Therapist Addresses Trauma as Cause of Adolescent Behavioral Issues

 

The public is invited to an interactive workshop exploring the causes of troubling behavior in children and teens, November 15^th, 5:30 p.m., at Project Self-Sufficiency.  The gathering is the next installment of the Pizza & PACEs series hosted by the non-profit agency which is designed to facilitate the conversation about issues surrounding Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs).  Author and family therapist Kris Imbrie will explore the reasons for childhood and adolescent behavior issues, offer tips for parenting techniques, and answer questions at the meeting, which will also be available by Zoom.  Pizza will be provided; advance registration is required.  All attendees must be vaccinated against Covid-19. 

 

Adverse childhood experiences are widely recognized as falling into three distinct categories, abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.  Examples of negative behavior said to result from ACEs include smoking, alcoholism, drug use, absenteeism, and lack of physical activity.  These behaviors can cause a cascade of physical and mental health problems, from diabetes to cancer to suicidal thoughts.  It is estimated that approximately 67% of the population has experienced at least one adverse childhood experience.

 

"Moving forward with sensitivity and compassion we can better design appropriate responses to the behavioral challenges of children with ACES,” explains Imbrie.  “Through acknowledging their physiological challenges, we can learn how to partner with our children to develop successful methods and tools which will enable us to move toward healing their damaged nervous systems and ultimately result in better behavior."       

 

The new Pizza & PACEs sessions build on the work already underway at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Trauma experts and guest speakers address the impact of adverse childhood experiences on social, emotional, and cognitive development, and offer tips and strategies for building resiliency at regularly scheduled workshops.  The agency’s PACEs program brings together professionals, providers, and parents who are committed to increasing awareness of the impact of childhood trauma on juvenile development, future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity.

 

The Pizza & PACEs program at Project Self-Sufficiency is free and open to the public, but registration is required.   Call 973-940-3500 to register or to obtain log-in details for remote participation via Zoom.  Project Self-Sufficiency is located at 127 Mill Street, Newton.