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Today's Teenager

Roy Petitfils, LPC has worked with teenagers for over 20 years. He shares insights and tips to help adults understand, reach and influence today's teenagers.
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Now displaying: June, 2017
Jun 30, 2017

In this episode, Roy addresses the problem of youth who, for various reasons, continue to struggle with mental health issues without receiving acknowledgement or adequate care. 

Roy shares the alarming statistic that the second leading cause of death among adolescents today is suicide, a result of an epidemic of depression and anxiety. 
Roy believes that much of this anxiety results from the experience of being disconnected amidst unprecedented access to technology that promises to keep us more connected.

Roy believes that religious institutions have a unique opportunity to reach youth who will not access or don’t have access to mental health services by advancing the training of both clerical and lay staff in the skills of pastoral care with specific awareness of at - risk youth.  Roy feels that providing the same level of training in pastoral care that exists in matters of finance, theology, and catechesis will allow religious institutions to meet the changing needs of the people in their care, especially teens. 

If you believe that your teen or a teen you work with is in need of professional mental heath treatment, listen to Roy's episode on how to choose the best counselor or mental health professional for teens. 

Today's Teenager podcast is produced for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to nor should it be used as a replacement for professional counseling

Roy has established Today's Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager dot com for more information.

Dr. Dore and her staff embrace their orthodontic patients like family. In addition to traditional metal and ceramic braces Dr. Dore enjoys using Invisalign clear aligners, and she is an Invisalign “Preferred Provider." Call her today for a free exam and Live Life Smiling at (337) 267-SMILE, or click here to learn more about Dr. Dore and her practice. 

Jun 20, 2017

In this episode of Today's Teenager, Roy offers four tips that adults can employ in helping depressed teens. The first tip that Roy suggests is understanding that teenage depression is real and to validate that for teens. The second tip Roy recommends is that adults be patient with the seemingly contradictory emotions of teens, which can sometimes cause an adult to believe a young person is not really depressed. 

Roy believes that perhaps the most important tip to helping depressed teens is to offer non - reactive and non - judgmental listening. Roy stresses that this kind of attentive, empathetic listening is crucial to helping a teen to feel that they aren't suffering alone and that their experiences are not at all unusual or abnormal. Finally, Roy recommends that adults get a depressed teen counseling from a reliable and professional source like private counselors, school counselors, pastoral counselors or ministers, social workers, psychologists, or pediatricians. 

Click here to listen to previous episodes of Today's Teenager that can also aid in working with depressed teens:

Episode 15: What's Normal Vs. Abnormal Teen Behavior? 

Episode 23: How Do I Find A Counselor For My Teen?

Episode 42: The Art of Listening To Teens

Episode 48: Teen Suicide Seeing The Signs To Prevent The Sorrow

Episode 49: Teen Suicide What Adults Can Do

Click here for Roy's various blog entries related to teen depression, anxiety, and effective listening to teens. 

Roy encourages adults working with young people to take advantage of the resources offered by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or AFSP. The AFSP's website can be found here and features a wide variety of resources helpful in addressing suicide as well as contact information for local ASFP charters. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741-741.




Today's Teenager podcast is produced for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to nor should it be used as a replacement for professional counseling

Roy has established Today's Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager dot com for more information.

Dr. Dore and her staff embrace their orthodontic patients like family. In addition to traditional metal and ceramic braces Dr. Dore enjoys using Invisalign clear aligners, and she is an Invisalign “Preferred Provider." Call her today for a free exam and Live Life Smiling at (337) 267-SMILE, or click here to learn more about Dr. Dore and her practice. 

Jun 9, 2017

More and more parents today are saying their kid is one way at school but act a totally different way at home. Parents hear rave reviews from teachers about how kind, respectful and conscientious their teen is at school or in public, but parents are confused because their teen seems to only behave this way at school.

In this week's episode, Roy addresses this phenomenon which he says is not at all new. Roy has experienced teens displaying different selves and personas in different aspects or roles of their lives, what Roy calls a "compartmentalization of selves.

Roy explains that social media has only exacerbated this behavior, which is not necessarily a problem as all people have multiple selves. Roy suggests that parents and other adults admit this truth to teens in an appropriate way so that teens understand that adults can relate. While changing selves is normal, a lack of consistency between different selves may hold consequences a young person has not considered. Roy encourages parents to those living or working with teens to ask teens about this issue and how they see their different selves and offers further tips to enable teens to visualize and realize the dynamics involved in these situations without a condemning or judgmental tone.


Today's Teenager podcast is produced for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to nor should it be used as a replacement for professional counseling

Roy has established Today's Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager dot com for more information.

Dr. Dore and her staff embrace their orthodontic patients like family. In addition to traditional metal and ceramic braces Dr. Dore enjoys using Invisalign clear aligners, and she is an Invisalign “Preferred Provider." Call her today for a free exam and Live Life Smiling at (337) 267-SMILE, or click here to learn more about Dr. Dore and her practice. 

Jun 6, 2017

Summer marks the end of what is, for most parents and teens, a grueling academic year filled with a multitude of stressors like studying, school and athletic-related activities, not to mention the busy nature of work and family life. As Roy points out in this week's episode, the temptation to simply leave a teen alone at the end of the school year is very real, offering a seeming break for both teens and parents. 

While a brief respite is understandable, Roy encourages parents to use the summer break to create opportunities for meaningful connection with teens. Roy suggests that parents simply begin with being intentional about deeper and more meaningful connection with their teens. This includes being truly present and attentive to teenagers and both what they say and don't say. Roy also encourages parents to listen to teens not only when asking them questions, but when they approach parents on their own. Other strategies include vulnerability and specific, meaningful affirmation regarding work ethic and integrity, not just results and successes. 

Today's Teenager podcast is produced for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to nor should it be used as a replacement for professional counseling

Roy has established Today's Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager dot com for more information.

Dr. Dore and her staff embrace their orthodontic patients like family. In addition to traditional metal and ceramic braces Dr. Dore enjoys using Invisalign clear aligners, and she is an Invisalign “Preferred Provider." Call her today for a free exam and Live Life Smiling at (337) 267-SMILE, or click here to learn more about Dr. Dore and her practice. 

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