When my daughter first started Kindergarten, we waited anxiously to find out who her teacher would be. Our school kept us in anticipation as they didn’t post the classroom assignments until the night before class started. Considering a busy life and the excitement and importance of a good night of sleep, our family made the decision to just wait until the morning of school. Afterall, we love the school and went thro […]
Safe Sex: Not Just About STDs and Pregnancy Anymore.By: Ingrid Higgins, LMFT Teens have been taught about safe sex practices for decades. Most teens are knowledgeable enough to know that you need to use protection to avoid an unwanted pregnancy or STD. However, in today’s day and age, that information is not enough to truly practice “safe sex”. The issue of consent to engage in sexual activity as a college student is a topic that is now […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I’m excited to share some news with you about a local blog series I am participating in called “31 Days To A Better Life With Your Teen.” On October 1, Los Gatos Teen Therapy will kick off a special month-long blog series for parents of teens in which 31 teen and family experts will come together to discuss behavior management and boundary setting, identifying and treating eating disorders, depression and self-harm, recognizing and addressing drug use, monitoring and preve […]