Parent Education Series
2017-2018 Workshops
"Tweens, Teens, and Social Media"
Thursday, November 9th, 2017
7:00 PM at the Speedwell Campus
With Dr. Alexandra Hamlet from the Child Mind Institute
This presentation will provide participants with an overview of social media, including perspectives of use on children and teen mental health. We will review types of commonly used social media outlets, and will discuss usage factors that lead to negative outcomes for children and teens. We will review how parents can intervene if social media usage has negatively impacted their children, and will provide helpful tips on how to prevent the escalation of use leading to problematic outcomes.
"The Teenage Brain"
Tuesday, October 17th, 2017
7:00 PM at the Speedwell Campus
With Dr. Matthew Cruger from the Child Mind Institute
Understanding your teen's brain! Although much has been written about the physical changes happening inside the adolescent body that explains teen behavior (risk-taking, impulsiveness, etc.), but it is important to recognize the way your teenager's brains are developing. This talk can explore brain development to explain why adolescence is a period of upheaval, to provide details about the characteristic challenges of this time, and to cast it as an age of opportunity. We seek to provide parents with advice on how to help their kids and families make the most of this time and to manage some of the conflicts smoothly. This should be able to appeal to parents of tweens and teens, so a thoughtful dialogue can be shared.
Speaker Biographies
Dr. Alexandra Hamlet
Alexandra Hamlet, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist in the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Hamlet has particular interest in providing cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to children, adolescents and their families and has specific training in the treatment of depression, emotional dysregulation, selective mutism, OCD, and other anxiety disorders. She has experience in assessment, consultation, and working with children with severe behavioral presentations in schools.
Dr. Matthew Cruger
Matthew M. Cruger, PhD, a clinical psychologist, is senior director of the Learning and Development Center at the Child Mind Institute. He specializes in neuropsychological examinations, cognitive assessments and other evaluations for gifted children as well as those with learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders and ADHD. A strong advocate for children and teens with special education needs, Dr. Cruger uses empirically supported treatments to improve both his patients' emotional functioning and their academic achievement.