Showing titles in Adolescent Psychology

Imagine a world in which Gen Xers, millennials, and boomers interact with young people in ways that leave them feeling inspired, enthusiastic, and ready to contribute—rather than disengaged, outraged, or overwhelmed. That world may be closer than you think. In this book based on cutting edge research, psychologist David Yeager explains how to stop fearing young people’s brains and hormones and start harnessing them.

In teenagers, powerful emotions come with the territory. And with so many of today’s teens contending with academic pressure, social media stress, worries about the future, and concerns about their own mental health, it’s easy for them—and their parents—to feel anxious and overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With clear, research-informed explanations alongside illuminating, real-life examples, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers gives parents the information they need to steady their teens through the bumpy yet transformational journey into adulthood.

The transition from childhood to adulthood is a natural, evolution-honed cycle that now faces radical change and challenge. The adolescent brain, sculpted for this transition over eons of evolution, confronts a modern world that creates so much social pressure as to regularly exceed the capacities of the evolving mind. The problem comes as a bombardment of screen-based information pelts the brain just as adolescence is undergoing a second key change: puberty is hitting earlier.

Teenagers are a breed of their own. They speak their own language, they abide by their own rules, and they seem to exist to drive adults crazy. But adolescence is a typical stage of human development that is the essential preparation for success in the adult world. The more you understand about your teen’s brain, the better prepared you will be to handle this turbulent time. Professor Abigail Baird has devoted the majority of her career to studying adolescence, and in this Audible Original, she shares the latest perspectives on this amazing time of cognitive and behavioral growth.

How to break free from the grip of anxious attachment, master emotional regulation, and build secure relationships, even if childhood trauma still holds you back. Do you overthink every interaction, fearing rejection or abandonment? Anxious attachment Style, often rooted in Trauma bond dynamics and childhood trauma, can feel like a never-ending cycle of fear and insecurity. But these patterns aren’t permanent—you have the power to rewrite your emotional story and cultivate the secure relationships you desire.

Unlock the secrets to raising confident, compassionate kids with Parenting Without Punishment: Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids with Positive Discipline. In a world where traditional discipline often leads to fear and disconnection, this empowering guide redefines parenting through empathy, understanding, and respect. Imagine a home where discipline fosters growth, not punishment. By adopting a Positive Parenting approach, you’ll strengthen the parent-child bond, boost emotional intelligence, and guide your child with compassion.

In this wise and insightful audiobook, psychologist Michael Thompson, PhD, and children's book author Catherine O'Neill Grace illuminate the crucial and often hidden role that friendship plays in the lives of children from birth through adolescence. Best Friends, Worst Enemies brings to life the drama of childhood relationships, guiding parents to a deeper understanding of the motives and meanings of social behavior.

Why America's sons are underachieving, and what we can do about it. Something is happening to boys today. From kindergarten to college, American boys are, on average, less resilient and less ambitious than they were a mere 20 years ago. The gender gap in college attendance and graduation rates has widened dramatically. In Boys Adrift, Dr. Leonard Sax delves into the scientific literature and draws on more than 20 years of clinical experience to explain why boys and young men are failing in school and disengaged at home.

In Saving Our Sons, Dr. Gurian features the latest research in male emotional intelligence, male motivation development, neurotoxicity and the male brain, and electronics and video game use. Linking practical solutions with strategic new policies based on 20 years of field work through the Gurian Institute, Dr. Gurian provides a seven-stage model for the journey to manhood in the new millennium. Moving effortlessly between the practical and the political, Dr. Gurian also tackles social and cultural issues facing our sons.

In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that our children, if free to pursue their own interests through play, will not only learn all they need to know but will do so with energy and passion. Children come into this world burning to learn, equipped with the curiosity, playfulness, and sociability to direct their own education. Yet we have squelched such instincts in a school model originally developed to indoctrinate, not to promote intellectual growth.

Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, one of the world's leading researchers into adolescent neurology, explains precisely what is going on in the complex and fascinating brains of teenagers - namely that the brain goes on developing and changing right through adolescence - with profound implications for the adults these young people will become.

The hero’s journey is a pattern of stages occurring across countless works of fiction – from the myths of Ancient Greece all the way to the modern experience of video games. The Gamer's Journey takes these ideas to the next level. Following the structure of the monomyth, Dr. Daniel Kaufmann transforms the themes found in many video games into life lessons that unlock our own potential. These quests include identity formation, self-discovery, confidence, finding our passions, and character development.

Brent Runyon's account of his attempted suicide has garnered critical accolades for its glimpse into adolescent depression and rare insight into the human condition. Fearing expulsion and parental disapproval after lighting a shirt on fire at his school, Brent goes home, soaks his bathrobe with gasoline, steps into his shower, and strikes a match. Suffering horrific burns, Brent faces a long, painful recovery - both mentally and physically.

From our earliest years, we develop an attachment style that follows us through life, replaying in our daily emotional landscape, our relationships, and how we feel about ourselves. And in the wake of a traumatic event - such as a car accident, severe illness, loss of a loved one, or experience of abuse - that attachment style can deeply influence what happens next.

In this groundbreaking book, psychologist Ted Zeff explores the unique challenges of sensitive boys, showing parents, educators, and mentors how to help sensitive boys grow into strong, happy, and confident men. Dr. Zeff offers practical advice on how to help your son increase his self-esteem and thrive in the family, at school, with friends, and in sports.

How to help our sons grow into happy, successful, capable adults. Recent decades have shown that boys are simply not thriving the way they should be. In Rescuing Our Sons, Dr. Duffy has developed eight practical parenting steps to improve your understanding of your teenager, equip him with life skills to improve his present and his future, and bring your family together.

In 2011, Philip Zimbardo gave a TED Talk called "The Demise of Guys," which has been viewed by over 1.8 million people. A TED eBook short followed that chronicled how in record numbers men are flaming out academically and failing socially and sexually with women. This new book is an expansion of that brief polemic based on Zimbardo's observations, research, and the survey that was completed by over 20,000 viewers of the original TED Talk.

Each year thousands of young adults deemed out of control - suffering from depression, addiction, anxiety, and rage - are carted off against their will to remote wilderness programs and treatment facilities across the country. Desperate parents of these “troubled teens” fear it’s their only option. The private, largely unregulated behavioral boot camps break their children down, a damnation the children suffer forever.

In The Collapse of Parenting, internationally acclaimed author Leonard Sax argues that rising levels of obesity, depression, and anxiety among young people can be traced to parents abdicating their authority. The result is children who have no standard of right and wrong, who lack discipline, and who look to their peers and the Internet for direction. Sax shows how parents must reassert their authority - by limiting time with screens, by encouraging better habits at the dinner table, and by teaching humility and perspective - to renew their relationships with their children.

With the number and variety of mental health issues affecting kids on the rise, and as more clinicians and counselors are pushed to the front lines of defense, there is an acute need for a comprehensive, practical resource that guides professionals through the complexities of child and adolescent mental health. This comprehensive book—now in its third edition—answers that call.