‘The DC Pressure Cooker:
Fostering Resilience in a Culture of Perfection, Competition, and Anxiety’

presented by Dr. Robert Chase and Ms. Briana Meader, LCSW-C

As residents in the DMV area, we are familiar that the pressures placed on youth are extreme. With anxiety rates on the rise, Dr. Robert Chase and Briana Meader, LCSW-C at The Chesapeake Center seek to teach parents how to foster resilience and help minimize anxiety levels in their children.

Issues addressed in this workshop will include the following:

• Is my teen’s anxiety clinically significant or is their anxiety level normal?
• What is typical for adolescent development vs. cause for concern?
• Once upset or anxious, why is it so difficult for my teen to calm down?
• Why do certain discussions become a battle with my teenager?
• What tools and skills can I use to help alleviate some of the tension?

In this workshop, the presenters will share the differences between typical and concerning adolescent development and behavior. They will discuss the importance of validation and how it can diffuse difficult situations. For parents in particular, they will discuss how to help identify triggers (both your own and your child’s) and why this is so important. Participants will walk away with skills and techniques to effectively communicate and support adolescents as they navigate their journey through the “tough years”.