Last Thursday, Nick Thompson, our first guest speaker of the year, visited AISG virtually to speak with students, teachers, and parents. Thompson offers creative counseling with degrees in psychology and social work and has over 15 years of experience working with youth and their families. He is passionate about helping others realize that adolescence is a time of great opportunity and not just a phase to survive.

Thompson spent time with Secondary students and incorporated his experience in group homes, detention centers, alternative schools, and private practice to share stories of teen thinking and behavior. His spontaneity and sense of humor helped our students listen to some serious and timely topics in an approachable way. Topics included: the function of anxiety as well as its definition in society; the purpose of failure in the process of a growth mindset; the misrepresentation that social media makes on our lives; and the power of sleep (and disconnecting) for healthy living.

Thompson also spoke with teachers regarding similar topics. He also discussed with teachers that learning how to listen and how to be models for behavior can empower them to connect with students. The use of technology was a topic as all, as teachers were curious about ways to help relieve students of the burden of their phones during learning time. This valuable information session provided new resources for teachers to use when communicating with their students to build healthy relationships.

His final session of the day was presenting to AISG parents. He delved into similar topics, but from the perspective of how a parent might deal with these issues when their children experience them. Thompson stressed the importance of building healthy parent-child relationships, supporting children with mental health issues, and how to safely use technology at home with children. For those that missed the amazing parent presentation, the link is available on Ramsnet, www.aisgz.org/ramsnet-parent.

We want to thank Nick Thompson for giving so much of his time to the AISG community and providing us with the tools and takeaways to build healthy relationships with our adolescent children. His energy and unique ability to connect with his audience has had a lasting impression.

Our Speaker Series brings extraordinary speakers from all over the world to share their expertise with the AISG community. This is made possible by donations to our Annual Fund. To learn more about our Speaker Series and to see future and past speakers, check out our website page.