Teens and the Pandemic Blues

Washington state youth have been home since mid-March, due to both school closures and the stay-home order. During this time, teen clients have gone from generally unaffected by the coronavirus crisis, to mildly restless, to chronically bored, lonely, and lethargic. In other words, these teens have the Pandemic Blues.

Even with the stay-home order scheduled for a phased ending over the next few months, summer plans are not likely to include family trips, overnight camps, or social activities. That means the Pandemic Blues are here to stay – at least for a while.

In this online training, we will explore strategies to help decrease the Pandemic Blues. We will also explore ideas for helping teens express and ultimately accept feelings of social isolation, disappointment about cancelled graduations and other important events, worries about the safety of family members, and a growing existential dread about the future.

In addition, we will review the latest coronavirus news, identify ways for managing our own anxieties while helping others, and consider practical ideas for providing the best care possible during this unprecedented time.

EPDC CE Hours: 3

Presenter: Emily Hughes LMFT, SUDP, CMHS

Emily is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Substance Use Disorder Professional and a clinical supervisor with the state of Washington. Emily has a private practice that is telehealth based with an office in South King County. She sees adults, teens and couples. Emily has also been involved in training and teaching and has done so with NW ATTC, the Washington Mental Health Counselor’s Association, City University of Seattle and she has been a guest speaking at a variety of schools in the greater Seattle area. Throughout her career she has worked in crisis management and stabilization primarily with youth and young adults. This work was done in a community based mental health agency, as the lead for a crisis outreach team and as a mental health evaluator at Seattle Children’s Hospital emergency room. In her work with clients, her areas of expertise include working with teens, young adults, adults and couples in life transition and mood-related disorders, and around self-harm/suicide assessment, prevention, intervention, and management, the intersection of co-occurring disorders and in clinical supervision.