news
Happy Thanksgiving + Thank You Food Finders!
Before our staff head out to celebrate Thanksgiving with their friends and families, we want to take a moment to express our sincerest gratitude for all you do to support the children and their families we serve at The Guidance Center.The holiday season, in...
Sunset Sip 2017: Nurture Your Inner Child
Last Saturday, we invited the community to nurture their inner child at Hotel Maya, and what fun we had doing just that! Words fail to express just how grateful we are for the outpouring of support we received from the community at Sunset Sip 2017.230 friends of The...
Meet our Sunset Sip Sponsors
Over The Guidance Center’s more than 70-year history, a key factor in enabling us to provide much-needed mental health services to our community’s most disadvantaged children and families has been our many passionate supporters.They’ve used their voice to advocate for...
Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2017 + Resources
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s important that we take a stand together and break the silence that allows domestic violence to thrive, celebrate survivors, mourn those we have lost at the hand of domestic violence, and empower others to work to end...
Nurture Your Inner Child, Pt. 3: Meet Carl
This year at Sunset Sip, we’re inviting guests to nurture their inner child and experience the healing power of play like our clients do in treatment. Last week, Nathan Swaringen, LCSW, shared 6-year-old Victor’s story and how play gave him a voice. Now, he shares...
Nurture Your Inner Child, Pt. 2: Meet Victor
This year at Sunset Sip, we’re inviting guests to nurture their inner child and experience the healing power of play like our clients do in treatment. Last week, Nathan Swaringen, LCSW, provided insight into play therapy and its benefits to the healing process. Now,...
Nurture Your Inner Child Explained
Nurture your inner child. It’s the theme for Sunset Sip 2017 and highlights a key component of play therapy, but what does it mean and why is it important? Why would we invite guests to “nurture their inner child?”To help answer those questions, we enlisted the help...
Navigating the IEP Process, Pt 2: On to the Main Course
Jack is a 9-year-old boy in 4th grade that loves Legos, wrestling, and art. He would love to draw comic books when he grows up. He is competitive (especially with soccer), but also compassionate, is a helpful big brother to his sister, and tries to help his mom with...
National Suicide Prevention Month
Suicide. Hearing or even just thinking the word brings a rush of emotions. It can be painful if you’ve experienced suicidal thoughts yourself, know someone who has, or if you lost a loved one to suicide. It is difficult to understand and even harder to talk about.It’s...
Take the Stress Out of Going Back to School
As summer vacation comes to an end, it’s typical for children – and parents – to feel anxious about transitioning back into the school routine. Advanced preparation can reduce some of those negative feelings and actually make going back to school fun!Empower your...
Navigating the IEP Process, Pt 1: Let’s Get This Party Started
When I am getting to know a family for the first time, I will invariably ask the question “does your child have an IEP?” and they will almost always give me one of two answers: “What’s an IEP?” or “Ugh, yes. Yes they do.” I can identify with both these answers,...
Meet our New Chief Clinical Officer
Meet Alyssa Bray, MA, LMFT. She joins The Guidance Center as the newly appointed Chief Clinical Officer. We’re thrilled to have Alyssa on our executive team. Her passion for helping children and their families and her experience in doing just that throughout her more...
Client Success Story: A Successful Family Outing
During the summer months when school is out of session, clinical staff who regularly meet with their clients on school campuses instead meet with them at their homes, local parks, libraries or coffee shops to ensure that all clients continue to receive the help and...
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month + Upcoming Community Events
In honor of July being Minority Mental Health Month, we’re standing with organizations like Mental Health America and proclaiming that mental illness is #NotACharacterFlaw.Mental health stigma is unfortunately prevalent throughout the world....
5 Senses of Summer: Tips to Help Parents & Kids Stress Less
In talking with parents lately, I’ve noticed that the reference of “here comes the summer” can either bring a calming sensation with the relief of non-strict school bell and drop off schedules, or it can bring an overwhelming stress of how to keep their children safe,...
Meet our Donors: Children’s Benefit League
There’s a sisterhood in Long Beach dedicated to helping medically needy children and supporting their families who are struggling. Since 1946, they have raised over $1.7 million. And in just last year alone, they collectively raised $76,000. All with the purpose to...
Stand Up for Mental Health, and Save a Life
When I was a kid, people would whisper the word “cancer.” Now, professional football players are wearing pink cleats on national television in support of finding a cure. We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. We cry with them, walk for a cure and share...
6th Annual Client Art Exhibit – Celebrating Diversity Through Art
“A messenger between the conscious and the unconscious, art reaches the silence of our hearts when words fail. It is an agent of transformation, a medium for healing.” – Ana Zuanic, MFT Intern at The Guidance CenterLast Wednesday, we kicked off Mental Health Month...
Documentary Screening + May Mental Health Month
This past Wednesday, April 26, we hosted the first public screening of our original documentary film, The Bridge: Pathways to a Trauma-Informed Community. And what an inspiring evening it was!More than 175 community members filled the Art Theatre in Long Beach to...
Meet Our Donors: Cherese Mari Laulhere Foundation
Chris and Larry Laulhere of The Cherese Mari Laulhere Foundation are longtime Guidance Center supporters who have made a tremendous impact for our children. The proof is on the door of one of our Play Therapy Rooms named for their late daughter, Cherese. The...