How to talk with your teens, not at them

By MAUD PURCELL, LCSW, CEAP Source http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-talk-with-your-teenagers-not-at-them/000528 “Why can’t they be like we were?” Parents of teens ask themselves this and other preposterous questions as they navigate the treacherous waters of parenthood. Truth is, all healthy teens are somewhat temperamental, secretive and obstinate — it’s their job! What Happened to That Sweet, Compliant Kid I Knew? […]

Continue reading →

Cultivating Mastery and Success WITH Your Teen

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 […]

Continue reading →

What Mindfulness Means

By: Jennica Janssen Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program Intern “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” – Buddha Mindfulness is a broad term that is […]

Continue reading →

Facebook and Its Effects on Our Mood

By: Sophia Dyer, M.Ed Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern After School Counseling Program (2012-2014) Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program (2012-2013) “Are you on facebook again? Why don’t you go outside and play?” Sound familiar? The” facebook argument” is a common one between parents and their teens. With the relatively new rise of social media, […]

Continue reading →

Teens and Parties

By: JoAnn Kukulus, MS, MFTI ACS Intern When our children were young, we parents had a hand in just about everything they did. We took on the responsibility of organizing and structuring their time in such a way that we knew what they were doing each minute of each day. If we couldn’t actually oversee the […]

Continue reading →

5 Times It’s Okay to Let Your Teen Break the Rules

Source: http://thestir.cafemom.com By: Robin Stokes It isn’t easy being the parent of a teenager. But let us not forget, it ain’t exactly a walk in the park BEING a teenager, either. Between the stress of a constantly changing mind and body, societal pressures, and worries about what the future holds, being a teenager can be (dare I say it) […]

Continue reading →

What do teens want from their parents?

By: Charlotte Villemoes, LMFT ACS On-Campus Counseling Site Director at Woodside High School Before I make a call home to a parent, I always ask the teen I have been seeing if they have any messages for mom and dad that they would like me to deliver. They always do. Most of the time the message […]

Continue reading →

Ask the Expert: “My Teenage Daughter is Always in her Room”

Source: http://www.yourteenmag.com/ Expert: Jennifer Powell-Lunder Psy.D., – is a clinical psychologist, author of Teenage as a Second Language and creator of ItsATweensLife.com. Question: Several months ago, our 13-year-old daughter started spending a lot of time in her bedroom. She’s asked everyone in our family to always knock on the door before entering. This is new to us. Should we be worried […]

Continue reading →

Spring Break, Teens and Online Reputation

Source: HuffingtonPost.com 2/11/13 Author: Sue Scheff With spring break around the corner, it’s time for parents to remind their teenagers to protect their online reputations. It’s necessary for us to not only talk to our kids about the dangers that they face online, but also to remind them of the importance of their virtual manners. […]

Continue reading →

Teens and Boundaries

By: Katie Luce, LMFT Site Director at Redwood High School Family rules and boundaries can provide a sense of stability to teenagers who are struggling to decipher relationships, roles, and even their own personalities. Although they may protest loudly against structure and boundaries, when they have a hand in what is being asked of them, […]

Continue reading →