Emotional Wellness
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Peer pressured into academic pressure
At the beginning of the second semester of my sophomore year of highschool, I made the decision to take AP Chemistry instead of a free period. And just like that, I was on track to have the hardest, most tiring semester I’ve ever had. It’s not as though it wasn’t obvious to me at the…
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Youth Voice in Youth-Centered Technology
In a world fueled by rapid technological advancements, it’s more important than ever for kids to have a say in youth-focused technology. Why? Because our voices in this space are severely limited. Just as products are designed with a specific audience in mind—like cancer treatments for those battling cancer or glasses tailored to people with…
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The Role of Community in Suicide Prevention
It’s often said that you might not fully understand a feeling until it hits close to home. That was true for me when my brother confided in me that he had attempted suicide a couple of times in the past week. I was both shocked and scared, unsure how to process the gravity of what…
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The Hidden Crisis of Ghost Networks in Mental Health Care
Imagine desperately seeking mental health support, only to find that most listed providers are unreachable. This is the reality of “ghost networks” in U.S. healthcare. With studies showing up to 82% of listed mental health providers unavailable, patients face a frustrating maze of dead ends. How can we transform these ghost networks into genuine lifelines…
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Launching MyCuraJOY: Behind the Scenes
My daughter just came back from a summer at UC Berkeley. It was the first time that she stayed in a more metropolitan area where she wasn’t as sheltered. She asked me to buy her pepper spray. In fact, she carried one in each hand whenever she went out. A homeless person came up to…
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Cipher in the Snow
I grew up in a little farmhouse, outside a small midwestern town. Being the seventh of eight children, one would think that, in spite of being 10 miles/16km from town, perhaps my socialization did not suffer so much. After all, I was surrounded by seven siblings. Right? … Wrong! The eldest five were born one…
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Over Twenty Years of Struggling with Unnecessary Guilt
In July, the midnight sun of Northern Europe stretches the beauty of the city into 20 hours everyday. Enamored with such a summer, I often wander aimlessly around the city even at 11 p.m. One day during one of these leisurely walks, I received a rejection letter for a job I had previously applied for.…
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I love you. How Asian Parents Express Love.
One of our volunteers thanked me for believing in her and “I love you.” I was taken aback for a moment because she’s Asian, and we Asians don’t tell each other, “I love you!” 😠Only Westerners and movies do that mushy emotional stuff. We only dream about it. Asian parents give kids food…
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My Journey with AI in Mental Health: A Therapist’s Hopeful Perspective
Let’s begin by talking about our wonderfully complex brains. You know those times when you make a decision and later think, “Wait, why did I do that?” Well, you’re not alone! We all have these things called cognitive biases. They’re not just us being silly; they’re actually our brains taking shortcuts that sometimes lead us…
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Understanding Attachment Styles: The Invisible Threads Shaping Our Lives
Have you ever found yourself wondering why you react a certain way in relationships, or why some of your interactions seem to follow the same old script? The answer might lie in your attachment style, which is formed long before your first relationship. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of attachment styles, how they manifest…
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Under the Weight of Expectations
Everyone needs help from time to time—even the people who seem to have everything going for them. Sometimes, it is especially the ones who do well at school/work, the ones who don’t make a fuss, the ones who mask their symptoms well who need your time and care. I work with a wonderful and growing…
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Root Causes of Problems at School
When kids encounter difficulties at school, it’s not always due to academic issues. Often, behavior problems are the root cause of their struggles. Students might disrupt the class, become withdrawn, or skip school altogether. To assist these students, schools utilize a tool called Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) to identify and understand problematic behaviors and to…
