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Don't wait for him to turn 10 before you reveal that you are not in fact the hired help whose job it is to clean up after him.

If there is no relationship - nothing else matters !

Hurt people hurt people.

If you are headed in the wrong direction as a parent - you are allowed to make a U-turn.

The challenge of adolescence is to balance the right of the parents to feel they are in charge with the need of the adolescent to gain independence.

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

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

Relationships matter:  change comes through forming trusting relationships. People, not programs change people.

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

The teenage years require a delicate balance between the young person's need to gain independence, and the parent's need to retain authority.

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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

“Rick’s approach is so logical. He helped us clearly define the problem, analyze what has happened and select the best strategy. We now feel empowered to do something positive for our kid”

(A.N. – Tillsonburg)