Joel Young, author of When Your Adult Child Breaks Your Heart.
Topic: Coping with substance abuse, mental illness, and the problems that tear families apart
Issues: How parents can combat self-blame; identifying manipulative behavior; why most psychiatric disorder are treatable; how to support–rather than stigmatize–parents of mentally ill adult children.
Melinda Blau, co-author of Family Whispering.
Topic: Communicating and connecting with the people you love and making your whole family stronger.
Issues: Shifting from “parent think” to “family think;” the three factors that make each family unique; qualities that inspire cooperation and commitment; sibling rivalry; giving vs. grandstanding; why some families function better than others.