Show Segments
Segment 4: Letting Go of Our Kids and Building Independence (Teen Experts: Rob Lehman and Julie Metzger)
How can we start letting go of our kids and still stay connected? What are the best ways for parents to interact with teens as they seek more independence?
About our Guests:
Julie Giesy Metzger began her nursing career at Seattle Children’s Hospital in 1981caring for hospitalized teens and their families in the adolescent unit. The experience of working with teens who managed their lives with resilience and strength solidified her passion for adolescents and their families. In graduate school at the University of Washington School Of Nursing, Julie pursued her passion through research analysis of the experiences of young women in puberty. Inspired by that work, Julie designed and delivered For Girls Only: A Heart to Heart Talk on Growing Up in 1988while living in Pittsburgh, PA—the class became a local hit.
In the early 1990’s, Julie returned to Seattle and began teaching For Girls Only at Seattle Children’s Hospital and launched what is now a perennial rite of passage for thousands of pre-teen girls and their mothers throughout the Puget Sound region and in Palo Alto at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. In addition to For Girls Only, Julie has written and taught curricula for teens that promote strategies for decision-making on health related topics and she recently co-authored a book on puberty.
Julie has been invited to numerous school and community groups to talk to parents about topics related to adolescence. Her encouraging, straightforward approach, matched with the latest research and strategies, have made her a popular presenter.
Julie’s professional and clinical experiences include managing a pediatric unit, teaching pediatric nursing, and facilitating projects at Seattle Children’s. She and her husband are parents of three young adults who have been the primary inspiration of her work.
Robert Lehman, MD completed his his training in Pediatrics in Denver, Colorado, Rob found his passion by pursuing additional fellowship training in Adolescent Medicine. Ever since, he has been working to promote health care for teens as a teacher, clinician, and policy developer.
Over the years, Rob has managed and practiced at teen clinics in a variety of settings, including public health, specialty referral, homeless teen clinics, reproductive health, incarcerated youth, college youth, and special projects involving youth with disabilities. He has practiced and taught primary care, reproductive health, chronic care and all other aspects of the unique health care needs of youth to health care professionals from various disciplines.
At present, he is continually thrilled to be teaching classes on puberty and sexual health, in giving talks to families and professionals on teen health, and has co-authored a book on puberty. Rob has also been active in health policy on state and national levels as chair of the Washington Health Coalition on Children and Youth, chair of the Northwest Chapter of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, Consultant in Adolescent Health for Public Health/Seattle & King County and held an executive position in the Society for AdolescentHealth and Medicine, the leading international professional organization devoted to teen health. Rob serves on the Seattle STD/HIV Prevention Training Center Advisory Board and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington.
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