Advice from Our Professionals

Informative articles by Youth First’s Service Team

Building Resilience in Your Child

By Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW - March 13, 2026 - Today’s children are growing up in a world that rarely slows down. Screens glow late into the evening, schedules stay packed, and social pressures begin earlier than ever. Many children…

Helping Hands and Paws: Therapy Animals Help Students Succeed in School

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By Callie Sanders, MSW, LSW - March 4, 2026 - Increasingly, schools across the country are incorporating therapy animals, particularly dogs, to help students feel calmer, more focused, and better prepared to learn. These programs, known…

Support for Children Experiencing Domestic Violence

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By Kelsey Weber, MSW, LCSW - February 25,2025 - Family and domestic violence is a common problem in the United States. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one in four women and one in nine men are victims of domestic…

Increase Your Coping Skills

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By Jackie Keltner, MSW, LMHCA - February 18, 2026 - No matter who you are or how old you are, you will likely experience a crisis or something traumatic at some point. A crisis occurs when an event or situation overwhelms a person’s…

Creating a Positive Relationship with Motivation

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By Yolanda Vidal, MA, LMHC, ATR - February 11, 2026 - Motivation is often misunderstood as a personality trait, something you either have or you do not. In reality, motivation is a psychological state that fluctuates based on emotional…

Expressing Emotions in a Healthy Way

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By Hannah Gill, MSW, LSW - February 4, 2026 - When working with teens and discussing emotions, I often give an analogy of sand in a jar. In this analogy, the sand is our emotions. We can put the sand in the jar and stuff it down, but…