Speak! Feel! Be! Support Group for Youth and Parents
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2015
Press Contact:
Aarika Riddle
Advancement and Marketing Director
(650) 424-0852 ext. 103
aarika@acs-teens.org
“Speak! Feel! Be!” Support Group to Start for Local Youth and Parents
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) to offer new support group following recent tragedies
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS), a community-based nonprofit agency dedicated to the healthy social and emotional welfare of youth, has developed a new support group, “Speak! Feel! Be!” This group is for youth and parents to express their emotions and receive support following the tragic youth suicides on the Peninsula this school year. The group will begin on Saturday, February 14, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at ACS’ offices in Palo Alto, and will run for eight consecutive Saturdays.
The first four weeks, February 14, 2015 – March 7, 2015, will be open to youth only, to share their feelings amongst peers and with the assistance of two trained therapists. “We wanted to create a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment for students to share feelings of grief, anxiety, anger, and find their way through all that is going on in their community,” said Philippe Rey, Psy.D., ACS Executive Director.
The remaining four weeks, March 14, 2015 – April 4, 2015, will be open to parents seeking support and guidance on how to support their youth in times of tragedy. “Parents also need a place to express feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, and helplessness of the situations facing our youth communities,” said Connie Mayer, LMFT, Director of Outpatient Counseling Services at ACS. “These conversations with parents will cater to the emerging themes we hear from the preceding youth sessions,” she said.
“It is completely natural to be in pain after what has happened in this community,” said Rey. “We understand that youth are going through a lot. Instead of pinning these tragedies on a single cause, our priority is to provide help and support by creating safe spaces for youth and family members to discuss their reactions, emotions, and thoughts about everything that is happening.”
The cost of the support group is $10 per person/couple, per week. Financial assistance is available if needed. For more information about this group, please contact Connie Mayer, at connie@acs-teens.org or (650) 424-0852 ext. 104. To learn more about ACS’ other program offerings, please visit www.acs-teens.org.
*Download the Speak! Feel! Be! Support Group Flier*
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) empowers youth in our community to find their way through social-emotional support and by building safe, accepting communities. Established in 1975, ACS relies on the generosity of the community to offer critical interventions and mental health services to nearly 10,000 individuals annually, building a better future for tomorrow. ACS offers year-round services to San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties through its On-Campus Counseling Program, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program, After-School Counseling Program, and Outlet Program.
*Download this press release, 2015-2-9 Speak! Feel! Be! Support Group for Local Youth and Parents, as a PDF*