The South Delta Secondary and Delta Secondary parent advisory committees are co-hosting a mindfulness education event for Delta teens who may be struggling with symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.
The free-with-registration event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Delta Manor Education Centre in Ladner.
The event is open to Delta teens, their parents/guardians and features the leading expert in mindfulness practice for teens, Dr. Dzung Vo of BC Children's Hospital.
Dr. Vo is the founding director for the BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness who has co-developed a program for young people called MARS-A: Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents.
The program helps teens build self-initiated skills for coping with stress, pain and the mental wellness challenges of anxiety and depression.
At next month’s event, Dr. Vo will talk about the foundations of mindfulness practice and offer a hands-on demonstration.
"We often recognize that our kids need support for their mental health challenges, but just don't know what programs are available to us here in Delta," says Peg Keenleyside, an SDSS parent who is involved in organizing the event.
"One of the challenges for teens and their parents living in Delta is finding the local educational resources you need to make some informed decisions about anxiety and depression treatment options," she notes.
The event will also offer an opportunity for teens and parents to connect with local mindfulness practitioners.
Dr. Vo is the author of The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One
Moment at a Time, and offers information for teens on the website mindfulnessforteens.com.
Event registration is now open on Eventbrite: The Mindful Teen - Promoting Mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning.
