Referents Archives | Page 9 of 12

The Connection Between Teen Trauma and Psychosis

According to NAMI, any traumatic event can trigger a psychotic episode. Car accidents. War. Violent assaults. Terrorism. Physical abuse. Sexual abuse or extreme neglect. However, certain events are more highly linked to psychosis. Experiencing a natural disaster and seeing someone killed or injured are both traumas that have been shown to induce psychosis in many people. Childhood Trauma and Psychosis Additionally, childhood trauma—particularly childhood sexual abuse— has received a lot

June 29, 2020

The Impact of COVID-19 on Teens with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by repetitive, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that often intrude upon a person’s day-to-day life. This anxiety disorder is a common psychiatric disorder for adolescents. Evidence shows that between one and three percent of children and teens struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some common types of obsession include worrying about something bad happening or worries about becoming sick or dying. Teens with OCD may show constant

June 27, 2020

Report: The Most Commonly Abused Drugs in LA County

Addiction and substance use is a nationwide problem. But specific areas of the country show specific trends and drug patterns. For example, the 2019 Los Angeles County Sentinel Community Site (SCS) Drug Use Patterns and Trends Report shows the current statistics of drug use in Los Angeles County. Dr. Mary-Lynn Brecht of UCLA authored the report, which was funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) together with the

June 25, 2020

Five Tips for Making Your Practice a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ Teens

June is Pride Month! In honor of #Pride, we asked Clarissa Harwell, LCSW for advice on making the therapy room a safe and welcoming space for teens who identify as LGBTQIA. Clarissa works for Uplift Family Services in the Bay Area and also has a private practice in Campbell, California. In addition to working with children and teens who engage in high-risk behavior, such as suicidal ideation or self-harm, Clarissa

June 23, 2020

Tips for Academic Coaches Shifting to Virtual, From Someone Who’s Been Virtual All Along

With school doors still shuttered due to COVID-19, most teachers and school counselors have been forced to shift to online formats. But there are some schools that have been online since day one, and their staff members have a thing or two to teach the rest of the world. Valencia Johnson, M.S./P.P.S., is the academic coach at iLEAD Online, a WASC-accredited, NCAA-approved umbrella of nonprofit, tuition-free public charter schools for

June 12, 2020

Non-Binary Gender Identities: An Introduction

For some teens, exploring their gender identity is an important part of figuring out who they are. Most people are familiar with two gender identities – man and woman. But some cultures recognize a third gender identity. They view gender as something that can be more complex than two categories allow. The term non-binary is used to reflect the idea that people can view and describe gender in ways that

June 1, 2020

Tips for School Counselors Switching to Telecounseling

With schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school counselors are in a strange position: They need to keep tabs on their students’ mental health, but they’re forced to do so from afar. So how have they been managing this difficult feat? And what lessons have they learned – so far – from the experience? Evolve spoke to several school counselors to glean their thoughts on teletherapy for teens

May 20, 2020

Family DBT at Evolve: How We Do It

[seriesbox]DBT Residential Treatment For Teens Teen DBT Programs Part One: What Is DBT? Teen DBT Programs Part Two: How DBT Helps Teens DBT the Gold Standard for Treating Adolescent Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation How do Adolescent DBT Programs Help Depressed and Anxious Teens?[/seriesbox]Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is all about change. From emotions to behaviors to modes of thinking, the essence of DBT lies in learning how to transform life-interrupting thoughts,

May 19, 2020

When Therapists Experience Burnout

What is burnout? Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by exposure to long-term stressors in one’s profession. Dr. Christina Maslach, a burnout expert and a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, is the creator of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. In her research, she finds that burnout is particularly common in professionals who work with people. Doctors, therapists, nurses, policemen, teachers, ministers, prison officials, immigration officials,

May 18, 2020

Peddlers of Hope: How School Counselors Help Youth Cope Through Coronavirus

With schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school counselors are in a strange position: They need to keep tabs on their students, but they’re forced to do so from afar. And when it comes to underserved youth, the situation is even more difficult. Alejandra “Ali” Cortes, MA, MFTI, is the Clinical Youth Outreach Worker for the Santa Barbara Unified School District, primarily working with at-risk adolescents and teens. Recently,

May 17, 2020

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