By: JoAnn Kukulus, M.S. Clinical Psychology BBS Registered Intern at Adolescent Counseling Services Part II of blog series on Co-Occurring Disorders Read Part I: Co-Occurring Disorders: Diagnosis Regardless of which issue presented first, mental health or alcohol/substance abuse, recovery depends on acknowledging and treating both the alcohol/substance abuse and the mental health issue. The most […]
Continue readingCo-Occurring Disorders: Diagnosis
By: JoAnn Kukulus, M.S. Clinical Psychology BBS Registered Intern at Adolescent Counseling Services Increasingly at Adolescent Counseling Services, we are encountering clients who are struggling with both alcohol or substance use/abuse and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, and the effects of trauma (PTSD). The intersection of these conditions is rapidly gaining […]
Continue readingDepression, anxiety and social phobias rising in kids, educators say
By Sharon Noguchi Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/health A popular and accomplished Los Altos High student received a parent’s text message at school last year, to come home to talk about her grades. The student and star athlete had earned all A’s — except one D. She asked to be excused from English class to go to the bathroom, […]
Continue readingAsking For Help – It’s Ok
Jennica Janssen, LMFTI ACS Outpatient Counseling Intern Is there anything wrong with asking for help? As you read this question, you are probably thinking, “Of course not.” However, the truth is that most people do not want to reach out of their comfort zone and ask for help. Instead, people accept too much responsibility and […]
Continue readingAn Experts Advice on Teen Anxiety
Original source: The Globe and Mail Expert: Dr. Alexa Bagnell in Halifax This article is a response to submitted reader questions to The Globe and Mail after a Toronto District School Board survey revealed high levels of anxiety in teenagers. The following answers by Dr. Alexa Bagnell are responses to condensed and edited questions by […]
Continue readingHow 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, http://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 […]
Continue readingTeenSphere-A Teen Self-help App
Have you heard the phrase, “There’s an App for that.” Well apparently that is true in the case of teen mental health, as well. Its called TeenSphere. The app is designed by a licensed psychotherapist who worked with kids for years. The topics it covers are all from teens’ real life concerns and worries. There are […]
Continue readingHow to Spot the First Signs of Teen Depression
Recently About.com posted a really helpful post about the “First Signs of Teen Depression.” The post was written by About.com’s resident teen health expert Denise Witmer. Here is the beginning of Denise’s post. Many times parents of teens who have tried to or have committed suicide struggle with the idea that there were signs of […]
Continue readingFrom the Inside-Life As An ACS Intern
By: Ildiko Ran On-Campus Counseling Program Intern at Menlo-Atherton High School “I feel so much better that I got all that off my chest. I can go back to class now” – said one of my clients after a session when she unloaded the overwhelming stress that surrounds her everyday life. She keeps up the […]
Continue reading