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"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

Children today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today's children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

Wouldn't it be nice if children would simply listen and learn.

"Unexpressed feeling never die. They are buried alive and come back later in ugly ways." (Stephen Covey)

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

The mistake that Sharon and I both made is we never set any boundaries.  (Ozzy Osbourne)

Parenting style matters - a lot!

Being a parent of a teenager can cure a person of narcissism.

If you (parents) tend to overreact to your child's misbehaviour - your child learns that he can't trust you. Mom, Dad, stay regulated!

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Depression in Young People

The recent death of Robin Williams by an apparent suicide has once again brought the issue of depression to the forefront. 20 years ago depression was not diagnosed in young people. Today, experts recognize that it affects a significant percentage of  preteens and teens.

Depression is not:

  • a sign of weakness
  • a punishment for past wrongs
  • a flaw in a person’s character or personality
  • the young person’s fault

It is an illness that results in:

  • emotional changes
  • physical changes
  • cognitive changes
  • behavioural changes

There is no definitive diagnostic test for depression. Diagnosis is made by “talking” to people. “Talking” is not a great way to diagnose and illness, but it is all the psychiatrist has.

Depression in adults is relatively easy to diagnose:

  • there is a pronounced change in mood
  • the mood persists
  • adults usually acknowledge the problem
  • adults have some mature insights
  • they are usually motivated to “fix” it

Depression in young people is harder to diagnose:

  • is she depressed or just being a teenager?
  • he cycles frequently: depressed, happy, depressed, happy  . .
  • rarely asks to see a psychiatrist
  • usually reluctant to see a therapist
  • denies there is a problem

Depression in young people is probably under diagnosed and therefore untreated – causing much unnecessary misery

 

 

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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See more of our workshops


Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Our daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)