Rape culture, misogyny, sexual harassment, abuse of power. In the last few months, these terms have all come to the forefront of our national discussion under the banner of the #MeToo movement. But, I can safely say from countless discussions over the last decade that those topics are nothing new to teens and young adults.They’ve…
Category: Teens
Teaching Kids to Be Good Consumers of Media
The term “Fake News” has come to mean something completely different than it’s original intent, making it that much more difficult to help teens, pre-teens, and even young adults, sort through what’s real and what’s not. In this segment of the KLWN morning show, I join John Flood and Joel Becker to discuss ways to…
Finstagram: Weird or Wonderful
According to traditional media, teen culture is weird. We can’t define what “dating” is, we send nudes to each other and think nothing of it, we can’t afford diamonds, we’re always on our phones, and we waste our money on avocado toasts. We’ve detached emotion from our sex lives, make memes, and laugh about our…
ADHD: To Medicate or Not to Medicate, That Is the Question
Note: Portions of this article were contributed by Kelsey Daugherty, DPN, Family Psychological Services nurse practitioner. “He just can’t sit still” “He has a lot of energy” “It’s like she doesn’t hear a thing I say.” Do these sound familiar? Have you had conversations with your child’s teachers about academic and learning behaviors? Discerning typical…
Fox4 Therapy Thursday: Are Teens Really More Anxious Now?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health 25% of teenagers will at one point or another be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and 6% will be considered severe. Eighty years of research suggests either an increase in anxiety among teens or a better recognition of a condition that’s existed all along. Either way, I’ve never…
Fox4 Therapy Thursday: When Teens are Reluctant to Learn to Drive
Most adults remember, at age fourteen, waiting with bated breath at the doorway of the driver’s license office, imagining what it will feel like to walk back out to the parking lot with a learner’s permit, restricted license, or the holy grail of a full driver’s license. My first time I showed up without my…
How to Find a Good Therapist, Especially for ADHD
Dear Dr. Wes: What tips do you have for finding a good therapist, particularly for a child with ADHD? Thanks, Simon This is an issue of great interest to many readers, Simon. So, I’m going to answer it more generally and then add in a few specifics about ADHD kids and families. First, consider consulting your…
Eating Disorders: More than Skin Deep
At this point, most people are able to agree that social media, photoshop, fad diets, and the traditional gaunt runway model’s body type contribute to unrealistic expectations of how our bodies “should” look and what it means to be beautiful. And as more and more celebrities, adults, parents, and teenagers discuss their struggles with eating…
KCUR Up to Date: Teens & Anxiety
According to the National Institute of Mental Health 25% of teenagers will at one point or another be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and 6% will be considered severe. Research over the last 80 years suggests either an increase in anxiety among teens or better recognition of a condition that’s existed all along. Either way, over…
When Summer Social Life Collapses for Teens
Our kids are excited to hit the doors on the last day of school, but if there’s not structured social life waiting, some teens may fall out of contact with peers. On the other hand, some parents worry too much about a teen or older child who seems isolate. That child may just be an…