Supporting Adolescent Immigrants

Written By: Ruby Ortiz, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program a CHILD’S EXPERIENCEwhen immigrating to the United States and adapting to a new reality is often one that is overlooked. However, it is important to know that from 1989 to 2001, the U.S. accepted approximately 400,000 refugee children (Xu, 2007). We should recognize that […]

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Cultural Stressors in Youth

Written By: Kyara Mendez-Serrano, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program life as a teenagercan be a confusing time to navigate. It is a period in which folks no longer identify with being children, but they are not yet considered adults. In the midst of this journey, some adolescents might be experiencing the added pressure […]

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Practicing Compassion to Balance Masculinity

Written By: Cristian Lemus, Clinical Trainee at ACS, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program TRADITIONAL MASCULINITYis a social construct that presents itself in many different forms across the world. In the U.S., masculinity typically embodies winning, hyper-sexuality, controlling one’s emotions, risk-taking, violence, dominance, and dislike of being perceived as gay (Mahalik et al., 2003). When masculinity […]

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Body Image in Adolescence

Written By: Tucker Chopp, Clinical Intern at ACS, Outlet Program for many young people,the teenage years become increasingly fraught with highly self-conscious thinking. It is typical for adolescents to become preoccupied with how they are perceived by others and how they fit into society. How teens present themselves physically often becomes a significant concern in […]

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Practicing Self-Compassion

Written By: Elaina Vielbaum, Clinical Intern at ACS, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program rooted in buddhistphilosophy and psychology, the construct of self-compassion is considered to be a just as vital to feel as it is with other feelings (Neff, 2003). Similarly, to the definition of compassion, self-compassion encompasses the same qualities as compassion for others, […]

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Boundaries – For You AND Your Teen

Written By: Elizabeth Rivera, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program   “Your no makes the way for your yes. Boundaries create the container within which your yes is authentic. Being able to say no makes yes a choice.” ― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good […]

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An Athlete’s Toughest Competitor…

Written By: Grant Robinson, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program what would you say is an athlete’s toughest competitor? Their opponent? The playing field? The other side’s coaches or parents? What about an athlete’s own body and mind? There are so many different opponents that an athlete has to deal with on a daily […]

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Practicing Mindfulness

Written By: Anna Fitch, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program what is mindfulness? Over the past three decades, a movement of mindfulness-based positive psychology has taken the field by storm. As a result, mindfulness has become commonplace within the vernacular of modern-day society. While well-intentioned, mindfulness has become somewhat of a cultural commodity, leading […]

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Handling stress during the Covid-19 pandemic // Manejo del estrés durante la pandemia de Covid-19

Written By: Elizabeth Rivera, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program In English: WE HAVE NOW BEEN sheltering in place for almost 8 months – remember when we thought we’d be out of this in just a few months? The Covid-19 pandemic has inevitably affected our lives: from changes […]

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Self-Compassion: The Radical Alternative to Self-Esteem

Written By: Anna Fitch, Clinical Intern at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program the notion that high self-esteem plays an integral role in overall well-being has become a platitude in modern society. Parents are given the message that one of their primary jobs is to tend to their child’s self-esteem. Coaches are encouraged to give out participation […]

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