Pulling Back the Blinders

Parent Choices for Struggling Teens

Guests: Rob Nielson, [e-mail], Founder of Cedar Ridge Academy-UT, and Brent Crane, [e-mail],Therapist, both at Cedar Ridge Academy, Utah, 435-353-4498, www.cedaridge.net, interviewed by Host Lon Woodbury and Co-Host Elizabeth McGhee. To help a young person, you must understand them as they really are. Major obstacles to doing that effectively are what can be called Blinders. Other terms that are saying about the same thing are denial or distractions or avoidance. The first step a parent or child care worker must do is to see through those obstacles and find the anxiety underlying the unhealthy coping behavior. Physical activities can help, as well as mindfulness and positive peer pressure.