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, […]
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 […]
Image: Jan Fidler By Martha Chan, LMFT Site Director at Terman Middle School We hear from many parents that, at some point, children stop talking at home; in some families, it happens at age 10, in others not till age 14 or 15. In a typical scenario, a middle school or high school student is […]
Image: Herald Post “Heidelberg Middle School Kids’ Bootcamp” Originally Published April 2010 Commentary by ACS Executive Director, Dr. Philippe Rey Build self-esteem in your children… •Kids who feel good about themselves are much less likely than other kids to turn to illegal substances to get high and/or to engage in risky behaviors. •As parents, we […]
Image: CC0 Public Domain by Jerod Gilbert, LMFT, Site Director at Jordan Middle School When we were expecting our first child, a graduate school friend of mine said, “It’s not just the birth of a child, it’s the birth of a parent.” I laughed and thought this was a bit corny. The cliché has stuck with […]
Image: Ludwig By: Monica Ippolito ACS After-School Counseling Program Intern Now that the fun of returning to school is starting to wear off here are some ways that you can help your teen be there best this year: 1. Attend School Daily: Reserve sick days for those in which your teen has a fever, nauseated, […]
By: Pamela Garfield, LCSW ACS Site Director at Gunn High School Last year I had a great opportunity to lead a discussion of parents in the Sophomore Parent Network. Many parents in the group were worried about substance abuse and were wondering how to ask their children about drugs. ‘How do we communicate when they […]
Image: Peter Ihlenfeld “Sicherheitshinweis Teenager im Haus” Originally Posted March 10, 2010 and has been updated By: Philippe Rey, Psy.D. As adolescents go through the physical changes of puberty, they also must deal with a variety of psychological changes. As a parent of an adolescent entering middle school it’s a good idea to get acquainted with a […]
by Chris Chiochios, LMFT, Site Director at JLS Middle School With so much emphasis on achievement and concern about our children being prepared and “ready” to enter adulthood and be “successful”, there is a hidden cost that many youth can experience. This cost involves developing a mindset that becomes fixed on what success means and […]
By Merrett Sheridan, LMFT Site Director at Palo Alto High School Ok so I made that up, but why not? Ask yourself when was the last time you gave your teen a truly heartfelt “atta boy” for something significant and for no reason other than to make them feel good? By significant I don’t mean thanking them […]