Ten years ago, we started lecturing together about the things that really concerned us, namely the increasing prevalence of stress-related mental health problems and what we perceived to be patterns of unhealthy motivation in young people.  Fortunately, as we worked together over the years, we came to realize that these problems have a common cause, as well as a common solution.  

We learned that all mental health problems are rooted in a low sense of control – and that a strong sense of control or autonomy is necessary for the kind of healthy self-motivation that drives children, teenagers, and young adults to develop themselves as students and as people.  We also learned that helping young people develop a stronger sense of control over their lives improves virtually all aspects of their functioning.  Based on this knowledge, and on our decades of experience working with kids, we wrote The Self-Driven Child which, as the subtitle indicates, is about the science and the sense of giving kids more control over their lives.  

Our second book is What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home.  It builds on the principles outlined in the Self-Driven Child, and it offers parents communication tools for raising children who are self-driven, self-confident, and not unduly stressed and anxious.