As any parent with a teenager can tell you, their child’s adolescent years can be intimidating, confusing and anxiety-ridden. The behavioral changes that take place during this period strain even the strongest parent/child relationships, leaving both sides frustrated and begging a fundamental question—why do teens act this way?
Join world-renowned neuropsychiatrist and bestselling author of The Whole-Brain Child, Dr. Dan Siegel, as he helps you crack this code with groundbreaking research in interpersonal neurobiology for this two-hour lecture based on his newest book, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. Dr. Siegel explores how brain development affects teenage behavior and relationships and how mastering this knowledge helps promote understanding between parents and their teens.
This presentation will offer insights into hyper-rational thinking, impulsivity, changes in the dopamine drive for reward, and increases in the emotional reactivity of the brain to illuminate many of the potential risk factors during these transformative years of life. Rather than seeing adolescence as a period of immaturity or dysfunction, this view suggests that the essence of adolescence—the emotional spark, social engagement, novelty-seeking, and creative explorations—can best be harnessed by supporting these important and necessary aspects of our human development.
Outline:
Objectives:
1. Describe the fundamental aspects of the essence of adolescence
2. Explore how the brain development affects teenage behavior and relationships
3. Define Hyper-rational thinking and its relationship to risk-taking behaviors
4. List two ways in which the brain remodels during adolescence
5. Describe two mind training processes that promote integration
