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“Pressure for adolescents is off the charts because academics are more rigorous and because social media provides 24/7 exposure to one’s peers. Peer pressure is tremendous and it really weighs on them,” said Dr. Jodie Katz, the Medical Director at Valley Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine.
In response to the growing need to provide teens with resources to manage their stress effectively, Valley will now offer a 'Mindfulness Tools for Teens' course. The evidence based program is applicable to all teens and the classes will equip participants with essential tools to help them to manage their normal, everyday stresses and emotions more skillfully.
This new course will be taught by Beth Sandweiss, who has over 25 years of experience working with teens and families in both clinical and nonclinical settings. She received her Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher certification from the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness and has been teaching since 2012.
Sandweiss explained that the course will be focused on “supporting teens’ innate courage, resilience and inner strength during a time in their lives when they are particularly vulnerable to stress and spikes in emotion. A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness training enhances areas of the brain that are important for regulating emotions, paying attention and relating more effectively to stressful situations."
Over the six weeks of classes, participants will learn simple, yet powerful mindfulness practices that will empower them in all aspects of their lives. They will gain skills in areas such as regulating emotions, learning to cope with stress, paying attention, self-soothing and mindful eating. These tools will help them respond rather than to habitually react to situations.
Valley’s Mindfulness Tools for Teens classes will begin on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 and will be broken down into 8th, 9th and 10th graders on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and 11th and 12th Graders on Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
There will be an orientation on Thursday, Jan. 7, which parents are strongly encouraged to attend. All of the sessions will be held at 1200 East Ridgewood Ave. in Ridgewood. The cost for the six-week program is $225.
For more information or to register, call Kathy Newberg at 201-291-6090.
