Understanding Adolescence – Positive Strategies for Parents

Adolescence is a developmental stage that takes up 10% of our lifespan.  We all experience it, few of us remember it, yet arguably it has the greatest impact on our futures. Adolescents often feel misunderstood and frustrated, whilst parents feel that everything they ever knew about being a parent is snatched away almost overnight.

This talk will discuss the challenges of living with young people, and introduce successful strategies for managing behaviour. It will invite the audience to consider how thinking about things from their child’s perspective can encourage more collaborative conversations. It will show parents how to adopt a more open, person centred, communication style that uses active listening, ensuring conversations can end with parents feeling appreciated and adolescents feeling more understood. This approach will be useful for all members of the family to help motivate young people and keep their lives on track.

Who is this talk for?

This talk is for parents, grandparents and carers of children aged 11 to 19.

What will parents gain from this talk?

• An understanding of the biological, psychological and social changes in adolescence
• An understanding of how these developmental changes can have an impact on, and be impacted by, the developmental demands of being a parent.
• Knowledge of the current successful strategies for managing teenage behaviour
• Knowledge of positive communication approaches and five simple steps used as part of a person centred communication style

About the speaker

Deborah Christie is Professor of Paediatric and Adolescent Psychology and Consultant clinical psychologist/clinical lead for paediatric and adolescent psychological services at University College London Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust. She is currently President of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and Co-Editor in Chief of Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. She has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and chapters and is co-editor of the bestselling Psychosocial Aspects of Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Families. She has a passion for working with young people searching for ways to live with chronic illness. She is an international presenter and trainer in adolescent psychosocial development, motivational and solution focused therapies and works with multidisciplinary teams to help them engage and communicate effectively with children, young people and families living with chronic illness and managing complexity.