Dan Siegel, MD, "Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain," 11.12.13

Tuesday, November 12, 2013, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, 7:00 PM, New Trier High School, Northfield Campus, Cornog Auditorium, 7 Happ Rd., Northfield, 60093. In our modern culture, parenting adolescents well can be difficult.

There are many myths about teenagers that state that this is a period of immaturity we “just need to get over,” or that teens are “crazy” or “lazy” or “confused.” These beliefs are wrong, and they create parental responses that themselves create problems for adolescent and adult alike. In this presentation, renowned neuropsychiatrist Dan Siegel, M.D., will reveal what science suggests is a new view of the teenage brain, one that posits 4 key traits of adolescence: emotional spark, social engagement, novelty seeking, and creative exploration. These traits are not only the core of the adolescent period, but also drive adult brain growth across the lifespan, making adolescence a period to nurture and hold onto as we age. Dr. Siegel will explain neurological changes at the heart of adolescence, which have benefits and risks for teens, and he will illuminate the practical ways parents can approach this important time of life to make the most of relationships and development.

A major global figure in the field of mindfulness and human development, Dr. Siegel received his medical degree from Harvard University, and trained in pediatrics and child, adolescent and adult psychiatry at UCLA. He is currently clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, where he is on the faculty of the Center for Culture, Brain and Development and the Co-Director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center. He is also the Director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational organization, which offers online learning and in-person lectures that focus on how the development of mindsight in individuals, families and communities can be enhanced by examining the interface of human relationships and basic biological processes. Dr. Siegel serves as the Medical Director of the LifeSpan Learning Institute and on the Advisory Board of the Blue School in New York City, which has built its curriculum around Dr. Siegel’s Mindsight approach.

Dr. Siegel is the author of a new book on adolescence, to be published in December of 2013, titled "Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain." He has two parenting books, "Parenting From the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive," and "The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind." He is the author of the internationally acclaimed text, "The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are," which introduces the field of interpersonal neurobiology. Other major titles include "Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation" and "The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician’s Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration."