From Pop-Ups to Sexting: The New Deceptions of Pornography

12. June, 2012Adolescents, ArticlesNo comments

I came out of my counseling office to the waiting room to greet my fifth grade patient who was seeing me for anger issues and found him playing a game on his mother’s cell phone. The three of us walked back to my office together, and as a simple icebreaker before the counseling session, I talked to him about the game. He said the game was “Bubbles” where you simply try to eliminate all of the little bubbles. Trying to be friendly, I played it with him. Immediately a pop-up at the bottom of the screen said, “Hot Babes.” Read more

The Brains Response To Marijuana

9. November, 2011Adolescents, Articles, IndividualNo comments

Marijuana is often called pot, weed, grass, ganja, or skunk. Its chemical name is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. When some use this drug, the chemicals travel quickly through the blood stream and attach themselves to special places on the brains nerve cells, these cells are called receptors. They are called that because they receive information from other nerve cells and chemicals. When these receptors receive information it causes changes in the nerve cell.

In the case of marijuana, scientists have discovered that it can cause same people to lose focus of their surroundings and make others more aware of their physical sensations. Scientists have also discovered that marijuana’s effects can cause uncontrollable laughter one minute and paranoia.

One of the receptors it affects is the part of our brain that controls our emotions, the limbic system. This also contains the hippocampus, the part that processes memory. When marijuana attaches to the receptors in this area, it can affect our long and short term memory. Along with that, it can also affect the ability to process new information.

So although in some instances scientists are finding useful ways to use marijuana in the medical field, we do not want to take lightly using something that has also shown to have long lasting harmful effects on both young and old minds alike.

Our heavenly Father has blessed us with a very special gift in that our brains are capable of doing many great things. Out of love and respect for this gift we would never want to put something in our bodies that could cause potential damage to this gift.

Resource:
Www.drugabuse.gov

When is “Too Late”?

9. November, 2011Adolescents, Education Services, IndividualNo comments

Do you have thoughts of things you wished you had accomplished? Is your employment one in which you receive fairly good pay, but leaves you dissatisfied? Do you often wish your career had gone in another direction? Are you thinking that it is now too late to follow your heart and implement your God-given talents and desires?

As a society, we are living longer, retiring earlier, and not achieving Maslow’s “self-actualization.” More and more, men and women are staying employed beyond the full Social Security age of 65-67 years of age. Why? Perhaps we need to be around the friends we have developed in our years of working. Perhaps the economy does not support a 25-30 year retirement for us. Perhaps we need to feel productive at something. If we are going to work longer, we might just as well work doing what we like to do. My brother-in-law, Paul, says that if you struggle to get up to go to work, you have the wrong job.

So what is the answer to the problem? “I am just too old to change my career path.” Perhaps not. Borrowing the Brief Therapy technique of the miracle question, ask yourself, “If I woke up tomorrow morning and everything was just what I wanted, what would that look like?” Then ask yourself, “What do I need to do to make that happen?” From this beginning, you can forge ahead with a plan to reach a goal of making your vision achievable. So far, this is free to you. You can research the internet to locate the resources you need. You can interview college advisors to learn how someone your age can enter into academics and even excel. Are there scholarships available to you? Does your employer offer reimbursement for getting an education?

Your plan should include a timeline, means to afford your plan, motivation and determination, family support (but don’t let that stop you), and prayer. The younger people in your life will witness your effort to reach your dreams and instill in them the importance of using their God-given talents to bless their careers.

Educational Services

2. November, 2011Adolescents, Education Services, IndividualNo comments

Tern Educational Services