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18226 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 202 Tarzana, CA 91356
Self-Care: What you need to know
Self-care is trending. But before you dismiss it with the heap of other pointless social media trends, consider what you need. Would your mind or body benefit from you putting time and energy into caring for yourself?
Is Winter Wearing You Down?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a depression that occurs in fall or winter and does not end until spring or summer. There are many theories of what causes SAD, the largest being a Vitamin D deficiency.
Disaster Mental Health
Recently, I had some experience with the effects of disaster during the Sonoma and Napa wildfires.
WVCC to open a new location in Ventura County
West Valley Counseling Center is excited to share with you our plans to open an additional office in Ventura County
Art Therapy With Children and Teens
Children love to make art; they are naturally creative and imaginative. As such, art therapy can be a more enjoyable and less threatening approach to treatment than traditional talk therapy. The art therapist will tailor art interventions, projects, and material choice to match the individual child’s unique preferences,
Announcement of April Fundraising Event at WVCC
Join us! Community Get-Together on Friday, April 7, 2017 It’s almost spring, and self-care is in the air! West Valley Counseling Center is hosting a community get-together on Friday, April 7, 2017, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Stop in for a good time and a great cause! Your donations will enter you to win “relaxing” prizes from local businesses.
Together We Make a Community. Together We Heal. Together We Can Ensure a Better Future for All.
Together We Make a Community. Together We Heal. Together We Can Ensure a Better Future for All. That was the theme for WVCC’s April 7 Spring Benefit Event, celebrating our 6th year serving the community. And what an awesome success it was thanks to all of you!
Breathe: Staying Present When Holiday Fun Becomes Holiday Frustration
While the holidays are a special time of year for us, our families, and friends, our schedules can become so packed with activities that we experience mental traffic jams from time to time. It can be difficult to stay in choice, to maintain a balance in our daily lives, because we feel obligated to participate in as many events as we can.
Holiday Stress
As we come to a full swing into the holiday season, many of us are preparing our shopping lists, getting baking supplies, decorating our homes, and getting to be a part of another festive season with our families and friends. However, for many of us, this can be a difficult time. Holidays can bring up many mixed emotions that can leave us wondering.
When Someone You Love Faces the Challenge of Mental Illness
It is very rare to meet a family that has not been touched by mental illness or psychiatric diagnosis. It may be a history in the family; a story told about a great uncle who was said to be bi-polar (or manic depressive as they used to call it).
Mindful Parenting With Adolescents- Part II
Mindfulness-based practices are known to increase of brain gray matter in the right anterior insula.
Hispanic Identity Formation through the Acculturation Process - Part II
The stage of adolescent identity formation is a time of confusion, exploration, experimentation and even rebellion.
Attachment and Depression in Emerging Adulthood (18-25yrs)
Depression is one of the most common mental health issues for which people seek therapy.
Mindful Parenting With Adolescents
Mindfulness based approaches are ideal for adolescents, as their brains are still in the developmental stage.
Hispanic Immigrant Adolescents & the Acculturation Process
There are over 40 million immigrants currently residing in the United States. Hispanics represent over 14 million of that total. Approximately ¼ of adolescents in the U.S. are from immigrant families. Between 2000 and 2012 California reported the largest immigrant growth than any other state.
Bonding With Your Teens
Teens can go from being cuddly and precocious children that cannot wait for parents or guardians to come home, to cold and distant roommates that value independence above all else.
WVCC's Recent Phillips Institute Graduates!
West Valley Counseling Center Congratulates its recent graduates from Phillips Graduate Institute!
Living Life With Intention
Living with intention is mindfulness at its peak. How many days do individuals trudge to work, pick up the kids, watch television, and go to sleep only to repeat the process the next day? While these tasks are unavoidable, they also may create a way for individuals to emotionally ‘check out’ from dreams, goals, and personal development.
West Valley Counseling Center Sponsors SBHP's Training Breakfast
On May 27, San Fernando-based West Valley Counseling Center is teaming up with Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) to sponsor SBHP’s training breakfast.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic violence, or domestic abuse, is a sort of blanket term that has taken on a life of its own through popular culture, media, and word-of-mouth.
Little Known Facts Regarding Domestic Violence
Often times, domestic violence is thought of as a traditional scenario where the perpetrator of the abuse is a man, and the victim is a woman.
Dealing with College Acceptance and Rejection
As April looms closer, high school seniors and community college transfer students are waiting on pins and needles. Dealing with college acceptance and rejection letters can be a very high-stress and emotional time, but there are steps that can be taken to help ease the process
Erasing the Stigma of Mental Health Disorders
Discourse regarding mental health disorders is at an all time high, with celebrities and public figures talking about their struggles with anxiety and depression.
The Secret Gateway Drug: Prescription Pills
With all of the modern stressors that accompany adolescence, teens are looking for coping strategies and escape routes any way that they can. Unfortunately, some teens choose to turn to drugs and other harmful coping mechanisms.
Stress Management: The Healthy Way
Stress is an inevitable aspect of life, especially in today’s fast paced environment. Learning how to reduce, prevent, and cope with stress is one of the greatest ways to improve quality of life and increase happiness.
The First Steps to Dream Tending
Throughout time, and across different cultures, dream analysis has been at the base of human creativity. Learning to work with dreams, as a source of healing, is beneficial to one’s own health. Many people are curious about their dreams and the meaning behind them. However, it is not uncommon for people to forget their dreams before they get out of bed.
Listening to Your Child with an Open Heart, Part 4: Early Adolescence and Transitioning to Middle School
As a Super Parent, you are a natural teacher. But even Super Parents don’t have all the answers. How can you help your children avoid the abuse of drugs and alcohol? How can you encourage your children to express their natural emotions in healthy ways?.
Couples Therapy for Same Sex & Non-Traditional Couples
While many of the same dynamics and issues are present in both same sex and opposite sex couples, some factors, such as social acceptance and dominant heterosexual culture, can have a toll on relationships.
West Valley at Child Care Resource Center Event
West Valley Counseling attends Child Care Resource Center's family event, which assists parents, child care professionals, and local communities in all matters related to early care and education
Listening to Your Child with an Open Heart, Part 3: The Early School Years
Listening to and understanding our children are two very different things. Communication can be difficult for the best communicators but what about those who are just beginning the process? From an early age our children attempt to connect with us, on many levels at once, with few of the communications skills they’ll eventually possess as adults.
Benefits of Couples Therapy
Couples therapy can often seem daunting, and is usually considered a last resort to solving relationship issues. However, couples therapy and counseling can be a great option for couples who are feeling stagnant, facing major transitions, or feeling anger, sadness, or numbness in regards to their relationship or partner.
Spring Cleaning: Not Just the House
Traditional spring cleaning brings to mind scrubbing floors, throwing away useless or broken items, and maybe a new coat of paint on the house. However, life usually finds a way to evolve into something that’s anything but traditional, giving us no choice but to respond accordingly.
The Importance of Hobbies and Extracurricular Activities for Adolescents
Hobbies are one of the greatest pleasures in life, but hobbies can often be overlooked in adolescence. As a parent, mentor, or guardian, one of the most positive things you can do for an adolescent is encourage extracurricular activities and hobbies..
WVCC at the Encino Chamber of Commerce luncheon with Mayor Eric Garcetti
WVCC's members attended to the Encino Chamber of Commerce luncheon with guest speaker Mayor Eric Garcetti. On the photo we can see Tremaine Walker, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Shraon Burnett.
Listening to Your Child With an Open Heart, Part 2: The Early Years
As a Super Parent, you are a natural teacher. But even Super Parents don’t have all the answers. How can you help your children avoid the abuse of drugs and alcohol? How can you encourage your children to express their natural emotions in healthy ways? By Teresa Lalicker, MFT, Program Director, West Valley Counseling Center.
Finding a Balance in Life
Between work, family, friends, and community obligations, life can often seem more like an endless to-do list than an actual life. Finding a balance in life begins with finding your own autonomy, and structuring your life in a way that brings you daily joy in order to incrementally reach your goals. Here are a few ways to manage stress and bring a balance into your day-to-day functions.
The Heart of the Matter: Help for Super Parents
As a Super Parent, you are a natural teacher. But even Super Parents don’t have all the answers. How can you help your children avoid the abuse of drugs and alcohol? How can you encourage your children to express their natural emotions in healthy ways?
From the Heart of Therapy
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found a way out of the depths. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
“WVCC is offering a free depression screening this month! Let us help you formulate a plan to feel better!"
Getting Unstuck
Becoming unstuck basically means being less at the mercy of our habitual reactions. There are a number of ways to do this. Learning mindfulness techniques as taught in Chodron’s book is one great way.
Premarital Therapy for Step-Families
As Marriage and Family Therapists it is our job to treat families who face challenges and adversity. One of the most complicated unit of treatment can be a blending family or step family because the therapy is focused on combining two separate families...This is why it is important for therapists to serve as a resource to assist families in this tough transitional period.
Putting a Stop to Unwanted Thoughts and Behaviors
The use of 'thought stopping' is meant to make the user aware of unhealthy thought chains. When followed with positive and reassuring statements, thought stopping is meant to give the user a sense of control, breaking negative thought habits while reinforcing a sense of reassurance.
New Baby: The Juggling Game
Children have been raised in different types of situations with parents who are home full-time, work full-time, and everything in between, and have grown up to be healthy, grounded individuals.
Four Parts to an Apology
An apology represents a common frailty--we are all human, we all make mistakes, perhaps even hurt someone, intentionally or not, then we face the dilemma of where to go from there