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Healing Happens Here

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Healing Happens Here

The Arlington Youth Counseling Center (AYCC) is a welcoming and inclusive mental health clinic and the leading provider of outpatient and school-based child and adolescent mental health services in Arlington. Located in the historic Whittemore Robbins House, we are committed to delivering outstanding, equitable and accessible mental health services.  Our mission is to ensure all youth and families have access to culturally sensitive and high-quality care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Clinician Tips

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Kristen's Tip:  Family Jobs

Meet Kristen!  Kristen Weiner, LICSW (she/her/hers) has a Masters of Social Work degree from Simmons University School of Social Work. Kristen has experience working with adolescents in a residential setting as well as adults and adolescents here at AYCC in an outpatient capacity. She has a passion for working with her hands and can be found crocheting in the winter, woodworking in the summer, and fixing things all year round!

Tip:  My tip is "family jobs" (credit to Dr. Becky): it is a parent's job to make decisions and boundaries on behalf of the family that they feel embody their family's values and their own leadership. It is a child's job to have whatever feelings and reactions that those decisions and boundaries cause them to feel. So, if a parent makes and communicates the decision to not get their child a phone and the child slams their door and says "you are the worst! ALL my friends have phones and now I am going to be the loser who doesn't" then both the parent and the child have done their jobs. Neither are likely to be happy about how the situation went, but both have done their jobs.

Hear from our Clients

“When your child is struggling and getting into trouble, you cannot help but feel responsible, sometimes guilty, sometimes ashamed and very helpless. Other parents of “normal” kids may socially drift away and even your family and closest friends may have trouble really understanding how scary and challenging things are. The parent support group at AYCC was a place where we could put down our heavy weights of worry and shame and be listened to and supported and held.”

- Former Parent Group Member

”AYCC helped me through some of the darkest times in my life. I hope that when AYCC reaches its 100 birthday, they will have helped and given hope to so many youths like they did for me so many years ago.“

- Former AYCC Client

“Thank you AYCC for helping bring love and laughter back to our family. Your wonderful clinicians were just right for my children and for me as we made our way through dark times. We are unbelievably lucky to have this resource in Arlington.”

- AYCC parent, Arlington Mom

“Sometimes your friends and your family can’t help you because you can’t explain what is wrong. My therapist at AYCC helps me talk about and manage my anxiety and things don’t seem so terrible any more. In fact, they’re pretty great - even during Covid!! Thank you AYCC!”

- Current AYCC client, Arlington teen

“AYCC gets it! When one family member struggles, we all struggle and with the help of your incredible team, we found our way to the other side. Thank you for helping us all navigate this road together.”

- Parent of former AYCC client