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B Janet Hibbs and Anthony Rostain    

Experts on Student Mental Health, Family Relationships & Coauthors of "The Stressed Years of Their Lives"

B Janet Hibbs and Anthony Rostain are experts on student mental health, family relationships, and neurodevelopmental psychiatry. They are aslo the coauthors of The Stressed Years of Their Lives, a guide for the parents of every college and college-bound student who want to know what’s normal mental health and behavior, what’s not, and how to intervene before it’s too late.

Dr. B. Janet Hibbs is a recognized authority on family issues, with a focus on parent-child and partner relationships. Her speaking engagements draw on expert clinical experience, based on over 25 years of practice treating individuals, couples, and families. Her presentations provide effective strategies for coping with the many issues that parents and students face. Dr. Hibbs, dually licensed as a psychologist and family therapist, holds the highest credential in the marriage and family therapy field, as an Approved Supervisor for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Dr. Hibbs is a popular radio talk show guest, with appearances on The Diane Riehm show, WHYY, NPR’s “Voices in the Family” and “Radio Times,” and on regional TV. She has been quoted in national newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is co-founder of Contextual Therapy Associates, where she has a private practice in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Anthony Rostain is a clinical focus is a clinical neurodevelopmental psychiatrist. He assists which patients of all ages with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Tourette Syndrome, learning disabilities, and more. He treats patients at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and at Penn Medicine Behavioral Health, where he is Medical Director of the Adult Development Disorders Unit. An internationally renowned speaker and educator, he has lectured throughout North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East on a variety of topics ranging from neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan, child and adolescent mental disorders, stress in college-aged students, and parenting in the new millennium, to professional development, ethics, communication skills, wellness and resilience education. He has appeared frequently on local NPR radio shows (“Voices in the Family” and “Radio Times”) and local television stations, and has been quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Speech Topics


The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Special Needs

When Dr. Hibbs's son Jensen left for college, his parents had every reason to believe he was prepared. Unfortunately, Jensen became severely depressed and withdrew from school on medical leave. His crisis and recovery taught Dr. Hibbs many important lessons about the specific challenges faced by families and young people with special needs. In this talk, Drs. Hibbs and Rostain discuss the journey through the education system and the launch to young adulthood through the lens of learning disabilities, mental health problems, and neuro-atypical development.

The Stressed Years of Their Lives: College

Parents today wonder, "What's going on?" as they absorb the daily reports of campus hazards and skyrocketing rates of college mental health problems. Educational leaders ask, "Why is this generation more stressed?" and debate how best to balance the traditional emphasis on academic excellence with the value of non-cognitive, resilience-building instruction. This illuminating talk tackles the campus mental health crisis, promoting key conversations and helping parents and administrators distinguish normal adolescent and young adult behavior from the warning signs that flash: Danger Ahead.

The Stressed Years of Their Lives: K-12

Childhood is evaporating into a life filled with over-scheduled activities and screen time, and adolescence has become a high-stakes, time-starved pressure cooker of stress, fear, and perfectionism for kids. Many parents experience anxious over-involvement, wondering, "Will my child be OK?" and "Will they be ready for the challenges ahead?" Based on The Stressed Years of Their Lives, this talk helps parents and educators ready their students for a successful launch to college and early young adulthood by reviewing the unique stressors of this age and revealing the keys to health promotion and harm reduction.

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