April is Autism Acceptance Month!

April is Autism Acceptance Month!

Alexandria & Arlington Public School Districts present
Autism: the Musical
Thursday, April 10th
at 7:00 pm
Preceded by light refreshments at 6:30 pm

The award-winning documentary film will be shown at
T.C. Williams High School Auditorium
3330 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302

Free and Open to the Public

For more information and to RSVP, please contact:
Alexandria City Public Schools:
therese.margot@acps.k12.va.us 703-820-4997
Arlington County Public Schools: deborah.hammer@apsva.us 703-228-2133

"Working w/Adolescents & Their Families: A Collaborative Approach to Treating Substance Abuse"

A great video clip that shows again why their is a need for therapists to be trained in how to treat adolescent substance abuse using a collaborative approach that includes the family.

Denise Tordella, M.A., LPC and I will be teaching "Working w/Adolescents & Their Families: A Collaborative Approach to Treating Substance Abuse" at The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education, Inc. on Thursday May 1st, 2014. We hope you will join us!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdVwedcCYxU

The knowledge we have about the need for healthy attachment....

Healthy attachment, secure attachment... makes such a difference in the world!  This is an example of a more intense version of the effects of lacking secure attachment.  Attachment, health attachment is something we need to be sure all families are working toward...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/20/280237833/orphans-lonely-beginnings-reveal-how-parents-shape-a-childs-brain

The need for more mental health treatment...

This is a link to the 60 minutes story with Creigh Deeds telling the sad story of how little mental health treatment actually exists for the youth... although I think there needs to be more mental health treatment for adults and the youth!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mentally-ill-youth-in-crisis/

Stan Tatkin teaching the PACT Level 1 training for the last time - in DC, starting in 2 weeks!

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine in DC melting away our snow!  

I wanted to send out one last email to you all (and this time I promise it will be the last) about the PACT training and Stan Tatkin coming to DC in just 2 short weeks.  I was just alerted that this is a bittersweet year for Stan and PACT’s Level I.  2014 is Stan’s last year teaching Level I and although he’s handing it off to a select group of handpicked, well trained, and talented instructors for 2015 and beyond, he loves teaching new students of PACT and he’ll miss getting to know all his PACT peeps from the very beginning of the program.  The instructors for 2015 and beyond each have their own teaching gifts that they are bringing to Level I and we’re very excited for them to take the reins, but if you wish to train with Stan for Level I then this is your year.  

Therefore, if you are wanting to train in Level 1 with Stan in DC – please register soon as the training begins in just 2 short weeks! http://stantatkin.com/threecolpage/washington_dc-2014/

Heroin - what you need to know

http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/addiction/what-you-need-to-know-about-heroin-addiction?utm_source=Join%20Together%20Daily&utm_campaign=bd752ae533-JT_Daily_News_What_You_Need_to&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_97f4d27738-bd752ae533-221355809

Teaming up with Saving Promise to prevent domestic violence...

I am excited to say that I was asked to team up with L.Y. Marlow and Saving Promise to help prevent domestic violence! 

Since February marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, be on the lookout for tips and ideas that we post to help families address this issue.

http://savingpromise.org/blog/