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Children today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today's children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

Early intervention is always better than crisis management - but it is never too late to do the right thing.

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

It's more effective to reward your child for being "good" (appropriate) than to punish him for being "bad" (inappropriate).

"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

The more 2 parents differ in their approaches to discipline, the more likely it leads to trouble for the child.

Relationships matter:  change comes through forming trusting relationships. People, not programs change people.

Many clinicians find it easier to tell parents their child has a brain-based disorder than suggest parenting changes. Jennifer Harris (psychiatrist)

If you are headed in the wrong direction as a parent - you are allowed to make a U-turn.

Learn more.

Depression – What do the young people say about it ?

“It was like a dread inside, there all the time. When I was with my friends it would go away a bit, but it always came back.”                                                                                                      Jack age 15
 
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“I started worrying about everything, even things that never bothered me before. I was so worried about being asked a question in school that I used to feel sick in the mornings. Some days I just could not go to school.”
Lois age 13
 
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“I was angry with everyone, they all annoyed me, particularly my mom who kept asking me what was wrong.                                                                                                                            Laura age 14
 
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“I couldn’t face anyone, I don’t know why. I wanted to be dead, it was in my mind all the time, I couldn’t stop thinking about my death and being dead. At least then I would stop feeling tike this.”                             Sue age 15
 
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“Sometimes there’d be this feeling of being trapped, or perhaps overwhelmed. Other times there’d be a feeling of just being completely lost and not knowing what to do, and then the most frequent was probably one of complete and utter apathy for life, the universe and everything.”                                                                                  David age 16
 
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“I was very fatigued. I’d stay in bed for ever really. I just felt absolutely lousy and I got awful stomach pains as well, and awful headaches.”                           John age 15

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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See more of our workshops


Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Our daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)