Learning for Families
Build relationships with your teen
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Parents looking for help understanding and guiding the development of their children from age 12 to 18 can now turn to a workshop series available at Medicine Hat College.
Parenting Through Adolescence is facilitated by clinical psychologist, Dr. Emily Wang, and Master of Social Work/registered social worker, Shawn O’Grady, who together help parents understand what can be a challenging time in their children’s lives.
“This program will help parents better understand their child and learn strategies to effectively communicate, avoid conflict, and work through negative behaviours, in a way that helps instill positive mental health in children as they approach adulthood,” says O’Grady.
Made possible through The Brandon Niwa Legacy Fund – The Beej Project -- the five modules within the workshop series are designed to help parents better understand their adolescent’s brain, develop strategies for relationship building, navigate neurodivergent diagnoses, and manage high-risk behaviours in adolescents. Parents are welcome to join the second module scheduled for Saturday, November 25.
Jennifer Kerslake, director of community engagement at MHC, says the need for the workshop was identified by MHC and its advisory panel, a group of professionals from the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, Medicine Hat Public School Division, Prairie Rose Public Schools, and Medicine Hat Police Service.
“At Medicine Hat College, we believe it is important to offer opportunities that help to meet the needs of our communities,” says Kerslake. “We are grateful to be able to provide our region with these exceptional mental health resources and partnerships because of the generosity of the Niwa Family.”
To learn more and to register for the upcoming workshop series, please visit www.mhc.ab.ca.
For information about The Beej Project, visit www.mhc.ab.ca/BeejProject