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St. Luke’s Welcomes Back Renowned Psychologist and Author Dr. Lisa Damour
Renowned psychologist and author Dr. Lisa Damour returned to the Hilltop in early November to lead two conversations on the social and emotional lives of teenagers. The conversations featured insights from her upcoming book, “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.”
Recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association, Dr. Damour co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, writes about teenagers for the New York Times, and appears as a regular contributor to CBS News. She is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers, “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood” and “Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.”
Dr. Damour’s visit, presented by the St. Luke’s Parents Association in partnership with the Upper and Middle Schools, included an evening conversation with parents/guardians and a morning workshop with St. Luke’s faculty and staff.
In both sessions, Dr. Damour shared insights and research-driven explanations of why teenagers experience such powerful emotions, as well as concrete, practical recommendations to help guide teens as they transition into adulthood.
Reflecting on the employee workshop, Head of Upper School Liz Perry shared, “Lisa is a terrific speaker, and our faculty and staff were thrilled to work with her. My biggest takeaway from her work with the faculty was that occasional distress is a normal and developmentally important part of adolescence. While we may often want to rescue our students from those uncomfortable feelings by jumping in to "fix" things, we really need to help students develop the tools to tolerate and move through those feelings.”
The Parents’ Association coordinated Dr. Damour’s visit as part of the “PA Parent Education Series,” a new program that provides opportunities for parents and guardians to gather together to learn, share, and discuss issues children and their caregivers face during their teenage years. Parents’ Association Co-President Liz DeFilippo shared, “We are so thrilled to be able to offer our parent community the opportunity to learn and connect again this year through the PA Parent Education Series. Lisa Damour is such a wonderful voice to include in this series. She didn’t just present us with the obstacles and struggles of adolescence for parents and teenagers, she also gave us tools, strategies, and ideas to help us work through them together.”
Recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association, Dr. Damour co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, writes about teenagers for the New York Times, and appears as a regular contributor to CBS News. She is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers, “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood” and “Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.”
Dr. Damour’s visit, presented by the St. Luke’s Parents Association in partnership with the Upper and Middle Schools, included an evening conversation with parents/guardians and a morning workshop with St. Luke’s faculty and staff.
In both sessions, Dr. Damour shared insights and research-driven explanations of why teenagers experience such powerful emotions, as well as concrete, practical recommendations to help guide teens as they transition into adulthood.
Reflecting on the employee workshop, Head of Upper School Liz Perry shared, “Lisa is a terrific speaker, and our faculty and staff were thrilled to work with her. My biggest takeaway from her work with the faculty was that occasional distress is a normal and developmentally important part of adolescence. While we may often want to rescue our students from those uncomfortable feelings by jumping in to "fix" things, we really need to help students develop the tools to tolerate and move through those feelings.”
The Parents’ Association coordinated Dr. Damour’s visit as part of the “PA Parent Education Series,” a new program that provides opportunities for parents and guardians to gather together to learn, share, and discuss issues children and their caregivers face during their teenage years. Parents’ Association Co-President Liz DeFilippo shared, “We are so thrilled to be able to offer our parent community the opportunity to learn and connect again this year through the PA Parent Education Series. Lisa Damour is such a wonderful voice to include in this series. She didn’t just present us with the obstacles and struggles of adolescence for parents and teenagers, she also gave us tools, strategies, and ideas to help us work through them together.”
Please be sure to mark your calendars for the next PA Parent Education Series event “Focus on Drug & Alcohol Awareness for Parents,” a screening and discussion of the film If They Had Known, on Dec. 1, at 6:00pm, in the Forese Family Fireplace Commons.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
