Co-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 […]

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Depression, 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, […]

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Casual Teen Sex linked to Higher Rates of Depression

Article from Cornell.edu By: Ted Boscia Teens who date and are sexually active are known to be at elevated risk for depression, but why those associations exist is poorly understood. Now a new Cornell study has found that casual sexual “hookups” increased a teenager’s odds for clinical-level depression nearly threefold, whereas dating and sexual activity […]

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How 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 […]

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From 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 […]

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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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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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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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May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

Since 1949, May has been recognized as “Mental Health Awareness Month.”  One theme for this year is Live Well! It’s Essential for Your Potential.  This them focuses on the importance of mental wellness and the steps everyone – children, teens and adults – can take to improve their well-being and resiliency in the face of difficult […]

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