Blogs

Life After an Older Sibling Goes Off to College

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Stephanie Chase, MFT InternAuthor Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. With the buzz of graduation season already underway, families are beginning to contemplate the changes that are about to happen in their families. Much has been written about the effect this transition has on the parents and the adolescent leaving, but what do we know about the siblings who are left behind? In the months leading up to the launch, they experience the effects of the preparatio […]

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Becoming the Dragon Master: OCD and ERP in Adolescence

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John Souchak, MFTIMost of us have experienced childhood fears. Some even anxiety. Often as adults we outgrow these fears, and it can be difficult to identify what is a typical childhood fear and what is not.For some teens, this type of fear isn’t something that you just “outgrow.” It is a constant pattern which can interfere with sleeping, eating, or hanging out with friends. Thoughts start to rise up, and with it, they become nervous or anxious. It’s like little flames […]

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A Monster Named Anxiety: A look at Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)  in adolescence.

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I have a friend. Her name is Worry. Her job is to protect me.  When I have something important to do, she will push me to do it.  She will make sure I do a great job. If I need to study, then she will make sure I do.  If I need to practice before a game, she will make me.  She ensures that I am kind to friends and respectful to authority figures.  However, sometimes she gets scared.  She thinks others will hurt me.  She wants to protect me.  In order to ke […]

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EMDR for PTSD

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A Demon Named PTSDBy Ingrid Higgins, MFTI have a demon; her name is PTSD.   She is very strong and has the power to make me remember all of the things people have done to hurt me in the past.  PTSD can create, in an instant, the same feelings of those past hurts and the same physical sensations.  When she comes, it is very hard to be close to others. PTSD reminds me of how bad people have been in the past and why I should not trust anyone. She keeps m […]

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My Body is a Vessel

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My body is a vessel. It will carry me through this life. I will take care of it to the best of my ability. I will respect it. I will…
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A Black Dog Named Depression

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A client of mine sent me a link to the YouTube video titled, I Had a Black Dog, His Name Was Depression. I encourage you to watch the video, which…
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Breaking the Silence in Families

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I recently attended training by Stephan Hinshaw, a professor at UC Berkeley, on the Stigma of Mental Illness. It is somewhat surprising to learn just how prevalent negative judgments about…
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Buttons You Never Knew You Had

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Raising children can be one the most rewarding jobs in life. It can also be one of the hardest. You start out sleep-deprived and feeling completely incompetent. There are moments…
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Teen Suicide

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A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a colleague who told me that there had been a suicide of a student who attended Saratoga High School. I…
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