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I received Teenagers and Mental Health, compliments of New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.
Teenagers and Mental Health is a helpful book for parents of teenagers and for adults who minister to them. It is written by Monica Kim, a licensed psychologist and Christian counselor, and her husband, Danny Kwon, a former youth pastor of thirty years. I haven’t yet parented teens, but my husband and I have served in youth ministry multiple times and currently lead the youth ministry at our church. As mental health issues seem to be on the rise, I picked up this book wanting to learn some practical ways we could serve the students in our youth group.
The book includes helpful research on current issues teens are dealing with and is full of helpful information. It was particularly helpful for me to learn that girls are more likely than boys to struggle with anxiety. I also had no idea that there is a federal legal age for smoking, which went into effect in 2019! While that’s not necessarily relevant to how I minister at the moment, I felt it was very helpful to know. Teenagers and Mental Health includes many examples that those who minister to teens can relate to. It is also full of practical resources that parents and youth leaders can make copies of for their own use.
I appreciate how the resources encourage students to spend time in the Bible so they can know and understand who God is. The gentle and compassionate tone of the authors was also very encouraging to me. It was a good reminder to be patient with the tender issues my students are experiencing. If you are looking for ways to love teens like Jesus and point them to the hope of the gospel, I highly recommend reading this book.
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