Creating a Values-Based Summer Plan
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
One of the tenets of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is identifying your values, or the things that are most important to you, and taking action steps toward living out those values in your everyday life. With the semester...
7 Tips for Navigating Peer Relationships as a Teenager
Sarah Mixson , M.S.W.
Let’s talk about something that may be on your mind: peer relationships. Whether you’re in college, high school, or middle school navigating social dynamics and friendships can sometimes be a challenge. I’ve got some helpful tips to assist you...
My Child is Struggling with Their Body Image – How Can I Help Them?
Sarah Mixson , M.S.W.
Anyone can struggle with body image; Research shows that children as young as 3 years old can have body image concerns. As a therapist who works with children and teens, this question comes up a lot from parents. And...
How Teenagers Can Find Connection
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
This generation’s teenagers have more ways to be connected than any previous generation. Whether it’s through social media, texting, or Facetime, today’s adolescents have more avenues of connecting than any other generation could have dreamed about. Despite all the...
Tips for Managing Conflict with Your Teenager
Madeline Redetzky , M.S.
In this vlog, Madeline shares practical advice and proven strategies for effectively navigating conflicts with your teenager. From open communication to setting boundaries, join us as we empower parents with the tools they need to foster understanding and strengthen...
Friendship Deal Breakers
Line Fleming , M.A.
Are you in middle school or high school? Does making friends in the beginning of the school year stress you out? There is a lot of anxiety that exists today around making friends at school. Some concerns include “where...
Setting Screen Time with your Kids and Teens
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
Screens are now an essential part of our daily lives whether you are an adult or child. Children and teens now must use either computers or tablets while at school to get work done, do learning activities, and turn...
CDC Reports Increasing Mental Health Challenges for U.S. Teens
by Cathy Murphy, Director of Community Outreach According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are continuing to see a trend of declining mental health among our teens. The data showed more...
How to Talk to Get Your Teen to Listen
Ever had a difficult time getting your teen to open up to you? Are they moody, and if you dare to ask what is wrong, all they say is “I don’t know”? The teen years are a time of...
How to Listen So Your Teen Feels Heard
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
One of the most common phrases I hear from my teenage clients is “My parents never listen to me!” Teenagers often feel unheard and misunderstood by many of the adults in their lives, especially their parents, and it greatly...
The New Status Quo: Adjusting for the Mental Health of Our Students
School is one of our biggest socializing agents in American society. Some would say it’s a catalyst for social growth and an exercise in the critical understanding of the world. I think it’s safe to say there are a...
Summer Slump
Alexis Durham , M.S.
We are halfway through summer break. Are you starting to notice that your child has gone from being happy to be out of school and loving life to becoming more of a bored zombie around the house? Structure may...
Improving Self-Esteem by Practicing Positive Affirmations Daily
A helpful, but not always easy, way to improve feelings of self-worth is the daily practice of positive affirmations. I like to use affirmations as a mental exercise, getting the mind into healthy shape. Positive Affirmations are helpful in...
Help to Control Test Anxiety
When a big test is coming up it is normal to feel nervous, especially if you know that the test is going to count for a huge percentage of your final grade. When we feel anxious, we may experience...
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month: A Q&A with Summit Therapists
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. According to the National Institute of Justice, teen dating violence includes physical, psychological or sexual abuse; harassment; or stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 in the context of a past...
Today’s Worries are Enough for Today
“No one ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than one can bear.” -George MacDonald It seems that anxiety is on...
How to Support Your Teenager with Anxiety
Madeline Redetzky , M.S.
Most of the teenagers I work with experience anxiety in some form. Over my years working with this population, I have found that I often am supporting the parents and family as well. I do not often hear people...
To be Young, Black and Depressed
There has been more acknowledgement, inclusion and research regarding the disproportionate rates of depression, lack of mental health accessibility and lack of individuals seeking therapy due to the stigma that still resides within the black community. We’ve seen the...
Is Social Media “Influencing” Our Youth?
Alexis Durham , M.S.
Social media: something that has become impossible for some of us to live without. Especially the teens in our life. Social media is a great way to stay connected, this past year has proved that. But how much is...
Improving Communication with Your Teen
Allison Bates , M.S.
The parent/teenager relationship is one of the most important relationships a teenager will have in the emotionally charged teenage time of their lives; however, oftentimes the opposite occurs, with the teenager pushing the parent away. This can, in turn,...