A free class for Teens with Santa Clara County Library
By Sylvia Rodriguez, AMFT
(Supervised by Marté Matthews, LMFT)
As we pass into the 7th month of masks, social distancing, self-isolation, and distance learning, the stressors of our new realities are ever present, especially for today’s teens. Although no two people react the same way to stress, teens that I work with have shared incredible frustration, sadness, and anger. They are not seeing friends, while learning a whole new way to do school, not participating in sports or any of the “good stuff” of school. They have shorter tempers, and the reality that everyone is cooped up in the same house for months at a time.
Teens have been learning through trial and error how to manage these overwhelming stressors. They discover that some ways to handle stress don’t work well, and some ways aren’t as healthy as others.
Do any of these sound familiar?
Being attached to social media all the time
Avoiding other family members and holing up in their room
Increasing their screen time to unheard of amounts
Avoiding any school work until it’s too late.
Without the daily structure of school, extracurriculars, social events, and reconnecting with family after work and school, the normal built-in stress management techniques just do not work anymore. Building a new skill set for stress management is vital as we adjust to all that is new in our lives. It’s so hard seeing your teen (or teens) struggle through this very challenging time. We’re all trying to help, making adjustments and changing things up at home, but sometimes it can feel like “Nothing works!” Maybe you’re not sure how to teach our teens to manage while we’re all in the same chaos. Many teens seem to be allergic to any recommendation from their parents, rejecting the advice just because it comes from their mom or dad. This free one-hour class is specifically for teens, ages 13-18. We will focus on what stress actually is; how it impacts our brains, bodies, and moods; and how our body can decrease stress naturally. We will address the misconception that self-care is bubble baths or expensive new sneakers to treat yourself, and set the record straight that self-care can actually work to decrease stress better than self-pampering. Teens will come away with concrete examples & techniques to decrease stress, and learn about helpful & healthy coping skills to feel better, because this situation isn’t changing anytime soon! If you think that your teen could benefit from this class, please click on this link https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/events/5f8a2ffb517f743a000d1c39 to register.
Taking Back the Reins: How to Manage Stress when the World is Spinning
A free class for your teen offered by Sylvia Rodriguez, AMFT (Supervised by Marté Matthews, LMFT) and Angela Dube, LMFT of Child & Family Counseling Group and the Santa Clara County Library.