ACA Counseling Corner Blog

Most of us are well aware that the foods we choose each day have a direct effect on our physical health, but a number of research projects have shown that our dietary choices also play an important role in our mental and emotional well-being. Our food selection, for example, may play an big role in our risk for depression, one of the most common mental health issues in this country.

Are you successful in having your children behave in ways that make you proud? It's goal we all shoot for as parents, but can often be a difficult one to achieve. Kids can be a challenge in so many ways, but there are things you can do as a parent to help encourage good behavior from your children and they aren't all that difficult.

It seems more and more these days that what we're being told is often not the truth. Politics today seems to be filled with exaggerations, semi-truths and even outright lies. Many of us find that even in our personal communications with friends and relatives that we may be hearing less than the whole truth. There are real, if not always acceptable, reasons why what people sometimes feel the need to lie.

Applying for college admissions can be a time of high stress for many families. It doesn't have to be that way. With a little planning, and an early start to the process, it may not be possible to make that college application process stress-free, but it certainly can make getting it all done much easier.

Do you find you're facing a lot of stress in your daily life? That isn't unusual these days and can lead to some unfortunate side effects. For some people living with more stress and anxiety can mean that it only takes a small incident to have them lash out in anger. It's a problem that can bring serious consequences. Here are some tips on how to better keep anger under control.

Stress is a common problem in today's busy world. Everyone faces stress in their daily lives, but some of us handle it better than others. When stress becomes overwhelming it can affect everything from a person's health to their relationships with those close to them. While no one can make all their stress disappear, there are things we all can do to better cope with and manage the stress we may be facing.

As we see the average lifespan increasing more and more families are finding that extra care is needed for an aging loved one. In many cases, that means that one or more younger family members must move into a caregiver role, providing the help needed when someone can no longer take care of his or her daily needs. It can be a difficult role to fill and one that can sometimes be overwhelming.

Professional school counselors have a great deal to offer not only the students of their schools, but also parents and the classroom teachers. Unfortunately, too many parents don't realize how helpful school counselors can be in a variety of areas. School counselors' insights and advice can help students and their parents better manage the school experience at every grade level.

It's been observed that there often is a distinct difference in the types of friendships that men have with other men, as compared to women and their female friends. Women tend to have closer, more emotional friendships, and usually share more with their friends. The lack of close friendships for men can become a problem as they grow older and sometimes find themselves lonely.

In too many households, getting the kids ready for school seems like a 3-ring circus most days. The kids are late, breakfast is taking forever, forgotten permission slips need to be signed and Mom is yelling. It doesn't have to be that way. With a little planning, and a little sharing of more responsibility with the children, school mornings may not always be quiet and smooth running operations, but certainly don't have to be full blown chaos.