Adolescent ADHD, Anxiety & Depression
Presentation Slide Deck
Difficulties in regulating painful emotions are central to the behavioral difficulties of many adolescents (see Characteristics of Unskilled vs Skilled below). From these individuals’ perspective, painful feelings are most often the “problems to be solved.” These behavioral difficulties might be considered ADHD, anxiety, or depression as many of the symptoms and behaviors overlap and interact. For example, studies have found that having an anxiety disorder in early or middle childhood can increase your child’s risk of developing a depressive disorder in later adolescence. Both anxiety and depression can lead to dysfunctional behaviors, including suicidal behaviors, substance use, overeating, emotion suppression, overcontrol, and interpersonal mayhem, which are often behavioral solutions to intolerably painful emotions.
The Two Tents Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) utilizes Dialectal Behavioral Therapy - Skills (DBT-S), ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) for Adolescents in the form of DNA-V and exposure therapy. Our unique blending has become the BOLD Living Skills taught to help your young person and your family find more effective ways to regulate their emotions and thereby, their behaviors. All three clinical models have decades of evidence in effectively treating anxiety, depression, and the complications of ADHD, shame and guilt.
IOP Skills training is Monday through Thursday (4x per week) from 3:00-6:00 pm in a group setting usually over 5-6 weeks (~18-24 group sessions). Family Skills training weekly 4:30-6 pm on Wednesdays.
Tools for helping clarify & move toward values
Values Sorting Exercise.pdfValues Sorting Tool
Strengths Tool.pdfStrengths Finding Tool
Values Strengthening Questions.pdfValues Strengthening Questions
BOLD Living Assessement Tool.pdfBOLD Living Assessment Tool
Is professional help needed? Would the Two Tents IOP be beneficial?
Sparks of Wonder Tools
Sparks of Wonder Tool.pdfSparks of Wonder Tool
A tool for helping young people explore Sparks (activities and areas in which research has shown other young people felt most alive, joyful and inspired.)
Link to Search Institute a leader in positive youth development
Creating a Healthy Sense of Wonder.pdfCreating a Healthy Sense of Wonder
Wonder involves important elements of surprise and curiosity, both of which are forms of interest.
Ideas on how to Create Wonder at different ages and stages of development.
Awe & Wonder Articles for Continued Learning
GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Awe_FINAL.pdfThe Science of Awe Written by Summer Allen, Ph.D. A white paper prepared for the John Templeton Foundation by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley September 2018
Eight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better.pdfEight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better BY SUMMER ALLEN Research suggests that awe can make you happier, healthier, more humble, and more connected to the people around you.
Four Awe-Inspiring Activities _ Greater Good.pdfFour Awe-Inspiring Activities BY JULIANA BREINES | MARCH 8, 2016 Research-based practices for cultivating awe from the GGSC website Greater Good in Action.
Six Surprising Benefits of Curiosity.pdfSix Surprising Benefits of Curiosity BY EMILY CAMPBELL For children and adults alike, curiosity has been linked with psychological, emotional, social, and even health benefits.
Speaker Bio
I’m a GenX, postmodern, question everything person who happens to be blessed with parents who took in orphans, prayed for food, answered their callings and sacrificed so their children knew they were loved. That mix created an irreverent soul that cares deeply for children, families and especially adolescents.
I have close to thirty years of experience working with and for children, youth and families catalyzing change at the individual, family, organizational and systems levels. With a Masters in clinical psychology, I have provided crisis management, intensive in-home therapy and wrap-around services for children with emotional and behavioral challenges. I have 20+ years’ working or volunteering with youth and young adults through youth ministry and community programs. In partnership with North Kansas City Hospital co-created the Quarky app to connect Kansas City 14-24-year-olds to articles, events and resources focused on mental health and well-being. Currently, I developed and direct the Two Tents Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for adolescents struggling with anxiety/depression. We are building strong partnerships with our area school districts and I am an invited speaker on Anxiety, Depression, Grit, SEL and Parenting. These opportunities have made me innovative, practical and taught me to think about enhancing the whole safety net surrounding at-risk children, youth and families.
I have a wonderful wife, Kori, who founded and runs the Renew Counseling Center in Olathe, a 13-year-old, Nora, twin boys (Grayson who is eight and Jude who went to heaven way too early) and have recently adopted two foster siblings (9 & 6) Chandler and Milla into our home.
I want to be a resource to the families that are currently in or have completed our program and don't take on individual clients.