Teen Self-Injury: Working Toward Healthy Coping Skills

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Many adults recoil at the thought of self-injury, but it’s a fact among young people: approximately 18% of teens and upwards of 35% of college students report having self-injured in some way. And the connection with depression is strong, with between 40% and 70% of teens treated for self-injury having a depression diagnosis.

Self-injury is an unhealthy coping mechanism that can lead to an increased risk of suicide. Although this data is alarming, there is good news. Adults can intervene effectively by understanding the function of self-injury, recognizing the signs, and helping adolescents develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage their pain.

In this live webinar, Dr. Jason Washburn, board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist, explains the connection between self-injury and depression and shares how caring adults can talk about self-injury in a compassionate way, identify signs and respond effectively, and help teens develop healthy coping skills. Submit your questions when you register or during the webinar.

Presenters

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Jason J. Washburn, PhD, ABPP

Jason J. Washburn, PhD, ABPP is a board certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from DePaul University, completed a clinical internship at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical School. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Research Scholar at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine where he is currently the Director of Graduate Studies for the MA and PhD programs in Clinical Psychology. He is also a psychologist within the Center for Childhood Resilience at Lurie Children’s Hospital, and is a consultant with AMITA Behavioral Health.

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Valerie Cordero, PhD

Valerie Cordero is Co-Executive Director of Families for Depression Awareness. Valerie joined the FFDA staff in 2010 and has held positions in administration, programs, and development. She received her BA from Spelman College and earned her Masters and PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of California at Los Angeles. Valerie is based in FFDA’s Nashville office.