University High School Head of School Alicia LaMagdeleine believes all parents can benefit from hearing Lisa Damour speak.
An expert on youth mental health and a New York Times best-selling author, Damour will soon visit UHS to discuss themes in her book, "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable & Compassionate Young People." Her previous books are "Untangled" and "Under Pressure,"
"What Lisa Damour does in her writing is to examine the best ways for parents and adults in kids' lives to help support them emotionally," LaMagdeleine said. "She gets into two specific things we want kids to do. We want them to express their emotions in a healthy way and we want them to be able to control those emotions and manage them in a healthy way as well."
Damour, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan, will speak at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at UHS, 2825 W. 116th St. in Carmel. The free public event is open to parents. To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/the-orchard-school-and-university-high-school-present-dr-lisa-damour-tickets-1014819240667.
Books will be available, and she will hold a book signing at the end of the event. Her visit is presented by UHS and The Orchard School.
"Dr. Damour's expertise in adolescent development offers invaluable guidance for navigating the complex challenges young people face today," said Edward Hollinger, interim head of school for The Orchard School. "Her insights will resonate deeply with our families and educators, and I encourage everyone to attend what promises to be a memorable and impactful event."
LaMagdeleine said she is looking forward to hearing practical tips that parents, educators and teachers can do to help their students.
"I read her book and I'm also the parent of a teenage girl, so there were some helpful tips in there of how I can be a better parent supporting my own child, in addition to kids here at University," she said. "She does talk about emotional development starting around 11 or 12, middle school through high school development. Particularly since COVID, we've seen a rise in mental health issues among teens."
LaMagdeleine said Damour believes parents should be concerned about mental health.
"But she wants to help parents understand that not every strong emotion is the sign of a mental health crisis," LaMagdeleine said. "It's also about tempering that teenagers are emotional and it's OK for them to be emotional, but you should know what warning signs of a serious problem are, but most of what support they need can be done without a trained mental health professional."
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