What’s Going on with Children and Adolescents in Schools Today?

A Conversation with Front- Line Workers

This event is in person only and will be held at:
The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis
1581 Beacon St.
Brookline, MA 02446

Even before the pandemic, anxiety and depression were becoming more common among children and adolescents, increasing 27 percent and 24 percent respectively from 2016 to 2019.  In 2020, there was also a 21 percent increase in the number of children experiencing behavior and conduct problems.  Parents and caregivers also experienced greater mental health needs (JAMA Pediatrics, 2022).  Using case examples, this event offers observations, insights and interventions of a teacher, a school counselor and a psychotherapist.  Discussion with the audience offers the opportunity to better understand possible institutional, cultural, historical and psychodynamic variables which influence the macro and micro pieces of the puzzle.

Presenters:

Bethania (Tanya) Paris, M. A. is a teacher in the Brookline public schools.  Her teaching career spans two decades, in grades K through 5 and she started as a bilingual teacher in Chelsea, MA.  She has a master’s degree in special education, is a poet and a novelist and is the author of over twenty picture books for students in PreK-5th grade, many dealing with emotional and cultural issues. Ms. Paris is a native of the Dominican Republic and the co-founder of Las Margaritas Foundation, a non-profit organization working to educate underserved children in the Dominican Republic. 

Rebecca Sneider, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W. is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked for over twenty years as a school counselor with 5^th to 8^th grade students in the Brookline public schools.  Ms. Sneider has a private psychotherapy practice in Newton where she sees children and adolescents and does parent coaching. 

Amanda Neas, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W. is psychotherapist in private practice in Concord, MA and has many years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults.  She is also a doctoral candidate at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis. 

Discussant:

Leah Alexander, Psya.D. is on the faculty at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis where she is the Assistant Director of the Therapy Center and teaches and supervises students.  She has a private practice in Topsfield, MA.  Working with children and their families is a particular interest. 

Objectives:

The participant will be able to:
1. Discuss the multiple manifestations of stress, depression and anxiety that children and adolescents exhibit in schools.
2. Compare and contrast possible institutional, cultural, historical and psychodynamic variables which influence the macro and micro complexities.
3. Discuss possible ways to address these issues, individually, in the classroom, school, and families.

Upcoming Event:

Psychoanalysis, Society and Culture
A Panel Discussion with Sadeq Rahimi, Ph.D., Manual Harpin, M.A., Jean Claude Noel, M.S., M.A..

Saturday, June 3, 2023     10:00 to 11:30 AM