The Effectiveness of Pet Therapy and Equine Assisted Therapy

As the rates of depression and anxiety soar amongst children, adolescents, college students, and adults, the waiting lists for psychiatrists and psychologists continue to grow. Instead of waiting helplessly for months on end, we should take a closer look at pet therapy and equine assisted therapy for coping, resilience, hope, and healing. Research demonstrates that… Read more »


Giving Hope and Setting Goals for Kids and Teens in 2021

Buffering the rise of depression and anxiety in kids amidst social isolation. As we celebrate the new year, children and teenagers continue to be disappointed and frustrated with continued school closures and cancellations of sports and extracurriculars. Online schooling and social isolation continue to weigh our kids down, and the struggle with depression, anxiety, and self-harm amongst our youngest is surging. Despite the… Read more »


The Silent Pandemic: Depression, Self-Harm, and Suicide

Teens and kids have an increase in mental health struggles since Covid-19 Posted May 21, 2020   The rapid increase in depression, self-harm, and suicide since Covid-19 in children and adolescents is alarming and requires our immediate attention. Children have lost their routines, friends, activities, sports, independence, time in nature, travel, and necessary novel stimulation. The losses children are experiencing in this pandemic are significant;… Read more »


Teen Suicide: Awareness, Risks, and Prevention

We express our deepest sympathies to the families who recently lost their teenagers to suicides in San Diego. There have been 3 suicides and 1 attempt in the last one month in high schools within a 5 mile radius. The community is shocked and grieving with the families, and parents, clinicians, and educators are working hard to map… Read more »


Teen Suicide: Prevention is Key

We express our deepest sympathies to the family who lost their son recently at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, CA. The community is grieving with the family, and parents, clinicians, and educators are working hard to map the steps to teen suicide awareness and prevention. In 2014, the Center for Disease Control and… Read more »


How is Social & Academic Pressure Affecting Our Children?

In February 2015, I visited colleagues living in Palo Alto, CA who shared some disturbing news with me. There had been a recent flurry of suicides among high school students attending the local school. In attempting to research the facts, statistics, gender, and history of recent and previous teen suicides in Palo Alto, particularly in… Read more »