Penn Foundation Welcomes Dr. Michael Bradley as Part of Dr. Michael Peters Lecture Series

(SELLERSVILLE, Pa.) – On May 7, Penn Foundation welcomed Dr. Michael Bradley, a Doylestown-based clinical psychologist and leading expert on adolescent behavior and parenting, as part of its Dr. Michael Peters Lectures Series. An award-winning author of a 2017 book with the same name, Dr. Bradley spoke on the topic of Crazy Stressed: Saving Today’s Overwhelmed Teens with Love, Laughter, and the Science of Resilience.

Dr. Bradley discussed the many pressures that teens face today – increasing academic demands, time-consuming athletic and extracurricular commitments, screen addiction, cyber bullying, and sleep deprivation. When you add in mood swings, impulsiveness, poor judgment, and the other natural challenges that peak during adolescence, it’s no surprise that today’s teens rank as the most anxious in 50 years, and rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide are on the rise. “While teen brains are hardwired for risk-taking behaviors and overactive emotions, their coping abilities are at all-time lows,” said Dr. Bradley.

Several area school administrators attended Dr. Bradley’s presentation at Penn Foundation. Pictured are (left to right) Dr. Frank Gallagher, Superintendent, Souderton Area School District; Jeff Sweda, Executive Director, Upper Bucks Vocational Technical School; Wayne Mugrauer, President and CEO, Penn Foundation; Dr. Bridget O’Connell, Superintendent, Palisades School District; Dr. David Bolton, Superintendent, Pennridge School District; and Dr. William Harner, Superintendent, Quakertown Community School District.

How can parents help? According to Dr. Bradley, build resilience. “Teens with this valuable quality know how to handle difficulty, overcome obstacles, and bounce back from setbacks.” Dr. Bradley provided some practical strategies to help parents connect with their teens and build this life-saving resiliency. “Remember,” he said, “your children are watching you and your behavior. Raise the parent of your future grandchild.”

About the Dr. Michael Peters Lecture Series: The Dr. Michael Peters Lecture Series is a community-based educational program that brings national experts on behavioral health to Penn Foundation. The series is named for Grand View Hospital’s Chief of Medicine (1947-1972), who was instrumental to the founding of Penn Foundation in 1955. Penn Foundation re-introduced this program in 2013 on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of the Community Mental Health Act.

About Penn Foundation: Founded in 1955, Penn Foundation is a non-profit organization providing innovative services to address the mental health and substance abuse treatment needs of individuals in our community. With headquarters in Sellersville, Bucks County, and satellite offices in Colmar, Souderton, and Pottstown, Penn Foundation employs 440 compassionate professionals that serve more than 19,000 children, adolescents, and adults each year with integrated, holistic care designed to meet the unique needs of each person. Penn Foundation believes strongly in the resiliency of the human spirit and is committed to instilling hope, inspiring change, and building community. For more information, visit www.PennFoundation.org.