Program Content

Truth With A Capital T

The August, 2007 Journal of Psychological Medicine reported nearly 47% of high school students intentionally engaged in self-inflicted injuries within the past year by cutting, hitting or burning themselves. Maria was a student referred to David because she was cutting. After several conversations, it was apparent she believed cutting helped her to cope with her difficult life situations. David describes how he helps students like Maria gain insight to the underlying reasons behind self-injury in order to pave the way to healthy solutions. Students will understand they have within them the ability to find their own path, dreams and ultimately, their own Truth.

Key benefits:

• Builds awareness that self-injury does not reduce emotional pain.
  
• Provides strategies and healthy alternatives to avoid and overcome self-injury.
  
• Teaches coping skills to help deal with difficult situations.

A Permanent Reminder

One of the biggest challenges teens may face is related to bullying. When unchecked, these destructive patterns may lead to pain, fear, and sometimes to senseless violence. Using his personal story of being assaulted by twelve boys in his first week of high school, David illustrates that while life may challenge us at times, we get to choose how we respond to these challenges. Students will learn that by being responsible for their actions, they can eliminate the pitfall that permanently may set them off the path of their dreams.

Key benefits:

• Learn why destructive choices ultimately do not work.
• Develop positive communication skills with adults.
  
• Understand the value of having an advocate.

Take a Breath--Go Again

All too often, students do not have the wisdom to manage their emotions and sometimes act them out through anger. Schools become places where this emotion can collide with others, which in many cases leads to self-destructive and/or violent behavior. Through his personal story, David describes how anger is a natural human emotion that often is triggered by conflicts occurring in everyday school life. Learning how to take a breath and go again, students begin to honor their own anger without allowing it to take full control of their behavior.

Key benefits

• Identify individual issues that trigger anger.
  
• Gain a more profound awareness and understanding of others’ feelings.
  
• Develop strategies to constructively deal with external/social forces that can trigger stress and anger.