• The Birthday Present

    Erica (not her real name),16 years old, dropped in to the high school clinic. She announced she had been having bouts of depression for about a year since beginning high school. Her parents were arguing daily and she feared they were heading for a divorce. She felt powerless to stop them.

  • Sacrificial Lamb

    There are times when one encounters a patient who leaves a haunting permanent impression in your mind. The situations that lead to such heart-wrenching memories can make it difficult to remain objective.

  • Future imperfect

    Life is about options, the choices we make and the paths we then choose to follow. For some it can be a bittersweet experience. Yet, these decisions can alter the lives of many. Some are aware of these changes and some, regretfully, are not.

  • Sacrificial lambs

    A 13-year-old girl erroneously believes her suicide will improve life for her eight-year-old brother

  • Like, do you know where your teen is?

    You are in a line for a movie and you pass gas or do some other embarrassing activity. Your first reaction usually is “Oh my god, they all know I did it!” This is a remnant of your teen years. Teens are naturally self- centered and experience that reaction you had about ten times more…

  • The choices we make

    Life is about options, the choices we make and the paths we follow. For some it can be a bittersweet experience. Yet, these decisions can alter the lives of many. Some are aware of these changes and some, regretfully, are not.

  • The birthday present

    One of the great joys of adolescent practice is when one is able to have a positive influence upon one’s patient. Once your patient trusts your judgment and counsel, the ability to affect positive change in their lives improves dramatically.

  • Trust, teens and the family doc

    Eight years ago, two Ottawa doctors went back to high school to start the first in-school medical centre of its kind in Canada Adolescents are an under-serviced population — and there are several factors that contribute to this phenomenon.