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What kinds of community outreach do you do?
I feel that it is important to give back to the community as much
as I can. One of the best ways that I can do that is by providing my expertise to the public for free. I provide
free seminars to local organizations such as PTSA, church and professional groups that have parents looking to better understand and
raise their children.
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Do you have any upcoming workshops that I can attend?
Yes, I do. The following
is a schedule of upcoming workshops for local parent organizations that have invited me to speak:
- September 25, 2009 @ 7:00pm
Pepperdine University - Encino Campus
The 1-2-3's for Treating Resistant Teens
- October
15, 2009 @ 8:30am
Lanai Road Elementary School - PTSA
Oh No... Homework! Help
for Parents, Success for Students
- November 4, 2009 @ 7:30pm
Bishop Alemany High School
Parent Association
Who Is This Crazy Person Masquerading As My Teenager?
- December 10, 2009 @ 3:30pm
Woodland Hills Academy Parent Center
Homework Sucks! Help for Parents, Success for Students
- January
8, 2010 @ 12:00pm
Pennylane Centers
The 1-2-3's for Treating Resistant Teens
- January 20, 2010 @ 8:30am
Nestle Avenue Elementary School Parent Center
Parenting
without Panic: Setting Better Boundaries with Your Kids
- January 26, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Sherman Oaks
Center for Enriched Studies Parent Center
Bully Battleground: Coping with the Inevitable Schoolyard
Bully
- February 24, 2010 @ 8:30am
The Wesley School Parent Association
Homework
Sucks! Help for Parents, Success for Students
- March 10, 2010 @ 7:30pm
Granada Hills Charter High
School - PTSA
Sex, Drugs and VIolence: The Three Teenagers of the Apocalypse
- March 18,
2010 @ 7:00pm
Robert Frost Middle School Parent Center
Who Is This Crazy Person Masquerading
As My Teenager?
- March 22, 2010 @ 6:30pm
Calvert Street School - PTSA
Bully Battleground:
Coping with the Inevitable Schoolyard Bully
- April 14, 2010 @ 8:30am
Nestle Avenue Elementary School
Parent Center
Parenting without Panic: Setting Better Boundaries with Your Kids
- April 24, 2010
@ 4:30pm
The Wesley School "Dads Group"
Parenting without Panic: Setting Better
Boundaries with Your Kids
- May 15, 2010 @ 3:30pm
Pepperdine University - Encino Campus
The 1-2-3's for Treating Resistant Teens
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What organizations have you been a resource to?
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Some of the groups that I have been associated
with are:
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- "Because I Love You" -
The Parent Support Group
- Bishop Alemany High School
Parent Association
- The Child/Adolescent Consortium
- Granada Hills
Charter High School PTSA
- Lanai Road Elementry School
Parent Center
- LAUSD Parent Center Directors -
District One
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- LAUSD
District One
Parent Training Conference
- Nestle Avenue Elementary School
Parent Center
- Pennylane Centers
- Portola Middle School PTSA
- Pepperdine University
- Reseda High School Parent Center
- Robert Frost Middle School Parent Center
- Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies
Gifted Student Program
- Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies Parent Center
- Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies PTSA
- Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies 6th Grade Moms of 2008-2009
- Sierra Canyon School Parent Association
- Taft High School Parent
Center
- The Wesley School Parent Associaiton
- Woodland Hills Academy Parent Center
- Woodland Hills Private School
- Unitarian Universalist
Association of Congregations
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What kind of topics do you discuss?
Here is a list of workshops that I have created that are
available for your group to better
help parents and professionals alike better understand kids and teenagers:
- Who is This Crazy Person
Masquerading as My Teenager?
- Homework Sucks! Help for Parents, Success for Students
- Sex, Drugs & Violence: The Three Teenagers
of the Apocalypse
- The 1-2-3's for Treating Resistant Teens
- Bully Battleground: Coping with the Inevitable Schoolyard Bully
- Parenting
without Panic: Setting Better Boundaries with Your Teens / Children
- Success... But at What Cost? Creating a Healthy
Balance for Your Kid
- Graduation... Journey to the Unknown
I am constantly researching new topics to present. So if your group
or association is interested in learning better ways to help your kids, teens and families change and grow, please Contact me.
As each organization is unique, I am able to customize a presentation to fit your interests. In fact I may be working
on a topic right now that suits your needs.
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Are your seminars dry and boring?
No. Actually, I always get great
feedback from participants telling me that these workshops are a lot of fun. Not only are they very interactive, but without
fail, there are always great questions from parents which lead to exciting group interactions. This creates more of a discussion-like
atmosphere instead of them feeling like dry and boring lectures.
I always try to use levity to lighten some of these very
heavy and scary topics. There are three main reasons why I do this:
- Using appropriate and respectful humor can be an effective
coping technique for people when broaching sensitive and uncomfortable topics.
- An occasional joke about the struggles of parenthood
can help parents realize that they are all going through similar challenges with their kids and can lead to a positive bonding and
supportive experience.
- It's just who I am.
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Do you do any community outreach specifically geared toward kids?
As a matter of fact,
I have. From 2007 - 2008 I volunteered my time as an instructor for "Our Whole Lives" Lifespan Sexuality Education.
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WHAT?!
What is that?
Our Whole Lives is a series of sexuality education curricula for various age groups from as early as kindergarten and
going all the way to adulthood. In April, 2008, I concluded a 27-week class providing up-to-date information and honest, age-appropriate
education for the 7th - 9th grade class. This program helps kids clarify their values and improve their decision-making skills
within a safe and supportive group atmosphere. Our Whole Lives promotes values of self worth, sexual health, responsibility,
justice and inclusivity. The goal is to help participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health
and behavior.
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Why do you teach kids about sex?
I feel that this is a very important issue in today's world. Children (especially
teens) have so much access to information and more importantly... misinformation about sex, leading to very poor decisions.
Many of those rash choices can be drastically life altering. The more real information kids have, the better choices they generally
make.
As I asked in my February 2007 issue of Tips on Teens #004 - "Are You Worried about Your Teen Having Sex?" -- Who
would you rather have (your kid) learn (about sex) from… his 15-year-old ignorant friends? Or you and medical professionals?
That
is a scary question for most parents to face; but it is an important one. I'd rather your kid make choices on what knowledgeableprofessionals teach than on what his friends think they know.
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Are there any other organizations that you donate your time to?
Yes, I
am a volunteer for the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health team in the West San Fernando Valley. That means if there
is ever a local tragedy (anything from a single house fire to a community wide disaster) I am called upon to offer mental
health support to both the Red Cross staff and victims of the event.
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Will you tell me more about your community outreach?
Of
course, I'd be happy to talk to you more about what I do. Please Contact me and we'll talk about how we can collaborate
to design a program that would give back to the community by helping kids, teens and their families change and grow.
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