New Study Shows Decrease in Mid-schooler Problem Behaviours When Parents are Given Guidance Before the Child Enters Middle-schoosl

At Adolescent Counseling Services, one of our key philosophies is that when the entire family is involved in resolving an issue faced by an adolescent, the outcome is positive and lasting. A recent study published in the February 2012  Journal of Adolescent Health put this theory to test. The study“Engaging Parents in the Family Check-Up [...]

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Teens, Brains and Behavior

by Debbie Landi LCSW Site Director at Jordan Middle School As parents of kids in middle and high school, we can often feel confused by their behavior and expression of emotions.  We may think they reached a certain point of maturity in their emotional and social life in elementary school and are then morphed into [...]

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New Study: Blogging Can Help Teens with Social Anxiety

We have all heard the phrase “Get it off your chest,” encouraging one to talk about what is troubling or concerning them. With the advent of the computer age and all of the social media that has followed, this phrase has become much easier to follow, on a regular basis.  Sites like Facebook and Twitter [...]

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National Cancer Institute Speaks Directly to Teens Using Texting and Social Media Technology

Most adults know by now that smoking cigarettes is caustic to our health, partially because of the warning information printed on cigarette boxes and the intense media buzz provided by anti-smoking agencies and the United States government. Despite all that we know about the dangers of smoking, the prospect of smoking nicotine cigarettes is still [...]

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Everything You Wanted To Say To Your Middle Schooler, But Didn’t Know How-Part IV

By Philippe Rey, Psy. D. Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services So now that we have a good idea about what is really going on with drugs and alcohol, let’s look at more ways we can help our teens. As I mentioned last week, as parents your task is to encourage choice. That means that [...]

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Some Tips for Getting Through the Holidays With a Troubled Teen

By Ronni J. Gillenson ACS Program Director, On-Campus Counseling Progra Just because there is ‘holiday cheer’ in the air doesn’t mean that life for a teen has changed all that much.  In fact, the holidays can be a trying time for them.  During the season that everyone is to be happy and giving, this could [...]

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As Teen Job Market Suffers, So Do Teens

For many teens, their first dose of personal responsibility comes when they get their first job. The benefit of having a job, for a teen, is not just a monetary one; a job can open up new social circles, bolster self-esteem and create a sense of purpose. Most times a job outside of the home [...]

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Welcome to Teen Talk!

Adolescent Counseling Services is a non-profit with a 35 year history of providing free and affordable mental health services and preventive education. In addition to hosting the digital versions of the 99 Tips Booklet Series and all related content, this blog will be frequently updated with information and advice on adolescent parenting and current adolescent issues/trends. [...]

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New High School Trend: Beer Mile

A dangerous college activity has made its way to high school students and campuses.  Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) has seen a new trend in our programs: teens participating in a Beer Mile.  What is a beer mile?  According to the “official” Beer Mile website, “The most common format of the beer mile requires a single [...]

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Everything You Wanted To Know About Your Middle Schooler But Were Too Afraid To Ask – Part 3

By Philippe Rey, Psy. D. Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services Previously we looked at information that helped us recognize when a problem in our middle school children is serious enough to require professional assistance, versus a bout of normal adolescent behavior or mood change. This week we will focus on substances and how best [...]

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Facebook

On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Facebook announced their latest service that uses social media to provide crisis support for those  contemplating suicide or posting indicators that they may hurt themselves or someone else.  Adolescent Counseling Services is pleased to see that Facebook has partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and [...]

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Everything You Wanted To Know About Your Middle Schooler But Were Too Afraid To Ask – Part 2

By Philippe Rey, Psy.D. Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services Let’s start this second part of our conversation by making sure that we all understand that middle school is a time for fluctuations in physical and emotional energy. During this time, kids experiment with risk taking, have an increased sense of curiosity, love danger and [...]

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New Series: Everything You Wanted To Know About Your Middle Schooler but Were Afraid To Ask

By Philippe Rey, Psy.D. Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services The goal for this blog series on middle schoolers is to provide you with the tools and information you need to have a more open and genuine conversation with your child.  Additionally, this blog series will prepare your family for the difficult topics of conversation [...]

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Ten Ways to Foster Resilience in Your Child/Adolescent

By Chris Chiochios, MFT, ATR-BC, Site Director at JLS Middle School I attended the “From ZZZZ’s to A’s” event last Thursday evening and was thinking about all the different issues, worries, and concerns being discussed.  I had wanted to attend this event to hear Dr. Amy Saltzman talk about the issue of mindfulness and how [...]

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Your Teen’s Shyness May Not Be “Just a Phase”

Puberty can bring an onset of mixed emotions which can surface as unique traits and characteristics you probably had never seen before in your child. Becoming less social, less talkative, and overall more introverted is actually common among many teens. The heightened fear of falling into a social faux pas causes many teens to dodge [...]

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How to Manage School Refusal Behaviors

How to Manage School Refusal Behaviors (aka when ‘playing hooky’ becomes a serious situation)    by Christina Walker, Psy.D., Site Director at Menlo-Atherton High School “I don’t want to go to school today.”  Is there a parent who hasn’t heard this plaintive cry from a child or adolescent?  Children and teenagers can and will miss [...]

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Child Trends Strategies on Risky Behavior Among Teens

Child Trends is an organization that focuses its attention on current news and trends that affect our youth. The most recent newsletter by Child Trends discusses an annual event hosted by the organization. The event is in honor of Child Trends Senior Research Scholar and former Child Trends President, Kristin Moore. The focus of this [...]

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