Continuing with annual tradition, Michael Thompson visited Poly to discuss stress alleviation as college decisions come out.
By CATHERINE CLARY
News editor
An author and psychologist specializing in children and families, Michael Thompson came to speak to the senior class in Boswell Library on Tuesday, December 9. Scheduled right before colleges’ early decisions come out, Thompson addressed topics including not attending one’s dream school and the pain of leaving home.
Thompson is currently the clinical consultant to the Belmont Hill School, located in the suburbs of Boston, and has traveled to over 500 schools in the United States to give talks to students. He has written numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. Wanted for his advice, he has appeared on countless television shows, including “60 Minutes,” “The Today Show” and “20/20.”
Relying on the feedback and comments of the Poly students, Thompson adopted an audience participatory tone. He tailored his stories and points to address the specific concerns of the student body, saying, “I always try to link my points to the anxieties and concerns of my audience; that’s the therapist at work in my talks.” The general message of his talks, though, is more planned. Thompson says, “Every talk I give is based on something I have thought through and written down years before.” The presentation he made to the Poly senior class was based on an essay entitled “College Admissions: A Failed Rite of Passage,” published in 1989, and on a chapter entitled “College Craziness” in The Pressured Child.
Thompson stressed the sense of community at Poly, explaining how hard it will be to leave close friends and siblings, and how much support the community will provide during the insecure and nerve-wracking college admissions process. After talking to the seniors for close to an hour, he recounts, “I really liked this year’s senior class. I appreciated their honesty, their openness about their families and the obvious affection that they have for each other.”
Senior Monique Chan was not sure if his message could really mitigate the stress and the worry built up over years saying, “Though I thought the talk was interesting, I feel like he didn’t help me get over my anxieties for the early-decision results.” Many seniors felt that the talk, no matter how genuine, just could not erase years of college anxiety.
Before talking to the seniors, Thompson held a discussion with Poly administrators and teachers about the potential problems in the Upper School Human Development class and how to improve the effectiveness of Middle School councils. His book The Pressured Child was the basis for his discussion with parents in which Thompson attempted to mollify their concerns about their children leaving home. Thompson writes, “I’m a parent too, I’m sympathetic with their worries, and they are often honest about their emotional dilemmas. Everything is the first time for them. What I bring is the experience of watching hundreds, even thousands, of parents send children off to kindergarten, off to high school and off to college.”
Thompson, who has given this talk to Poly seniors ever since Debbie Reed became Head of School, is expected to return to help ease the worries of next year’s senior class.
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