To parents it can feel despairing when trying to connect with their teens as they are pulling and pushing them away. At the same time, teens need parents to be a their "go to” support.  While there is an illusion of connectedness with technology such as texting and Life360, a genuine sense of connectedness is not defined by anxious over- monitoring. Rather there are specific concepts and skill sets that parents can employ to have the kind of connected relationships which promote teen mental health as well as parents' wellbeing.  Parents actually play a very important role in the fight to preserve and restore emotional health in teens in the midst of what has been identified as a youth mental health crisis. When parents use loving and deliberate support and accountability measures that promote connectedness, teens and emerging adults can rely on them as their most valued and accessible resource. In this workshop parents will learn the 5 key relational skill sets with actionable strategies and practices that promote emotional health, growth, maturity, and accountability.  Upon a strong relational base, families can enjoy connected experiences for years far beyond the comparatively few they endure through adolescence.

With Julie Baron, LCSW-C Therapist, Author, Speaker, Private Practice Owner and Adjunct Faculty Tulane University School of Social Work

This virtual presentation is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

Julie Baron, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in the treatment of adolescents, and adults. Ms. Baron graduated from Penn State University with a BA in Psychology and Boston University with a Masters in Social Work. She has thirty years of experience working with adults, adolescents and their families in community based mental health centers, residential treatment facilities, home based crisis stabilization programs, public and private schools, and private practice providing individual, group, and family therapy, parent coaching, advocacy services, professional consultation and clinical supervision. Julie is an adjunct faculty member at Tulane University’s School of Social Work and supervises masters level students in their clinical field work. She practices evidence-based relational strategies and interventions to engage and empower her clients in reaching their goals. She authors articles, blogs, has a featured blog on Psychology Today titled, Parenting Teens Through Connection, and co-writes a monthly newsletter on working with and parenting teens. Ms. Baron is a speaker and trainer for adolescents, parents, and professionals on various topics related to adolescent development, treatment with adolescents and families, mental health and wellness, and parenting teens and young adults. She owns and manages Julie Baron and Associates, a private practice in Rockville, MD where she provides individual, family and group psychotherapy and coordinates an evidence-based comprehensive DBT Program for teens and young adults.

Ms. Baron is the co-author of What Works With Teens: A Professional’s Guide to Engaging Authentically with Adolescents to Achieve Lasting Change, New Harbinger, April 1, 2015. Ms. Baron also co-authors a helpful newsletter for parents.