 Image by Prashant Sharma from Pixabay During the week of May 4–10, Governor Gavin Newsom officially recognized Children’s Awareness Week in California—an initiative that highlights the importance of supporting the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents across the state. At Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center, we were encouraged by this announcement, as it affirms the significance of the work we do every day with children, adolescents, and teens in Contra Costa County. Our clinic offers a thoughtfully designed playroom for young children and a dedicated space for teens, where our compassionate team of trainees and associates provides developmentally attuned care. As we reflect on this week of recognition, we remain committed to advocating for safe, nurturing therapeutic spaces for young people and their families. We even have a long running play group where children ages 7-10 meet up under the supervision of our trained team members and work on life and communication skills with their peers. We look forward to starting a Teens group this summer to create a safe space where adolescents and teens ages 13-17 can gather with their peers and work on their social confidence and enhance their communication skills. Both groups have space open if you are interested in learning more, feel free to contact the clinic here and we can get you in contact with the required parties. Children, adolescence, and teens can feel lonely and misunderstood. Often it can be hard for them to communicate their feelings because they are worried about upsetting their loved ones or getting in trouble. When people feel alone and unable to speak about what is on their minds, it can create situations where our youth feel there is nowhere for them to turn but drastic measures such as coping with substances, self-harm, or even suicide. With the increasing usage of social media and the higher the unattainable social standards become, depression and anxiety increase as well. Taking time to give space and pay attention to the youth of our communities is incredibly important. You don’t have to completely understand where they are coming from or what they are talking about to be able to be a safe space for them to land. Often parents and other caregiving adults are inundated with their own struggles, and it can be hard to spare the energy that is needed to be able to do that but that doesn’t mean you can’t encourage and help provide that through other means like supporting their mental health with a therapist or receiving services for yourself to be able to become more present. We put together a few questions that could be a great way to start a conversation about mental health with your children below:
Our youth is our future. Destigmatizing mental health and fostering a space where they can speak openly about where they are mentally and emotionally can be one of the greatest gifts we can give. If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.
To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected]. Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page. |
RSS Feed
HoursHours by Appointment
|
Telephone408-320-5740
|
|
Social |