Blog | Center for Adolescent Studies

4 Qualities That Lead to Interpersonal Connection and Safety With Youth

September 26, 2019 September 26, 2019 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

4 Qualities That Lead to Interpersonal Connection and Safety With Youth There are several ways to build rapport with youth, including the INCRA, deep listening, and skillful self-disclosure. It’s also imperative to work on those personal qualities that will contribute to our clients feeling interpersonally safe. These are less of what we “do” (interventions) and …

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10 Essential Guidelines to Teaching Meditation to Trauma-Impacted Youth

August 30, 2019 September 3, 2019 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

10 Essential Guidelines for Teaching Meditation to Trauma-Impacted Youth A while back I posted 9 Guidelines for Teaching Trauma-Informed Mindfulness to Teens. As I mentioned in that post, formal meditation practice isn’t always appropriate, as it can sometimes trigger youth into trauma responses. That said, many young people can benefit from mindfulness meditation. These guidelines …

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Recommended Resources on ADDRESSING Diversity

April 24, 2019 April 24, 2019 / By Guest Author

Recommended Resources on ADDRESSING Diversity Guest Post by Catharine Hannay, MindfulTeachers.org One of my most sobering moments as an English as a Foreign Language teacher came during a discussion about Martin Luther King’s ‘crusade for justice.’ Some of the students didn’t know what ‘crusade’ meant, so I asked for a volunteer who could define the …

3 Ways Movement Can Help Trauma-Impacted Youth

April 2, 2019 October 1, 2019 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

3 Ways Movement Can Help Trauma-Impacted Youth Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest I was lucky enough on a number of occasions to attend a yoga teacher’s daylong retreat for the youth in the maximum-security unit at the juvenile hall where I used to work. I …

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4 Tips for Culturally Sensitive Teaching

March 19, 2019 March 19, 2019 / By Guest Author

4 Tips for Culturally-Sensitive Teaching Guest post by Catharine Hannay Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest In his book on Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, David Treleaven tells the story of Nari, a young woman born and raised in the United States. Nari was on her first meditation retreat, …

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A Brief History of Trauma for Youth Providers

March 5, 2019 March 5, 2019 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

The field of trauma studies, as well as the application to trauma treatment with young people, is still very much in its infancy. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often discussed synonymously with trauma. However, PTSD as a diagnosis rarely does justice to the experience of young people, who often exhibit a complex set of behaviors …

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2 Simple Tips to Create a Welcoming, Trauma-Informed Classroom Space

February 18, 2019 February 20, 2019 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

Whether you’re leading a mindfulness class, an academic class, or a therapy group, it’s important to create a healing-centered, growth-oriented space where youth feel respected and comfortable. On the first day of class, I like to discuss openly the types of behavior that will help everyone to feel safe in the group and that will …

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Compassion Can Help You Work With Trauma-Impacted Youth

August 21, 2018 August 22, 2018 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

I remember the first time I felt true compassion for one of my clients. I was still in graduate school, working at the local juvenile detention camp. I remember the office at the camp. It wasn’t fancy. My partner and I (the other therapist who worked with me) were tucked away in what appeared to …

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[Vlog] Teaching Mindful Eating To Adolescents

August 1, 2018 August 2, 2018 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

[Click for Mindful Eating Activity PDF] Learn about how to help youth impacted by trauma! Trauma-Informed Care for Professionals Working with Youth is a completely online, semi self-paced, and affordable training that will teach you the basics of a trauma-informed approach. Get updates on exact course dates and exclusive pre-launch discount codes! Thanks! Check your …

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Cultivating the Lion Mind: A Mindfulness Metaphor that Sticks

June 26, 2018 June 26, 2018 / By Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

Whenever I teach mindfulness to teenagers I try as best as possible to incorporate the use of metaphor. I find that with teens (let alone people) metaphors access a different part of a person’s ability to relate to information. I often ask the youth I work with how they’d define mindfulness. For those I haven’t …

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