The Association for Academic Leaders is proud to present an exclusive opportunity for members to learn from New York Times best selling author Dr. Lisa Damour. 

Join Lisa in exploring her new book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, in this members-only two-week online course with unique content for independent school educators. Lisa will teach you how to apply the insights of the book to your work with teenagers in schools, and you'll have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A following your course.

​Join together with Academic Leaders from independent schools across the country and around the world to support students in the ways they need now.
October 9 - 20, 2023
Live Q&A with Lisa on October 24 at 3pm ET
February 12 - 23, 2024
Live Q&A with Lisa TBD
November 6 - 17, 2023
Live Q&A with Lisa TBD
April 8 - 19, 2024
Live Q&A with Lisa TBD
Participation in this course is an Association benefit. ​All Academic Leaders at your school can participate at no cost.

Course Competency

The primary competency centered in this course is: Assess the present, understand the past, and design for the future.

Course Creators

Lisa Damour, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, teacher, and parent. She is a founder of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls, the author of the best sellers “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood” and “Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls,” writes the monthly Adolescence column for the Well Family section of the New York Times, and is a regular contributor at CBS News. Her co-creator for the course is Brad Rathgeber, President and CEO of One Schoolhouse, and a veteran teacher and administrator in independent schools.

Course Format​​

Participants in the course will be guided through Lisa Damour’s The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, by the author herself, in a two-week long asynchronous online course. In each week of this course, Lisa frames the lessons of her book through an educator’s lens and offers her thoughts and questions for educators to consider while reading the text. The course also offers additional resources specific to the role of educators in teenagers' lives, presents a case study for participants to explore with peers in the course, and encourages discussion with participants around a central question or theme in the reading. Following the end of the course, participants are invited to join a live Q&A with Lisa. Expect to spend five to six hours each week engaged in the course (three to four hours if participants have already read the book.)

Please note: participants should obtain a copy of the book prior to the start of the course.
"I've already adapted our definition of mental health while working with Upper School students in one of their health classes. We [now] use Lisa Damour's definition/explanation of mental health - having the right feelings at the right time and being able to manage those feelings effectively. We used this for the first time this semester and I'd like to spread the message more broadly within our school community, to shift away from the idea that teens are only mentally healthy if they're feeling good." 
Robyn Jaffe, Director of Health and Wellness at The Nightingale-Bamford School. April 2023 Course Participant.

Become a Member

Not a member school yet? Join the Association for Academic Leaders for 2023-2024 and gain access to this course and all other membership benefits right away.

Get In Touch

Have any questions? Email our Senior Director, Sarah Hanawald, to learn more. ​