Higher Grounds

01/11/2026

Are kids really “offline” at school? New research suggests otherwise — teens are spending roughly an hour or more of their school day on their phones, mostly on social media and entertainment, not learning. Experts warn this could be affecting attention, engagement, and overall well-being, sparking conversations about healthier screen habits and school policies.

Adolescents spend an average of 70 minutes of their school days on their phones, new research finds. But parents can help suggest ways kids not use phones at school.

01/09/2026

At Higher Grounds Management, we believe that when a flower is wilting in a toxic soil, you don't paint the petals green—you transplant it. For Bay Area teens suffocating in the tech bubble, the answer isn't a better app; it's a Digital Detox & Wellness Retreat at The Ranch.

01/07/2026

Our immersive ranch program breaks the cycle of screen addiction by replacing digital distractions with meaningful physical work, animal care, and nature-based therapy. Through a structured, in-real-life behavioral intervention, teens reconnect with the world around them while building lasting resilience, genuine self-esteem, and emotional strength.​

This one-of-a-kind digital detox ranch restores grit, character, and essential life skills — including healthy coping strategies, trust, accountability, respect, and emotional intelligence — creating real change that carries far beyond the retreat.

Our immersive ranch program breaks the cycle of screen addiction by replacing digital distractions with meaningful physical work, animal care, and nature-based therapy. Through a structured, in-real-life behavioral intervention, teens reconnect with the world around them while building lasting resil...

01/05/2026

Is managing your teen's screen time a challenge? It might be the perfect moment to implement a "digital detox." This temporary hiatus from technology can help restore balance and encourage healthier habits. Consider enrolling in structured programs like those offered by Higher Grounds Management, which assist families in setting boundaries and participating in meaningful, screen-free activities together.

If you're struggling to manage your teen's technology use, it might be time to consider a "digital detox," a temporary break from technology, which has shown to be effective in restoring balance and fostering healthier habits. One way to accomplish this is through structured programs, like those pro...

01/03/2026

Most of life’s hardest moments don’t happen in a therapist’s office — they happen at home, after school, around screen time, during homework, and in moments of emotional overwhelm. That’s why more families are choosing in-home support that creates real, daily change. Higher Grounds Management now offers award-winning in-home counseling and family intervention services in Orange County, including Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Real support. Real life. Real results.

Most of life’s hardest moments don’t happen in a therapist’s office — they happen at home, after school, around screen time, during homework, and in moments of emotional overwhelm. That’s why more families are choosing in-home support that creates real, daily change. Higher Grounds Managem...

01/01/2026

Setting healthy boundaries around technology doesn’t mean eliminating it. In fact, technology plays an important role in a teen’s development, education, and social life. However, as parents, we need to be proactive in ensuring that screen time does not negatively impact other areas of their lives.

Setting healthy boundaries around technology doesn’t mean eliminating it. In fact, technology plays an important role in a teen’s development, education, and social life. However, as parents, we need to be proactive in ensuring that screen time does not negatively impact other areas of their liv...

12/30/2025

Many parents feel trapped in an exhausting cycle when trying to co-parent with someone who consistently manipulates, blames, or prioritizes their own needs over the well-being of the child. Co-parenting is already challenging, but when one parent exhibits narcissistic traits, the dynamic becomes emotionally draining and unpredictable.

Many parents feel trapped in an exhausting cycle when trying to co-parent with someone who consistently manipulates, blames, or prioritizes their own needs over the well-being of the child. Co-parenting is already challenging, but when one parent exhibits narcissistic traits, the dynamic becomes emo...

12/28/2025

Breaking generational curses does not mean blaming your parents, reliving the past endlessly, or labeling your family as broken. It means recognizing patterns that no longer serve you and choosing to respond differently so your children do not inherit pain that was never yours to carry.

12/26/2025

At Higher Grounds Management, we understand that communication is the foundation of emotional health. When that foundation is strained, behavioral challenges, withdrawal, anxiety, or conflict often follow.

If your teen or young adult is hearing impaired and struggling emotionally, socially, or behaviorally, support is available.

At Higher Grounds Management, we understand that communication is the foundation of emotional health. When that foundation is strained, behavioral challenges, withdrawal, anxiety, or conflict often follow. If your teen or young adult is hearing impaired and struggling emotionally, socially, or behav...

12/23/2025

If parents do not grow, their teens’ challenges usually stay the same. This is not about blame. It is about reality. Parenting is a mirror. Teens respond less to what parents say and more to what they model. When parents are stuck in fear, avoidance, denial, or comfort seeking, teens often mirror those same patterns.

If parents do not grow, their teens’ challenges usually stay the same. This is not about blame. It is about reality. Parenting is a mirror. Teens respond less to what parents say and more to what they model. When parents are stuck in fear, avoidance, denial, or comfort seeking, teens often mirror those same patterns.

If parents do not grow, their teens’ challenges usually stay the same. This is not about blame. It is about reality. Parenting is a mirror. Teens respond less to what parents say and more to what they model. When parents are stuck in fear, avoidance, denial, or comfort seeking, teens often mirror ...

12/21/2025

Many parents worry when their teen becomes increasingly self-focused, dismissive of others, defensive, entitled, or emotionally reactive. Adolescence naturally includes identity development, confidence building, and emotional intensity. However, sometimes certain patterns go beyond normal teen behavior and begin to resemble narcissistic tendencies.

Many parents worry when their teen becomes increasingly self-focused, dismissive of others, defensive, entitled, or emotionally reactive. Adolescence naturally includes identity development, confidence building, and emotional intensity. However, sometimes certain patterns go beyond normal teen behav...

12/19/2025

At Higher Grounds, we see firsthand how overwhelmed families and working parents have become. As highlighted in this Forbes article, meaningful mental health support requires more than managing symptoms. It requires addressing root causes and building real systems of support in the home.

Our work focuses on practical, in-home interventions that help parents understand behavioral patterns, apply consistent strategies, and create lasting change they can sustain long term. When families are supported at the foundation, resilience grows everywhere it matters.

Leaders today carry a relatively new responsibility of supporting mental health for themselves, the workplace and at home. They need support.