The first bombing happened when I was one and a half years old. I was in a car with my Mom taking my older brother to kindergarten and we stopped to pick up my brother’s friend. He was walking towards the car and paused to tie his shoelace. While he was crouched down a few feet away from us, dynamite under the car exploded and the front passenger seat that he was about to sit on was torn to shreds. Miraculously no one was injured. There were 4 more bombings over the next year and a half. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to an explosion, walking out of my room and seeing shards ..read more

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When we think of addiction, many of us immediately imagine the scariest end of the spectrum: Drugs. But the reality is that many youth experience addictive patterns in much more subtle ways. It’s difficult as a parent to navigate this issue, because there are so many things that teens these days develop unhealthy relationships to. Things like social media, technology, food, alcohol, sex, porn - things that are inherently a part of the world we live in, and therefore impossible to enforce teens to “stay away” from if we feel they are having a negative impact.   So what is an addictive pattern ..read more

Check out the Family Brain Podcast Episode where Open Parachute founder Dr Hayley Watson explores youth mental health and gives accessible tips for parents, teachers and schools ..read more

We would like to think that it’s rare for youth to harm themselves, but unfortunately it is a very common behaviour pattern in teens, and one that we don’t always know is happening. It can take many forms, from typical “self-harm,” to risky drinking, drugs, and sexual behaviour, to holding themselves back from reaching their potential in academics, sports or creative pursuits. All of these are forms of self-destructive cycles, and many teens will go through a version of this at some point in their growth.  In order to support youth caught in these patterns, it is important to firstly understan ..read more

Teenagers are amazing, miraculous creatures. And they can also be difficult, defiant, and downright painful to deal with. Part of this is because the adolescent brain is going through a natural pruning process. They are transitioning from being completely dependent on their parents to finding their own sense of self as an individual adult. This is a MAJOR shift, and making it involves many growing pains - for them, and for all of their relationships.  It can be a huge challenge for parents and teachers when there are things we want and need teenagers to do, and they simply will not do them. It ..read more

I think we can safely say that child mental health struggle and suicide are high up on the list of every parent’s worst nightmare. And in today’s world, this particular form of tragedy seems to loom scarily on the horizon with more and more urgency. Luckily there are an increasing number of resources available. But how are parents to know which resources to choose? How can they be sure they are covering all the bases? The best way to answer this question is by developing a clear and deep understanding of where youth mental health issues originate from, and what REALLY causes youth suicide. It ..read more

Check out my latest article published in Education HQ that explores how teachers are often better placed than psychologists to address youth mental health:https://au.educationhq.com/news/61219/teachers-have-skills-psychologists-dont-to-manage-students-mental-health-expert ..read more

Check out my latest article for Education HQ that sheds light on how teachers can build the tools needed to make a profound shift in the way they respond to stress, leading to a more satisfying career and fulfilling life.Link below ..read more

As a teacher it’s incredibly difficult to address bullying in the classroom - especially in it’s more subtle forms. You can’t be there every time a mean comment is made, and you can’t force students to include each other at lunchtime or on social media. But there are some simple things you CAN do that make a huge difference for your students. One of the big myths about bullying is the assumption that the bully is the one with all the power. Because of this myth, kids and teens who are victimised usually think there is nothing they can do until the bullying stops. But they couldn’t be more wron ..read more