Articles and Blog Posts

We learn life’s lessons one moment at a time and learn to live in the moment, one moment at a time. Covid has certainly taught us many things, including the need to be mentally and emotionally agile as unexpected change and uncertainty became the normative driving...

We have navigated “Celebration Season” and can now turn our attention to months of July and August. This summer represents the first time in three years that we can live life a bit outside the “Covid Bubble”. With that, it may be that we have greater expectations...

Youth Health Connection is devoting this June 2022 issue of our newsletter to Digital Well Being: Teaching Youth and Parents and Keeping Youth Safe. We know that electronics have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. We live in a digital world. Our lives are...

“Barbara Green, a licensed psychologist who co-founded the Center for Integrative Counseling and Wellness in Hingham nearly a decade ago, said there is a clear link between adolescent use of social media and increasing reports of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Reports of eating disorders, body image issues, suicidal thoughts and other problems have increased, Green said. When children use social media, posts spread quickly, often without supervision.”

We are in the darkest time of year. I am struck by how often I hear comments lamenting about the shortened days and the feelings so many get as darkness descends. Yes, it is true that we thrive with sunshine and natural Vitamin D. But, I do think it is possible to...

The ancient Roman philosopher, Cicero, wrote,”Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to focus our attention on Gratitude, its benefits, and how we can engage in a “Gratitude...

I am an ardent advocate for the importance of practicing “Self Care”! Each time I fly, I listen to the safety announcement as they tell us to put our own mask on first before helping others. It is a powerful metaphor for the need to take care of ourselves before we take care of others. I often have people respond to me when we discuss the benefit of self care, it feels selfish or indulgent.

As we enter our 28th year providing service to communities on the South Shore, Youth health Connection is very happy to announce our new partnership with Aspire Health Alliance. We are living through unprecedented times and appreciate that our needs to provide support to schools, families, youth and communities is greater than ever.

We are finishing the 2020-2021 academic year. With the availability of vaccinations, gratefully, we have been able to provide a more normal experience of Senior Year celebrations. Children, teens, teachers and parents are pushing through to the end of this year.

As we have now passed the one year mark since the first official diagnosis in the United States for Covid, we find ourselves still fighting for well being both physically and mentally. While we have a broadened understanding of ways to treat the physical illness, and new vaccines available to help with building immunity, we do still appreciate that we are far from being able to say we are through this.

As we approach Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas, while coping with the surge of COVID, I am hearing over and over in my clinical sessions and from friends and family, a deep longing for what people describe as “normalcy”. It is within the human spirit to seek connection, to want to gather to celebrate with deeply held traditions during the holiday season.

Youth Health Connection is proud to partner with Our Minds Matter. OMM is a research-based mental health awareness curriculum that is student led and driven, and utilizes a club model, which allows it to be accessible to an entire school.

As we enter our fifth month of navigating the extraordinary impact of Covid - 19, what we know to be true and what we don’t know, continues to widen and deepen. I am grateful for the leadership and hard work of scientists, public health experts and medical professionals who have been dedicating themselves to the complexity of Coronavirus.