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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The Task of Becoming a Teen

by Charlotte Villemoes, LMFT Site Director at Woodside High School After years of challenging teen years my son has finally emerged again, and much to my delight I am discovering he was hiding a real human being in there, someone who is able to communicate and show some basic interest in other people, including his […]

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Cyberbulling: What Parents Need to Know

by Katie Luce, LMFT Site Director at Redwood High School & Jordan Middle School This article is intended to educate parents and families about a serious issue affecting adolescents known as cyberbullying. My hope is to provide information, highlight some of the emotional issues that arise from cyberbullying, and offer suggestions regarding what families can […]

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ACS’ Program Directors Words of Advice for the Holidays

With the holidays quickly approaching, many parents wonder how to survive this time of year with their troubled teens.  Here are some words of advice from Adolescent Counseling Services’ experienced program directors: Roni Gillenson, LMFT On-Campus Counseling Program Director In my work with teens and families over almost 20 years, probably my favorite moments have […]

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How to Address Self-Harm with my Child

Continuation of blog post ” Cutting As Pain Relief? Understanding and Helping Teens Who Self Harm” The following tips were excerpted from The Cornell Research Program on Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents and Young Adults, www.crpsib.com, Copyright 2012. How should I talk to my child about his/her self-injury? Address the issue as soon as possible. Don’t […]

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Blog Series:Nutrition and Mental Health – Teaching Teens Mindfulness About Their Diet

By: Philippe Rey, Psy.D. ACS Executive Director   With all the recent news about the importance of nutrition and the increase in childhood and adult obesity and diabetes, have you ever wondered if nutrition could also possibly affect the mental/emotional state of people? Let’s think about this one for a minute! We know that sugars […]

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Blog Series: Nutrition and Mental Health – The Importance of Sharing a Family Meal

Article by Philippe Rey, Psy.D. Executive Director of ACS I would like to begin this series by quoting Marion Cunningham, an advocate of home cooking who just recently died in her 90’s: “Too many families seldom sit down together; it’s gobble and go… eating food on the run, reheating it in relays in the microwave […]

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