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Adopt-A-Family 2021: Spreading Holiday Cheer

The holiday season is just around the corner and we are delighted to announce our holiday Adopt-A-Family program! Whether you have supported this annual program for years or this is your first time learning about it, your generosity will make the holidays special for...

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LatinX Heritage Month

  “I looked up at the trees and asked for their wisdom. I observed their willowing branches and crisp brown leaves, dead with only a shimmer of light running through their veins. Its branches holding on to life with the few lively leaves it managed to hold on to....

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Nurturing Through Nature

  Research shows that connectedness is the most important shield AND antidote to traumatic experiences. Dr. Bruce Perry and Dr. Gabor Mate suggest, respectively: “Disconnection is at the heart of trauma.”, and “Children don’t get traumatized because they’re in...

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Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

  In the five minutes that it takes you to read this blog, it is likely that there will be roughly two deaths by suicide and eleven suicide attempts (American Academy of Suicidology 2019 Data). Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and...

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Celebrating 75 Years of Healing and Hope

  Since 1946, The Guidance Center has broken down barriers and pioneered new ways to meet the unique and ever-growing mental health needs of the urban community’s most vulnerable population – children.   The vision to build healthy, safe communities and a...

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Long Beach Gives 2021

  The Guidance Center is excited to be one of 200+ nonprofit organizations participating in the third annual online giving event, Long Beach Gives! Set for Thursday, September 23, 2021, this citywide movement is a 24-hour day dedicated to help raise awareness...

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Building Strong Relationships to Impact Change

Three years ago, The Guidance Center and Educare of Los Angeles at Long Beach Unified School District partnered together to have a Mental Health Clinician and Consultant on-site to address and assess the needs of children and families that were at risk for mental...

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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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