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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...
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,...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Meet Lenka – Our Newest Board Member
We are excited to introduce Lenka Somolova, MBA, as our newest Board Member! Lenka brings an extensive level of experience to our organization, and we thrilled to have her be part of our team. Lenka is the CEO of Power Orbital in Los Angeles, a US-based exclusive...
What is Play Therapy?
In honor of Play Therapy Week, we sat down with Dr. Jaleesa Adams, a registered psychologist with the Outpatient program at The Guidance Center to learn more about this therapy model and why it’s an important tool in children’s mental health. Please read through our...
Anxiety and Box Breathing
"I think we are all feeling more anxious, more overwhelmed, more frustrated, more exhausted in the current situation then we otherwise normally do, which for many of us is taxing our coping skills and requiring us to find new, more effective, ways of coping with this...
Signs Your Child Might Benefit from Mental Health Support
Mental health is a topic that has stirred up more conversation over the past couple of years. Within these conversations, there are common concerns and questions regarding mental health treatment, especially due to the extent of impact of recent events. The covid-19...
Adopt-A-Family Tribute 2020
Please enjoy our Tribute Book for Adopt-A-Family 2020 A big thank you to everyone who participates in this program and makes it possible for us to help our clients in this way year after year! ...
DEEP BREATHING: Theory and Practice
Deep breathing is proven to help people feel better and live better. Even so, many people find that it doesn’t work for them. If you’ve tried deep breathing but can’t make it work, this article is for you. It’s broken into two parts – the theory of it, which explains...
3 Mental Health Tips for a Happy New Year
You made it! We are here! It is 2021, a new year. Many of us have endured isolation or separation from loved ones and a variety of losses. Most, if not all, of our expectations for 2020 were hijacked by a global pandemic. As we begin this new year, let us be mindful...
2020 Year in Review – A Letter from Our CEO
As I reflect on this past year, like many of you, I never imagined we would be living under such trying circumstances. With dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice and the economic hardships that have accompanied them, this has been a year of great loss,...