Thursday, May 19, 2016

Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra

Hello PACO Family!
We are celebrating PACO's incredible 50th Anniversary season this year!!
Come to the PACO 50th Gala Concert on Saturday June 11th, 2016 at 4:00 PM
Spangenberg Theatre (Gunn High School)
780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Get your tickets in advance here: LINK TO TICKETS (plus fees)
General seating.  Tickets will also be sold at the door.
Students receive a discounted rate and children are free
Current and alumni PACO members are encouraged to join the massive group Brandendburg #3 rehearsal at 3:00 pm with the performance at the 4:00 pm concert when all current PACO groups will perform.

Please also come to the PACO Family Potluck Lunch on Saturday June 11th, 2016 at 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. We will provide cups, plates, napkins and flatware.
Greenmeadow Park
303 Parkside Dr.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Potluck Assignments by last name:
A-E: Salads/Sides
F-O: Mains (sandwiches, casseroles, savory foods, etc)
P-Z: Desserts

On SUNDAY June 12th:
PACO's own Sinfonia Ensemble will have a concert on Sunday June 12th, 2016 at 3:00 PMat the Cubberley Community Center!   FREE admission!
Cubberley Community Center
4000 Middlefield Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Then join us at the PACEM (Palo Alto Chamber Emeritus Musicians) Twilight Concert on Sunday June 12th at 7:00 PM.
This concert will be outside on the grass at the Cubberley Amphitheatre (area next to the PACO rehearsal room).  FREE admission! 
Bring a blanket or low beach chair and your picnic dinner at 6:00 PM and enjoy beautiful music in the fresh air. 
All PACO alumni, families, friends and community are welcome to attend any and all of these exciting concerts. Please pass this on to any PACO alum or friend you think would like to join us.  Contact Nate at the PACO office with any questions at: nate@pacomusic.org or (650) 856-3848

We are looking forward to seeing you all for the entire PACO 50th celebration weekend!

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Gunn-Paly AAR Program Showcase


Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) program’s Celebratory Showcase poster presentation is Monday May 16 at JLS.  This poster presentation is an opportunity for AAR students from Palo Alto and Gunn High Schools to share their research and final projects, which they have been developing over the year.  We welcome the Palo Alto High School community to come meet and connect with student presenters and their mentors.  This is a wonderful opportunity for all PAUSD students and parents to experience an academic high school research project at work.  Enjoy light refreshments and compelling student work
Monday, May 16th
7:00-8:30 p.m.
JLS Cafetorium

480 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto

Thursday, April 28, 2016

PACO 50th Anniversary Celebration


Hello PACO Family!
This year we are celebrating PACO's incredibly 50th Anniversary season!!
We will be hosting a blowout gala event at the: 
Saturday, June 11, 2016
4:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Spangenberg Theatre
780 Arastradero Road
Palo Alto, CA 94306
We will be ticketing the event: LINK TO TICKETS
Students receive a discounted rate, and children are free!!
We hope that everyone can attend (and please bring your families!), and if anyone has any questions at all regarding attendance please contact the PACO front office at nate@pacomusic.org or (650) 856-3848
Thanks so much and we look forward to seeing you all soon!

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Gunn BEAM End of Year Celebration

Please join students as they present their final projects and share what they have learned through their BEAM  (Business, Entrepreneurship, and Math) experience. We will also be celebrating BEAM's transition from a club to an official course at Gunn High and introducing the executive board for next year! Refreshments will be provided.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 from 5:30-8:30 PM
Mitchell Park Community Center

The BEAM (Business, Entrepreneurship, and Math) Program strives to create a true public-private partnership by providing Gunn High School students the opportunity to connect with the innovation community of the city in which the school is located.  During first semester, students learn how mathematics applies in the real world through business application from customized curricula created in partnership with Ernst&Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

During second semester, students give back to the community and obtain real-life examples and hands-on experience in fields such as entrepreneurship, finance, and quantitative marketing through their volunteer work for local small businesses and non-profit organizations.  BEAM is partnered with the city in which the school is located, which helps pair the program with local small businesses and non-profit organizations.  Students also receive mentorship and start-up networking support from private sector firms, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, and SAP, and alumni from Stanford, Wharton, and Santa Clara University.  BEAM is currently run in the Palo Alto Unified School District and the Mountain View Los Altos School District.  Other public and private schools are also in the process of commencing BEAM.

SELPA1:  Monthly "Let's Talk" Event




Wellness Focused for Teens


By Kyle Yamasaki, MFT, Site Supervisor for Redwood Continuation High School 
Wellness has been around for millennia but it feels like a refreshing approach to helping teens with social-emotional problems in our schools.  As the site supervisor at Redwood Continuation High School (RHS) in the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD), I can share some of the exciting wellness activities organized by the ACS on-campus counseling team and SUHSD.  But first, what is “Wellness” in this context?
The World Health Organization defines wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups.  There are two focal concerns, the realization of the fullest potential of an individual physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually, and economically, and the fulfilment of one’s role expectations in the family, community, place of worship, workplace and other settings.”
Pertinent to the teens we work with, research supports that the focus on mental wellness can help with with self-regulation of intense emotions, resilience to stressors, and recovery from crises or illness, for example.  For example, at RHS, although the ACS team often addresses mental wellness issues with referred students who have urgent needs, but we are also more concerned about the presence of wellness for those who do not see us.  The absence of distress does not indicate a presence of wellness.  
Teens come to RHS for extreme deficiency in credits which appears to be symptom of other major stressors.  Most of which are coped with in unhealthy, but peer approved ways such as avoiding school, avoiding family, or self-medicating.  This is in addition to the basic stresses of adolescence.
RHS teachers and administrators, and the ACS team see significant potential in each student. We know this from the students we work with.  Students display resilience against seemingly overwhelming odds.  I discussed these concerns with the ACS interns who suggested ideas to engage students in wellness activities.   
We started with learning more about the students we worked with.  We found that both male and female RHS students overwhelmingly wanted lunch time sport related activities, learn more about cooking and healthy eating, and expressed interest in therapeutic art activities.  
In kind, ACS has started to work on providing activities like this during lunchtime.  So far, we have successfully engaged a small group of adolescent boys in a mural activity and creating spirit stones, for example.  A new social work intern has also recently joined our team who will start to engage the adolescent boys for lunchtime sports activities.  
As a site supervisor at RHS, what has also been remarkable to me is seeing how the ACS interns have also been able to share their passions and talents that match our students.  It seems like a natural synergy that is more meaningful and healthy for everyone.
While ACS’s efforts are just starting, SUHSD has been committed to some innovative wellness activities.  Most notably is RHS’s meditation-based stress reduction and wellness program called Quiet Time, an evidenced based program that has reported outcomes such as improved GPA, increased attendance, and reduced anxiety and psychological distress.  
The core activity of Quiet Time is transcendental meditation that the students, teachers, and administrators all participate in.  On campus in select classrooms, doors are closed with a “meditation in progress” sign.  For 20 minutes, two times a day, students meditate.  Students rave about the positive impacts this has had on their lives.  Students who were having a bad day even came into our ACS office at RHS, needing some space to meditate.
What is most promising for Wellness in our high schools is the effort to help everyone achieve their highest potential and level of functioning.  It is be exciting to see what other new wellness programs will be initiated at different high schools, especially as wellness policies at PAUSD and SUHSD continue to be implemented.
References:
Manderscheid RW, Ryff CD, Freeman EJ, McKnight-Eily LR, Dhingra S, Strine TW. Evolving 
definitions of mental illness and wellness.Prev Chronic Dis 2010;7(1):A19. 

Adolescent Counseling Services is a community non-profit, which provides vital counseling services on nine secondary campuses at no charge to students and their families. To learn more about our services please visit the ACS website at www.acs-teens.org. ACS relies on the generosity of community members to continue offering individual, family, and group counseling to over 1,500 individuals annually. ACS provides critical interventions and mental health services, building a better future for tomorrow. If you are interested in helping to support our efforts, do not hesitate to call to make a donation. It goes a long way in helping teenagers find their way!

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Parent Ed:  Parenting Teens for Success: A Panel Discussion

(Note: Chinese, Korean, and Spanish translations of this flyer follow below)
To reserve a seat, register at http://lythcott.eventbrite.com

(青少年迈向成功的教养之道

Julie Lythcott-Haims 主持嘉宾座谈讨论时间

(“如何养育一个成年人:冲破过度教养的陷阱与帮助你的孩子迈向成功做出准备”)
(请加入我们来进行一场即席生动的讨论,讨论主题是《抛弃“一切在计划清单下的童年”观念的好处, 以及教导青少年生活上技能和自我满足感)
(星期四,4月28日) . (晚上7点到9点)
(地点)  (Spangenberg大礼堂)  Gunn High School (Gunn高中
 
(讲演者)
(Julie Lythcott-Haims是纽约时报畅销书作家,史丹佛大学的前任大一新生系主任,同时也是GUNN高中的学生家长。她也曾经受邀在TEDx中演说,在Huffington邮报)
里受邀投稿。目前在California College of Arts学校攻读写作专业的艺术硕士学位。
 
(受邀参与座谈讲座的嘉宾)
  • Julie Lytheott-Haims, 主持人
  • Carlos Gonzalez, GUNN高中·学生·家长
  • Dr. Hoai-Thu Truong博士,临床心理学家)
  • Roni Habib, GUNN高中
  • Chloe Sorensen正向心理学教师, GUNN高中高三学生家长主席)

​    작가, Julie Lythcott­-Haims 최하는 공개 토론회 “checklisted childhood”라는 관념버림의 해택 그리고 teen들의 생활기술과 자급자족에 대해  이야기하는 생동감 있는 공개 토론회에 참석하세요
   
  날짜:  목요일, 4 28 7~9 PM     장소:  Spangenberg Theatre Gunn H,        행사는 무료입니다.  자리예약은 여기서 하세요http://lythcott.eventbrite.com

 키노트 발표자    Julie Lythcott­Haims  베스튼셀러 가이며에서   이었고Gunn High School 다니는 학생의 부모이다그녀는 에서 섰던  연설자였고 기고하며지금은 에서  글쓰기를 추구하고있다.    토론자 명단  
  • Julie Lythcott­Haims, 사회자  
  • Carlos Gonzalez,  부모  
  • Dr. Hoai-­Thu Truong, 임상 심리학자 
  • Roni Habib,  긍정 심리학 교사  
  • Chloe Sorensen, 학년 회장    질문은 토론중 또는 키노트가 끝나고 할수있음니다


Padres de adolescentes para el exito
Una mesa redonda moderada por Julie Lythcott - Haims Autora de Cómo criar a un adulto:  Rompiendo  la  trampa de la sobreprotección y como preparar a su niño para el éxito.
Por favor Acompáñenos en una animada discusión sobre los beneficios de dejar atrás la infancia y enseñar a los adolecentes  las habilidades para ser auto suficientes.
Cuándo: Jueves Abril  28.  7-9 PM
Donde: Spangenberg Teatro en  Gunn  High School 780 Arrastradero Road Palo Alto.
R.S.V.P Entrada libre, para reservar por  favor registrarse en  http://lythcott.eventbrite.com

Panelistas:
  • Julie Lythcott - Haims , moderador
  • Carlos González, Gunn HS padre. (representante de la comunidad hispana)
  • Dr. Hoai-Thu Truong , psicólogo clínico
  • Roni Habib, profesor de la psicología positiva en Gunn HS,
  • Chloe Sorensen, Gunn HS Estudiante Clase Joven Presidente.


Thursday, March 31, 2016

SELPA1 - Parent Education: Parent Fatigue/Stress




Wednesday, March 30, 2016


SELPA1:  Monthly "Let's Talk" Parent Ed



Thursday, March 10, 2016

ACS:  Resilience – How to Help Our Teens Stay Strong


Written By: Charlotte Villemoes, ACS Site Supervisor, On-Campus Counseling Program
I have the privilege and the pleasure of listening to teens every day. They tell me stories about their lives, stories that often move and inspire me. Many of them describe hardship that seems close to unbearable, yet the vast majority somehow perseveres and moves forward. At the end of the day I am often in complete awe by the power of human resilience, it is a force to be reckoned with, just like the stories of these two girls illustrate:
  • Maria* is the oldest of four. Last year her father died which left the family grieving and the mother as the sole provider. She is now working two jobs to make ends meet, and the family has had to move in with another family to survive. Maria shares a bedroom with her mother and youngest sister while her two brothers sleep on mattresses in the living room. Because of her mother’s work schedule, Maria has to take care of her younger siblings when she gets home from school. She is in charge until her mother gets home by 8, after which she has to find the energy to do all her homework. Although stressed, overwhelmed, and still grieving the loss of her father, Maria somehow has the strength to keep going.
  • Mindy* is 16 and from Malaysia. Two years ago her parents decided to move to the US to pursue a better life for their three girls by providing them the best possible education. Sadly, her youngest sister was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer recently, and it is still unclear if she can be cured. In the midst of all her worry, Mindy is doing everything possible to move ahead in the world, right now her goal is to be admitted to one of the top colleges. As a result Mindy has taken on a full schedule that involves four AP classes, a spot on the swim team, and a position as the president on the student board. Every weekend she volunteers for the Humane Society. Although stressed, overwhelmed and extremely worried about her sister’s health, Mindy too has the strength to keep going.
When I think about these two girls, I’m struck by their ability to cope with adversity. They both have work days that are way longer than many adults, they both carry a lot of responsibility, and they both have to function in the midst of their emotional pain. They are extremely resilient. Not everyone has what it takes to keep going in the midst of such challenges, but the good news is that as parents we can actually help our teens build that core strength.
I once worked as a consultant at a school in Redwood City, a job that was based on research results regarding resilience. A study had followed a large group of kids who had been challenged with extreme adversity, with the intention of pinpointing what had helped them grow up to become happy and healthy adults. The findings were very clear and they also turned out to be useful as guidelines for anyone who wants to foster resilience in their teen. The study concluded that three simple factors had helped the kids:
  1. They had at least one caring adult in their life who believed in them
  2. They were met with high – yet realistic – expectations, and
  3. They had all been involved in meaningful activitiesFirst of all, know it takes just one person to help a child make it in this world. That person is very often you, so even if your teens seem eager to push you away, know that your unconditional love, your support and belief in them is absolutely crucial to them. Remember that the little things often go a long way, like an out of the blue expression of love and appreciation, a word of gratitude for simply being in your life, or a family dinner where you take the time to truly listen.
  4. All research shows that a teen who feels connected to their family does much, much better when the going gets tough. Connections with other adults who can help them navigate through difficult times will add to their strength as well so try to encourage them to reach out and talk to other trusted adults, like a favorite family member, a teacher, a coach, a priest, or a counselor. Although it only takes one caring person to carry them through, a village does an even better job.
Expectations are very important too, and once again you need to trust that even though your teens might be fighting you, they are paying close attention to your expectations underneath their resistance. Make sure your expectations are high but realistic and based on an accurate assessment of what your teen is capable of; for some passing all their classes and graduating high school is a lofty goal that will require all the strength they possess, for others A’s and B’s are a stretch, but still realistic. The same goes for extracurricular activities, another area where you have to make sure your expectations fit the abilities and interests of your teen. It is also helpful if you communicate your expectations clearly, “getting C’s and above” is much clearer than “doing good in school”.
Finally, there is no doubt that being involved and engaged in meaningful activities is a source of strength for all teens. It is very important for them to feel that their contributions matter, that they are needed and appreciated for what they do. Getting a job is a big source of pride for teens. Helping out in the family with younger siblings, cooking or cleaning might cause them to complain, but it also makes them feel valuable and strong. In addition, you can have a conversation with your teen about what they are interested in and use that to create a list of possible clubs, groups, or organizations where they can contribute to a meaningful cause and meet likeminded people.
If you use these three basic principles, chances are that your teens will be able to join the ranks of the Marias and Mindys of this world. You will be helping your teens become much more resilient human beings, a valuable gift they will be able to utilize and benefit from for the rest of their lives.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
Adolescent Counseling Services is a community non-profit, which provides vital counseling services on nine secondary campuses at no charge to students and their families. To learn more about our services please visit the ACS website at www.acs-teens.org. ACS relies on the generosity of community members to continue offering individual, family, and group counseling to over 1,500 individuals annually. ACS provides critical interventions and mental health services, building a better future for tomorrow. If you are interested in helping to support our efforts, do not hesitate to call to make a donation. It goes a long way in helping teenagers find their way!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Barron Park Holi Celebration!




If you are interested in helping at the event, please sign up here:  http://vols.pt/h4w3Ky


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

WANTED: Parent Representatives for 2016-2018 Gunn Site Council

Site Council needs two (2) parent representatives to serve a two-year term, starting next August. Are you interested? Here are the FAQS:

WHO CAN SERVE: Any Gunn parent who wants to work on policy development and financial decision-making in a cooperative setting with 4 faculty, 3 staff, 3 other parents and 4 students. Each representative serves a 2-year term. A maximum of 4 consecutive years (2 terms in a row) is allowed, according to the bylaws. Thus, two of the four parents on Site Council are up for re-election or replacement each year. (YOUR CHILD MUST BE A SOPHOMORE, FRESHMAN OR 8TH GRADER THIS YEAR IN ORDER FOR YOU TO SERVE.)
WHAT DOES SITE COUNCIL DO: Around $23,000 in funds from state and district grants are given to Site Council to spend on departmental projects which are "new and innovative" and/or significantly benefit our students and staff...everything from "pilot classes" such as the Algebra Restart class, Multi-cultural Literature, curriculum, updating classroom technology, Mirrorless Digital Video Camera Expansion in CTE and Marine Biology Course Curriculum Development in Science to Graphing Calculators for Mathematics Students.  Each spring, we issue a call for proposals from every department on campus for the following year. Each project is evaluated to determine its effectiveness in meeting its projected goals. We additionally work on the School Plan, and work on WASC, as well as issues that crop up through the year. 
WHEN DO WE MEET? You must be willing to devote 2.0 hours a month for 1 or 2 monthly meetings on Monday afternoons at 4:00 here at Gunn in the Staff Lounge.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS ARE NEEDED? You must have a child enrolled at Gunn High School, possess some financial and/or policy decision-making abilities, and be able to attend meetings at least once a month. No, you do not need to be a CPA or CEO - just genuinely interested in taking the time to learn how Gunn operates and a desire to improve life and learning here for our students and staff. 

HOW DO YOU APPLY? Go to the link below and submit to the Site Council office NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26. The slate of candidates will be published and posted on a google doc - one vote per household is allowed. Paper and/or e-ballots will be tabulated with the results posted in April or May.
Questions? Please call the Site Council desk in the Main Office at (650) 849-7932 or email to rhart@pausd.org. Otherwise, click on the link below. You may also fax it to (650) 493-7801, mail it to Gunn at 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306, or email the needed info torhart@pausd.org.                    

Thursday, January 28, 2016

SELPA1:  Monthly "Let's Talk" Event




Thursday, January 21, 2016

Vote:  “Unmasked” Needs Your Vote in the Student Filmmakers Awards

Voting ends Sunday, January 24th at 10:59pm PT
Last weekend the community united as emails and FB posts spread like wild fire to alert people of the Student Filmmakers Award online competition. “Unmasked”, a movie produced by Paly and Gunn students (DocX) rallied for the win in the semi-finals, and has now advanced to the FINALS!! The DocX team is thoroughly humbled by the support they have received.  Let’s keep it going.  Please help them by clicking the link below (or paste in your browser).  Then sign in with either Facebook or Google+ and vote for “Unmasked” by Sunday 10:59pm
Last summer students from Paly and Gunn (DocX) came together and collaborated on a project to address the issue of teen suicide in Palo Alto. Their goal was to open dialogue, to help their community and their fellow students, and to let those who might be feeling pain know that they are being heard and we care.
In a few short weeks this team of 15-18 year old kids story-boarded the project, filmed, interviewed key high level people and created the amazing documentary “Unmasked”.  The movie is good and it addresses an incredibly sensitive and complicated issue in a balanced way. “Unmasked” has not only united a great group of kids (and families) from the two schools but it is uniting the community. Someone who has seen it said, “…it gives us a chance to step back and realize the goal is not to blame, but to care.” A Cupertino student told me, “It’s really on the kids’ level. It hits home and gives hope.” I am so proud of what these kids took it upon themselves to do and how they have helped the community that they love.
“Unmasked” is good. The film won “Best Short Film” last November at the Big Asian Film Festival in Los Angeles. And now it is in the FINALS of the Student Filmmakers Award competition, a world-wide student film competition. Of the original 32 films that were accepted to this competition, 5 were from high schools and the rest were from college and grad school; stiff competition.  The movie they are up against is “If Death Were Kind".  It is the thesis project of three students from the University of Nebraska.
Online voting is in progress and ends Sunday 1/24/16 at 10:59pm. 
Voting will be tight so please forward this to friends and family. 
These kids care for their community, their schools, and their peers and hence they are hesitant to self-promote their work. Throughout the competition, the one thing the DocX team has stated over and over is that the most important consequence of this competition is that more people have been able to view the movie and be helped by its message.  

Help them in their quest to support us.  Please vote!!

Parent Ed:  Alcohol & Drug Education Workshop for Parents



Friday, January 15, 2016

New Course: Advanced Authentic Research Project



ACS:  Understanding and Coping with Anxiety

By Deborah Sloss, LCSW

Most of us have experienced anxiety at some point in our lives. Some people even feel a moderate amount of anxiety spurs them to action.  However, for others, anxiety can start to interfere with their day-to-day functioning.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders experienced by Americans; as many as 25% of teens and adults will experience some form of significant anxiety during their lifetimes. While anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, when anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can be debilitating and affect general well-being, social life, academic performance and social interactions.  And while the person suffering may realize their worry is excessive, they may also have difficulty controlling it.  For example, a person may avoid situations that cause anxiety or suffer through them with little enjoyment and lots of distress. If anxiety is interfering with your day-to-day life, there are steps you can take to reset this balance.  Understanding more about anxiety itself and learning ways to identify the anxious components in your own thoughts, feelings and behavior can lead to effective ways to cope and manage anxiety.
Three Components of Anxiety
There are three major components of anxiety: physical sensations, thoughts (cognitions) and behaviors.

  • The physical sensations of anxiety may include feeling wound-up, tense or restless, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, difficulty with sleep, and stomach pains. In more severe cases, panic attacks may result in heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, nausea, sweating, shaking, a choking feeling, chest pain, chills, and numbness.
  • Anxious thoughts (also called cognitions) can be about suspected danger, fear of dying, fear of losing control, and worry about having additional panic attacks.  For example, one might fear that chest pains caused by anxiety are a deadly heart attack or that the shooting pains in one’s head are the result of a tumor or aneurysm. One might have intense and recurrent thoughts of dying.  Anxious thoughts may also result in nightmares or bad dreams, and feeling like everything is scary.
  • Anxious behaviors might include: reduced eye contact, nail biting and other nervous habits, or an increase in motor activities, like foot tapping. One may also avoid situations or withdraw from activities that previously caused discomfort.
It is important to note that “…when a person becomes anxious, the cognitive, physical, and behavioral components of anxiety interact with each other…For example, an anxious thought may lead to increased heart rate and muscle tension, which in turns leads to more anxious thoughts” (Hope, Heimburg and Turk, 29-30).
What can we do to manage anxiety?
While there are a number of methods that have proven helpful in addressing the physical component of anxiety, this article will focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a research-based technique that helps manage the thoughts and behavior generated by anxiety. CBT was developed in the mid 1950s and early 1960s by Drs. Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck.  CBT therapists realized that understanding the interaction between thoughts, feelings and events is the first step in successfully managing anxiety. These ideas were later expanded on by Dr. David Burns. In his book, Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy, Burns explains that our interpretation of events is often governed by negative or “automatic” thoughts, which can result in anxiety. Here are some examples of automatic, negative and anxious thoughts that may sound familiar: 

  • I’m going to fail this test
  • I will never get into a good college
  • All of the kids at school think I’m a loser
Talking Back to Automatic Thoughts
It can take time to figure out how one’s thoughts are tilted toward the negative.  Once we can do that, we can start “talking back” to our thoughts and we are on the way to feeling less anxious.  Dr. Burns says, quite simply and powerfully, that by changing the way we think, we can change the way we feel (Burns, 29). One example of a more balanced, less negative thought to “talk back” to anxiety might look like this:

  • I’m afraid I am going to fail this test and so sometimes I want to throw my hands up and not study.
Here the student is acknowledging where her anxiety is coming from.

  • But, I’m kind of ignoring the positives here.
This is identifying how this thought might be distorted.

  • I actually have studied all week and kind of know what I am talking about!
This is a more balanced thought about the situation, with some hope added in.
By stepping back and looking at her automatic thoughts more objectively, the student was able to create a shift in her thinking. By substituting a more positive and realistic thought for the negative one, she is on the road to changing how she feels.
Summary
Anxiety is something we all deal with.  This article focuses on the cognitive aspect of anxiety.  When we find ourselves feeling anxious or upset, it is important to tune into our feelings and identify negative or automatic thoughts that accompany these feelings. Can we take a step back and ask ourselves if there is another way to look at the situation?  If we can substitute realistic, positive thoughts for negative ones, then we are on our way to managing anxiety.
Resources
Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy, Dr. David Burns

Adolescent Counseling Services is a community non-profit, which provides vital counseling services on nine secondary campuses at no charge to students and their families. To learn more about our services please visit the ACS website at www.acs-teens.org. ACS relies on the generosity of community members to continue offering individual, family, and group counseling to over 1,500 individuals annually. ACS provides critical interventions and mental health services, building a better future for tomorrow. If you are interested in helping to support our efforts, do not hesitate to call to make a donation. It goes a long way in helping teenagers find their way!

SELPA1: Learning Challenges Resource Fair



Thursday, January 7, 2016

Via Heart Project: Teen Heart Screening Event