As we approach the end of the school year and look forward to summer, now is a good time to schedule a consultation appointment to review your child's growth and challenge areas to plan for a successful fall.
Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan: Parenting Ourselves, Helping Teens, & Mental Health
This month, Dr. Dan speaks with new guests about prioritizing self care for parents, how to listen and support mental health in our teens; and parenting and psychology.
Parenting Ourselves with Katie McDonald (#110)
Dr. Dan interviewed self-care strategist, certified holistic health coach, raw food chef and founder of b.nourished Katie McDonald. Katie encourages us to start thriving instead of simply surviving. Dr. Dan and Katie discuss perfectionism, self-care, mindfulness, and self-worth.
Previously, Katie McDonald’s corporate career and motherly duties occupied her every waking moment. She was depleted and depressed — suffering from asthma, ulcerative colitis, pneumonia, shingles and more. Katie needed to transform her body-mind relationship. In 2011, Katie founded b.nourished: a fulfillment of her vision to transform other people’s lives, one mindful habit at a time. Learn more at www.bnourished.com.
After two Napa teenagers died by suicide in 2016, Jeni closed her graphic design business and founded Teens Connect with a mission to give middle and high schoolers tools to manage their stress, learn resilience, provide safe places and people with whom to connect, and give them a voice. Although she is not a therapist, Jeni helps teens and their parents by teaching them that the sooner good mental health habits start the better outcome. Learn more at https://mentisnapa.org/.
Barbarians at the PTA: Parenting, Psychology, Teens, and Screens with Stephanie Newman (#112)
Dr. Dan interviewed Stephanie Newman, Ph.D., a psychoanalyst, psychologist, author and public speaker about mental health and her new book Barbarians at the PTA. Stephanie has practiced in New York for over 25 years, treating adults, adolescents and families struggling with anxiety, depression, and more recently Covid-19 stress.
Dr. Newman’s novel Barbarians at the PTA uses fictional characters to explore the timely topics of bullying, cliques, cyberbullying, anxiety, and eating disorders, among both teenagers and adults. Her prior work has appeared in the Washington Post, on the Wall Street Journal’s website, and Psychology Today online. Learn more at https://psychotherapistnextdoor.com/.
Our teens want us to listen, in order to validate and sympathize with them. It is our job to listen, openly, and help when asked. Obviously, as parents, there are times when we do have to step in. But when it comes to mental health, especially, giving them this equal footing in a conversation is really important."
- Jeni Olsen, on Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan, Episode #111
Conquering Anxiety and Worry with Dr. Dan Peters
Dr. Dan Peters talks to author and dyslexia expert Don Winn about the Worry Monster, perfectionism, and the importance of developing resilience. The interview takes place in two parts, also available on Youtube.
In the first part, Don and Dr. Dan talk about their own experiences with worry and introduce the Worry Monster character. The second part of the interview focuses on some helpful techniques for managing worry. These include the “and then what?” method, the value of acting the way you want to feel, and the power of developing resilience.
Reel Palo Alto has shared the recording of their recent "Fireside Chat" with Dr. Melanie Hayes, director of Big Minds Unschool and an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist at Summit Center. Melanie's talk was on the importance of strength-based learning for twice-exceptional children.
