Typically, parents will sit down Doug Bodin, psychologist, and CEO of The Bodin Group, and say something along the lines of, “Our goal is to have our son be happy and productive.” At some point, once they have established a rapport, he will reference that comment and ask the horrifyingly blunt questions, “What if you can’t make that happen? What if your son (or daughter) actively chooses to continue using drugs, does not move forward with school or a job, and continues to be miserable for the rest of his (or her) life?”
As you would imagine, these questions startle people, and at first, it doesn’t compute. They frequently reply, “We thought our job as parents was to provide successful outcomes for our children.”
Bodin agrees that this statement is somewhat true, but he adds, “There comes a point in time when the parents of ‘stuck’ young adults must move past their own repetitious behavior which is fueling the co-dependency.”
A dad recently stated that he had met a man at Al Anon who had a 40-year-old son still living in his house, unemployed, and addicted to marijuana. Bodin said that as with all parents in a co-dependent relationship, this father can certainly choose to continue down this path. But, in so doing, he must acknowledge his role in the outcome—possibly condemning his child to a future of uselessness, becoming more addicted to marijuana, perhaps dealing and being sent to jail, or worse still, losing his life.
Join us as Doug Bodin explains why he encourages parents to never lose hope. He will also share his successes in helping parents to free themselves from perceived outcomes and get past their fears of failure, so that they can take responsibility for their past choices and step into making better ones.
ABOUT DOUGLAS BODIN
Since 1993, Douglas Bodin (CEO of the Bodin) has worked with more than two thousand children, adolescents, and young adults in a variety of educational and treatment settings. More currently he has also developed considerable experience coaching adults and families.
In addition, his expertise includes working with the legal system toward “alternatives to sentencing” for juvenile and young adult offenders. He is also an expert in the integration of “Therapeutic Outdoor Experiential Programs” in the intervention process.
He is the architect of the unique “Team Approach” that Bodin brings to its cases and developed the visionary integrative approach to serving clients that is the model for the industry. He also lectures at hospitals, high schools and to a wide range of professional groups and colleagues.
Douglas has been featured and cited in local, regional and national newspapers, magazines and journals and has appeared on radio and television shows regarding various topics related to working with children.
He was the recipient of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs 2009 Essential Piece Award for Outstanding Service educating members of Congress and the Senate about our industry. He was also the co-recipient, along with Miriam Bodin, of the 2011 Reaching for the Stars Award of the Sky’s the Limit Foundation for a career in Outstanding Service to Young People and Their Families. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California Santa Cruz.
.
