intern Source: http://tweenparenting.about.com/od/healthfitness/f/ChokingGame.htm Question: What is the Choking Game? Answer: The choking game is a dangerous practice of tweens and teens in which they self-strangulate in order to achieve a brief high. The high is the result of oxygen rushing back to the brain after it’s cut off by the practice of strangulation. […]

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A Parent’s Guide to Teen Depression

Source: http://www.pamfblog.org/ Meg Durbin, M.D. a board-certified internist and pediatrician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Although being moody and irritable is often normal for teenagers, depression is not simply a side effect of growing up. Depression is a serious medical condition that affects approximately one in five teens before they reach adulthood and is the leading […]

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Conference on adolescent mental health & addiction – Menlo Park, 2/28, 9am-3:30pm

Adolescent Counseling Services‘ Executive Director, Philippe Rey, Psy.D., will be a keynote speaker at Parenting Teens Through the Challenges of Life: A conference on adolescent health and addiction. This conference will help you understand what adolescents deal with and provide information on helpful resources. The keynotes and afternoon workshops, led by experts in their fields, will discuss […]

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The Poison of Perfectionism

Image:CollegeDegree360 by Merrett Sheridan, LMFT, Site Director at Palo Alto High School “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed” – Michael Jordan “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly” – Robert F. Kennedy At Adolescent Counseling Services at PALY, the most common issue […]

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Do Not Expect a Stress Free Holiday Season

image: Adam Lederer  By: Ana Jimenez Adolescent Counseling Services’ Intern The holidays are here! The holidays are here! Lights everywhere, food and family!  For the young, the best part is school is out! Others are off work. It is December, the time when families celebrate holidays like Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwannza. When we think about the holidays, […]

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A Surprise Day Treat for Your Teens

Images: J.K. Califf by Rom Brafman PhD. Site Director at La Entrada Middle School If you’re the romantic type you’ve probably planned a surprise date night or day-long event for your loved one.  Maybe you took them to a concert or even whisked them on a romantic getaway.  We take pride in putting thought into planning […]

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