News and Articles

Holidays can bring increased emotional stress and triggers that may lead to substance abuse. Family conflict, trauma, financial concerns, and feelings of loneliness can intensify during the holidays, so it’s crucial to be prepared and equipped with healthy coping strategies.

Summer break is more than an escape from school — it can be a time for fun and relaxation, an escape from the weekday rut. But summer break can bring unique challenges, too — especially to the mental health of young people and their families.

“An ally is an active job. It isn’t enough to be passive support; one must remember to do the work,” writes Sita-Marie Pillay.

Summer break is more than an escape from school — it can be a time for fun and relaxation, an escape from the weekday rut. But summer break can bring unique challenges, too — especially to the mental health of young people and their families.

Summer break is more than an escape from school — it can be a time for fun and relaxation, an escape from the weekday rut. But summer break can bring unique challenges, too — especially to the mental health of young people and their families.

As we kick off Pride Month at Hanna, we are excited to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. But at the same time, we are well-aware of just how difficult the struggle can be for so many — especially LGBTQ+ youth.

Here in Sonoma County, like everywhere across the country, our youth are struggling with mental health. From collective traumas like wildfires and COVID to individual experiences with loneliness, depression, and abuse, there are so many reasons our kids struggle.

Even during Mental Health Awareness month, it can be hard to raise your hand and ask for help. And that’s not surprising. Despite all the progress we’ve seen in making room for people to seek help, mental health issues still carry an unwarranted stigma — preventing people from seeking the support they need.

Our youth face plenty of distractions and ways to be inactive. With so much time spent in front of screens, it’s no wonder that, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health, only 27% of high school students in the United States meet the recommended levels of physical activity.

We’re thrilled to share we had a wonderful evening celebrating Hanna Center’s New Beginnings with you!

Throughout the month of May, we’re working to raise awareness of one of the most pressing crises of our time: mental health. For too long in our society, mental health has been viewed as a secondary concern or even ignored.

Congrats to Dr. Pillay for the publication of her article, ‘Unseen Child Abuse – Pay Attention to Subtle Signs’ in the April 2023 issue of Sonoma Family Life!

From a very young age, men are told they must be strong. Boys are often raised within very specific conceptual frameworks regarding gender roles.