I Caught My Teen Sexting. Now What?
You might have gotten the call from another parent, who was appalled. Or the school administrator. Or maybe you found out about it yourself. Inadvertently saw some of the photos on your teen’s phone. Read some of the racy texts. How you discovered it doesn’t matter. Ultimately, you caught your teen sexting. Help! My Teen […]
Tips for Teens: How to Improve Communication with Your Parents
Most of the articles we write are directed toward parents with teens in treatment for a mental health, behavioral, or substance use disorder. We support parents with advice about all sorts of things, from how to support a teen with depression, to how to help a teen with anxiety manage their panic attacks, or how […]
Parental Controls: Teens Still See Pornography Despite Parents’ Best Intentions
Mental Health Distress in Teens Obsessed with Pornography Parenting a teenager in the internet age is challenging. Thirty years ago, it was possible to control a teenager’s access to media with relative ease. Smartphones did not exist. Most families had televisions, but most programming was PG, with the exception of cable TV, where blocking explicit […]
How to Introduce a Newly Identified Sense of Self: LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
The past year has been like no other. The pandemic arrived last March, and across the country – with the exception of a few states – everything changed. Schools switched to virtual. Rather than the two weeks we initially anticipated, most stayed virtual all year. Businesses closed and restaurants stopped in-person dining. Movie theaters paused, […]
LGBTQ History Month: Looking Back, Moving Forward
by Toby LaPlant October is LGBTQ History Month in the United States. While one month isn’t nearly enough time to learn the names of every person who marched, spoke, took action, wrote, organized, and dreamed of a better life for themselves, their friends, or their family, it’s a great chance to get to know some […]
National Coming Out Day: What to Say When Someone Comes Out to You
October 11 is National Coming Out Day in the United States. For people who have realized their gender identity or sexual orientation is not what others have assumed it to be, Coming Out Day can be a time to stand up with other brave people and share who they are. When someone comes out to […]
How to Keep Teens Connected to the LGBTQ Community During Covid-19
This year, many teens are starting the new school year from home. While some teens benefit from the flexibility of distance learning, nearly every student worries about the loss of in-person time with classmates, teachers, and friends. For teens who identify as LGBTQ, a semester of social distancing may mean being apart from the only […]
Why LGBTQ Identity Labels Are Important
The list of labels people use to describe their sexual orientation and their gender looks dramatically different than it used to. Surveys on sexual orientation as recent as five years ago included options like gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight. The acronym LGBTQ, which itself grew from the umbrella term gay, which became GLB, then LGBT, […]
Calling Transgender Teens by Their Chosen Name Reduces Suicide Risk
Recently, Starbucks – yes, the coffee shop – ran an advertising campaign in support of transgender teens. The popular ad, called #WhatsYourName, capitalizes on Starbucks’ well-known custom of personalizing each customer’s coffee cup. The short clip, which won a Diversity in Advertising Award and aired in the United Kingdom, follows a young teen throughout their […]
June is Gay Pride Month: How it’s Happening During COVID-19
Gay Pride has come a long way since June of 1970, when the first Gay Pride Parade was held. That year, to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a small group of gay and lesbian activists got a permit to parade along a short route, from the corner of Sixth Avenue and Waverly […]