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Minority Mental Health Month: Thoughts From Our Staff
This July, during Minority Mental Health Month, we continue to raise awareness about the mental health experiences of underserved and underrepresented communities. We reached out to our diverse staff who identify as BIPOC (black, indigenous and/or people of color) and...
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Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
One in six U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 17 has a treatable mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety problems or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a 2016 National Survey of Children's Health data published online in JAMA...
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Understanding the Signs of PTSD
Quinta was a 4-year-old girl who entered treatment when her mom noticed her reluctance to play with other children at school. Quinta was severely shy, had nightmares almost every night, and would often “zone out” at home. People often associate the term “PTSD” with...
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Public Safety Clinician Program Update
Transitioning from Jail to Shelter: A Therapist’s Experience Since 2018, I have served as the Public Safety Clinician in the Long Beach City Jail. In the midst of the pandemic, I was temporarily reassigned to three different shelters to provide mental health services...
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10 Fun Tips on Keeping Kids Busy This Summer
As summer approaches and more things open up as COVID19 restrictions ease, many parents are anxious about what activities and outings they can do safely with their children. Rather than thinking of summer as a stressful time, planning ahead can make summer an...
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A Deeper Dive Into Pride
“See me for me. Not for my labels or for the expectations you have created for me. See me for my joy, for the love I want to shower the world with, for the opportunity to see me shine bright, brighter than the sun, than the moon, than the stars. Dive in deeper to...
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First Response Mental Health Training Launch
The Guidance Center launched another exciting film project -- this time partnering with the Los Angeles Area Regional Training Group (LAARTG), Los Angeles Area Fire Chief Association (LAAFCA) and Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) to develop a series of web-based...
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Learn About AAPI Month with The Guidance Center
Along with Mental Health Awareness Month, May is also AAPI month. AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander, which according to asianpacificheritage.gov is “a rather broad term” that encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of...
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Lessons Learned – A Reflection on 5 Years of It’s About T.I.M.E.
Much has been learned in the past five years at six different schools, ranging from preschools and elementary schools to alternative education high schools. The most important lesson learned is how developing a trauma-informed lens takes time (pun intended). It's...
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A Social Hour Success! Nearly $6,500 Raised for Trauma-Informed Schools
On May 5th, during Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, friends of The Guidance Center gathered virtually to celebrate a trauma-informed movement in Long Beach schools. The 5th Annual It's About T.I.M.E. Social Hour was filled with community, reflection,...
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New Podcast on Mental Health with Patricia Costales, LCSW, CEO
We are so excited to share, in time for Mental Health Awareness Month, our new podcast! In My Backyard is an open conversation about children and mental health. Our CEO, Patricia Costales, LCSW, speaks with experts about the many factors that contribute to emotional...
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5 Ways to Manage Anxieties of the World Reopening
It feels like just yesterday we were told we would be working and studying from home for what was supposed to be two weeks. Those two weeks quickly turned into a year. A year that has had a global impact that has created difficulties for many, if not all of us. ...
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Encouragement for Parents
"As mental health providers, we work alongside parents to strengthen relationships and mitigate the cycles of abuse that are often passed down from one generation to the next, and bring hope and healing to traumatic experiences." April is National Child Abuse...
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Three A’s of Autism: Awareness, Acceptance and Action
April is Autism Awareness Month, and April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. In honor of this, Courtney Corniuk, AMFT, a Clinical Therapist in our Outpatient Program put together the three A’s of autism: awareness, acceptance and action. This blog is to help minimize...
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Hope from CEO on COVID-19 One Year Anniversary
Hello everybody I'm Tricia Costales the Chief Executive Officer of The Guidance Center. When I last spoke directly to you about the COVID-19 pandemic, we were newly under the Safer at Home orders and reeling quite a bit with anxiety about what might...
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It’s About T.I.M.E. Year 6 Update, PT. 2
The year is 2021—March 2021 to be exact. As I grab my backpack and mask, I head out to an empty school with a few teachers and school administration. I reside in my office, open up my laptop and hope I didn’t leave my headphones in the car. “I never would have...
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It’s About T.I.M.E. Year 6 Update, PT. 1
“I'm not exactly [sure] where to begin to explain the depth of knowledge [and] inspiration that's come from having someone like Nathan, with the skill [and] passion for trauma informed practices at Lakewood. He [and] his influence on student [and] staff growth has not...
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We love Social Workers
It's National Social Worker Month! And we want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those who work incredibly hard in this field. Social workers do much for their clients, always going above and beyond to meet their needs and help them in their journey...
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Guidance Center Staff Celebrate Black History Month
“Black people are getting killed for no reason. Can we go outside, check our mail [or] go back in the house without getting killed? Can we, or can we not? Cause if not, then we’re not [going to] get our mail or go outside period. I’m scared I’m going to get killed for...
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Recognizing and Addressing Teen Dating Violence
Just like any relationship, teen relationships require trust, respect and honest communication to thrive. Unfortunately, nearly one in three teenage relationships are characterized as either unhealthy or violent. One reason for this is because teens are still...
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