Nationally Recognized Psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour to Visit Baldwin

Baldwin is excited to welcome Dr. Lisa Damour, a nationally recognized psychologist, author and expert in adolescent development, to campus in February to speak to parents, faculty, staff and students in an exclusive engagement.

 

Today’s girls face unique challenges, making it ever more essential to support them in their social-emotional growth and development. With pressures coming from all sides — academics, friendships, social media — these demands can often lead to heightened stress, anxiety and self-doubt. At Baldwin, we recognize these challenges and continually strive to create an environment centered not only on best practices in educating girls, but also on growing their confidence and lifting them up. We partner closely with our parents to understand, support and empower each girl to be her best self and to love her best self. With that in mind, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Damour to campus in February.

 

Dr. Damour is known for her groundbreaking work in understanding the psychological needs of young people, particularly adolescent girls. Her expertise on how anxiety impacts young women, along with practical guidance for maintaining healthy social and emotional lives, will offer invaluable perspectives to students, parents and faculty alike. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. Her evidence-based approach, rooted in compassion and understanding, has inspired many and provided families and schools with tools to empower and uplift adolescent girls. Dr. Damour will share her insights into critical topics affecting our students' lives, including anxiety, social-emotional health and strategies to support well-being in today's world. 

 

Because of her expertise in adolescent girls, Dr. Damour was asked to be a consultant on the recent Disney-Pixar film “Inside Out 2,” a movie about the main character Riley, now 13, and how she navigates the new emotions of adolescence. Building on the original film’s legacy of celebrating a wide range of human emotions, “Inside Out 2” introduces new, self-conscious emotions – anxiety, embarrassment, envy and ennui. In her podcast “Ask Lisa: The Making of Inside Out 2," Dr. Damour draws on her expertise in adolescent anxiety to discuss how the character of Anxiety is portrayed in the film. The movie captures the complexities of teenage development and paves the way for parents and kids to engage in meaningful and critically important discussions about their emotional lives.

 

“Dr. Damour’s insights will not only strengthen our understanding of girls’ mental health but will also equip our community with practical tools to continue to support the social-emotional growth and development of our girls,” explained Head of School Lynn Macziewski. “We look forward to Dr. Damour’s visit and continuing our partnership with our parents and students, to create an environment where girls feel valued and understood and have the support they need to thrive!”