Books with author Christopher Willard PsyD

Being a teen is hard enough without anxiety getting in the way. You are changing more than ever before, not just physically, but mentally. And if you suffer from panic attacks, chronic worry, and feelings of isolation, it can be very difficult to meet your goals and succeed. The good news is that there are real, powerful ways that you can take control of your anxiety―and your life! In Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety, psychologist and learning specialist Christopher Willard offers teens like you proven-effective, mindfulness-based practices to help you cope with your anxiety, identify common triggers (such as dating or school performance), learn valuable time-management skills, and feel more calm at home, at school, and with friends. You’ll learn tips for dealing with specific situations that cause anxiety, such as public speaking, social anxiety, test anxiety, and more. You’ll also learn special breathing exercises to help calm you in moments of panic, and guided visualization exercises to help you stay cool and collected, even in the tensest situations. If you are ready to move past your anxiety, panic, and worry and start living the life you were meant to live, this book will be your guide―every step of the way.

The American Psychological Association’s 2014 survey on stress made an alarming discovery: America’s teens are now the most stressed-out age group in the country. Growing Up Mindful shows parents and professionals alike how to model and teach the skills of mindfulness that will empower our youth for the rest of their lives with greater self-awareness, resiliency, and confidence. While many adults now understand how mindfulness practice helps us alleviate the stress and anxiety of our busy modern lives, getting a typical teenager on board is another story. Dr. Christopher Willard draws on his work with hundreds of young children, tweens, and teens—along with countless hours training parents, teachers, and other counselors—to make the principles and practices of mindfulness accessible, entertaining, and cool for people of all ages and interests. Features dozens of exercises to incorporate mindfulness into daily life (in class, extracurricular activities, among peers), specific meditations and movement practices, compassion training, and more.

Being a teen is hard enough without anxiety getting in the way. You are changing more than ever before, not just physically, but mentally. And if you suffer from panic attacks, chronic worry, and feelings of isolation, it can be very difficult to meet your goals and succeed. The good news is that there are real, powerful ways that you can take control of your anxiety—and your life! In Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety, psychologist and learning specialist Christopher Willard offers teens like you proven-effective, mindfulness-based practices to help you cope with your anxiety, identify common triggers (such as dating or school performance), learn valuable time-management skills, and feel more calm at home, at school, and with friends. You’ll learn tips for dealing with specific situations that cause anxiety, such as public speaking, social anxiety, test anxiety, and more. You’ll also learn special breathing exercises to help calm you in moments of panic, and guided visualization exercises to help you stay cool and collected, even in the tensest situations. If you are ready to move past your anxiety, panic, and worry and start living the life you were meant to live, this book will be your guide—every step of the way.

A comprehensive mindfulness program to help teens understand and channel anger into healthy expressions of creativity, advocacy, and empowerment.Sometimes you just feel pissed off, and that’s okay. Maybe you missed a deadline in school, flunked a test, didn’t get invited to a party, or feel angry about something you saw on the news or online. We’ve all been there. It’s impossible to go through life never feeling angry. But what if, instead of letting your anger take control, you were able to harness it in constructive ways? This book will show you how.With this guide, you’ll find powerful mindfulness tools to help you listen to your anger, connect with your core values and goals, and make positive changes that will truly empower you. Instead of resorting to outbursts, you’ll learn to channel the incredible energy of your anger into self-advocacy, social action, and productivity. You’ll also find stories from other teens just like you who’ve successfully redirected their anger into creating positive change.If you’re ready to change your relationship with anger and transform it into fuel for change and creative possibility, this book will guide you, every step of the way.

In Mindfulness for Teen Depression, two teen experts offer powerful tools based in mindfulness and positive psychology to help you ease symptoms, work through troubling thoughts and feelings, and thrive in all aspects of life. If you’re a teen with depression, you may often feel sad, lonely, and unmotivated. And it can be especially difficult to do well in school, make friends, and take those important steps toward adulthood. But it’s important for you to know that your depression is not your fault, and that it doesn’t have to define you. Most importantly, there are steps you can take to feel better.With this powerful workbook, you’ll learn effective skills based in mindfulness and positive psychology to help you manage difficult emotions, gain distance from negative thoughts, and enhance your awareness of the present moment. You’ll also discover tons of activities and exercises—such as mindful meditations, walking, yoga, healthy eating and sleeping tips, and more—to help you care for your body as well as your mind.Depression can make it seem like you're viewing the world through dark or distorted glasses. When you're depressed, it’s even hard to see yourself clearly. This book will empower you to feel better, more energized, and start reaching for your goals—one step at a time.

Learn the power of mindful breathing through the fun and interactive exercises in this book.With The Breathing Book, young readers discover the power of mindful awareness through a series of breathing practices and engaging activities designed to calm the mind and body, set positive intentions, and spark creativity and imagination.A book that’s much more than just a book, this interactive offering from Christopher Willard and Olivia Weisser invites readers to bring their full attention to the sights, sounds, and tactile sensations that arise as they explore the practices on each page with awareness. With simple instructions and delightful illustrations, you’ll use your breath to bring this book to life by turning the pages … balancing the book on your head, hand, or belly … tracing shapes and labyrinths …“reframing” troubling thoughts and feelings … sending kind wishes to people and our planet … and many more activities that can be practiced again and again.

Mac’s school trip to Paris turns into an adventure she never imagined. Fourteen-year-old California girl Mackenzie, known as Mac, goes on a school trip to Paris where she meets up with an old musician friend of her dad’s, Rudee Daroo, who now makes a living as a cab driver. Rudee reveals that some of the greatest monuments in Paris are being either destroyed or stolen and that the city is slowly becoming darker.Mac finds herself in league with a crew of crazy cabbies and their friends as she tries to right these wrongs. She encounters sinister, shadowy characters who live in the Paris underground, a philosopher gendarme, a gypsy who can dance people into dream states, and gargoyles come to life. From dodging her school group to a heart-stopping encounter atop Notre Dame Cathedral, Mac needs all the resources she can muster to help Paris remain the "City of Light."

Mac’s school trip to Paris turns into an adventure she never imagined. Fourteen-year-old California girl Mackenzie, known as Mac, goes on a school trip to Paris where she meets up with an old musician friend of her dad’s, Rudee Daroo, who now makes a living as a cab driver. Rudee reveals that some of the greatest monuments in Paris are being either destroyed or stolen and that the city is slowly becoming darker.Mac finds herself in league with a crew of crazy cabbies and their friends as she tries to right these wrongs. She encounters sinister, shadowy characters who live in the Paris underground, a philosopher gendarme, a gypsy who can dance people into dream states, and gargoyles come to life. From dodging her school group to a heart-stopping encounter atop Notre Dame Cathedral, Mac needs all the resources she can muster to help Paris remain the "City of Light."

Fifteen-year-old Mackenzie returns to Paris to attend the Christmas Eve wedding of her Dad's old friend, Rudee Daroo, and the love of his life, dancer Sashay D'or. Mac is told about the annual New Year's taxi road rally, this year hosted by the Marseille Marauders, the nastiest lot of drivers you've ever seen.Partnered with hulking cabbie Blag Lebouef, Mac manages to convince her parents that the road rally is more like a carefree drive in the French countryside than the death-defying cutthroat rivalry it's always been. Negotiating brutal weather, cryptic signage, outright sabotage, random flocks of sheep, and zigzagging back roads, Mac and Blag might be the perfect combination of cunning and brute strength.On the road, she makes the startling discovery that the clues the drivers have been given during the rally could lead to the discovery of some valuable missing artwork. Is that worth losing the rally over?

Fifteen-year-old Mackenzie returns to Paris to attend the Christmas Eve wedding of her Dad's old friend, Rudee Daroo, and the love of his life, dancer Sashay D'or. Mac is told about the annual New Year's taxi road rally, this year hosted by the Marseille Marauders, the nastiest lot of drivers you've ever seen. Partnered with hulking cabbie Blag Lebouef, Mac manages to convince her parents that the road rally is more like a carefree drive in the French countryside than the death-defying cutthroat rivalry it's always been. Negotiating brutal weather, cryptic signage, outright sabotage, random flocks of sheep, and zigzagging back roads, Mac and Blag might be the perfect combination of cunning and brute strength. On the road, she makes the startling discovery that the clues the drivers have been given during the rally could lead to the discovery of some valuable missing artwork. Is that worth losing the rally over?