Community Corner
Teens and Parents Attend Town Hall on Suicide Prevention
Psychotherapist Dr. Mike Dow leads a discussion on the sensitive subjects on Friday following student suicides at Calabasas High and Agoura High earlier in the school year.
A town hall on suicide and depression geared toward middle school students was held at the on Friday in response to the throughout the
Lindero Canyon Middle School parent Babette Perry-Pitts invited psychotherapist Dr. Mike Dow to talk to students and to encourage them to open up.
Using ice breaker exercises and open ended questions, Dow soon got the group talking about coping mechanisms to hand depression and other difficult challenges for young teenagers.
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Dow encouraged them to have a plan to combat those challenges, like having a purpose, passion and activities that make them happy.
One teenager elicited a round of cheers when she said, "knowing that my family loves me gives me purpose."
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Others were encouraged to list activities that make them feel confident and feel good about themselves.
They also discussed the importance of communicating with a trusted adult if a friend talks about suicide, has major changes in their personality or asks them "not to tell anyone" about physically harming themselves.
In August, Calabasas High senior Amelia "Milly" Schiff took her own life. In October, Agoura High students Dan Behar and Joshua Feinberg committed suicide.
Check out the accompanying video for more coverage of the event.