A truly engaging and compelling speaker, Dr. Damour’s talk delved into the transitions of development and focused on the transformative time when girls mature into young women. Dr. Damour discussed the seven stages of adolescence featured in her New York Times bestselling book, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, and shared her latest research while offering sound and practical advice on raising teenage girls.

Dr. Damour walked the Ellis community through each of the seven transitions: Parting with Childhood; Joining a New Tribe; Harnessing Emotion; Contending with Adult Authority; Planning for the Future; Entering the Romantic World; and Caring for Herself while providing parents with personal and often humorous anecdotes and lived experiences of her own as a mother—Damour has two daughters herself.

Dr. Damour explained that it’s important to think of girlhood and adolescence in developmental phases. For girls, their journey typically begins around age 11, but they may exhibit teen-like behaviors earlier and go through a single stage or several transitional stages at once. Throughout this period, an immense amount of change is happening, and for girls that change can equal stress and a rollercoaster of emotions. Dr. Damour emphasized to parents that this is completely normal and that ups and downs, the desire for privacy and independence, and the thrill-seeking and risk-taking behaviors during this time should be expected.

Prior to the Pow(h)er Hour, Dr. Damour hosted a private talk for Ellis faculty where she spoke on the importance of pre-kindergarten to grade 12 educators guiding girls into adulthood and offered tactics on how to handle sensitive scenarios and situations. The morning after the Pow(h)er Hour, the Ellis Parent Association hosted a coffee and conversation session with Dr. Damour to discuss her previous night’s talk, hear about her upcoming projects, and ask questions and mingle with fellow parents.

Dr. Damour’s visit to Ellis addressed how parents and faculty can support, understand, and engage girls during this truly life-changing time. At Ellis, we value contemporary thoughts, practices, and methods and hope that the community found this year’s Pow(h)er Hours to be informative, inspiring, and educational. We thank Dr. Damour for spending two days with Ellis faculty, parents, and friends and sharing her expertise!

Click here to view the video from the Pow(h)er Hour.