Laura Kastner
Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
at the University of Washington
Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 7-9 p.m.

Seattle Children’s Theatre (For directions, click here.) 
Tickets: $18 in advance/$25 at the door



Rudeness! Impulsivity! Stupid mistakes! Temper tantrums! Laziness! Parents have known for centuries that teenagers enter a phase where they become rebellious, take risks and get moody. But what science couldn’t tell you until very recently is why. Recent brain-imaging studies have documented how the thinking part of the brain is literally “under construction” during the teen years. This presentation gives parents the tools to better understand their teen and to help them survive — and thrive! — during the roller-coaster years.

Laura Kastner, PH.D, is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington where she has been on the faculty since 1980. A psychologist and mother of two, she writes and lectures widely on adolescent development and family relationships.

Dr. Kastner's books include, The Seven-Year Stretch: How Families Work Together to Grow Through Adolescence and The Launching Years: Strategies for Parenting from Senior Year to College Life, both with co-author Jennifer F. Wyatt. Frequently interviewed for articles about adolescence in national and local media, she recently contributed to a book entitled The Inside Story on Teen Girls.

In addition to teaching, she maintains a private practice with a focus on children, couples and families. In 2003, Dr. Kastner was voted one of the "Best Doctors" by local physicians in Seattle Magazine and was elected "Psychologist of the Year" by the Washington State Psychology Association.