Teens Find Happiness at The Children's Center of Hamden

Hamden CT

13 November, 2020

3:06 PM

Description

"How happy are you today with this area of your life?" is a question therapist, Catherine Bernardo asks teenage youth. Catherine works at Wakeman Hall, an outpatient substance use clinic at The Children's Center of Hamden. The clinic has successfully provided treatment to teens for approximately 35 years. Therapists at the clinic use the Happiness Scale to help teens set priorities for change. Catherine describes the scale as a tool that "…makes it easier for kids to talk. Kids are surprised when they rate themselves as happier than weeks before. After we talk about their happiness, the kids get excited when they recognize they are making progress." The Happiness Scale asks youth to rate their level of happiness with family, friends, school and a variety of other aspects in life. The scale can also be used to help families. Catherine enjoys seeing youth have their "aha" moment when they discover pathways towards being happy. Catherine is trained in ACRA (Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach), an evidenced-based model of treatment that is helpful for teens who misuse substances. To learn more about ACRA and the Happiness Scale, email Christine Hauser, Director at [email protected]. The Center's website is www.tccoh.org