Dr. Emily Kline Shares Expertise for Engaging Youth in Difficult Conversations

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation sponsored a conversation with Emily Kline, PhD on May 11 as part of the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Made Local Series at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall.

At the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures series event, Dr. Kline was introduced by Dr. Mindy Hutchinson, a JHF Board member and child and adolescent psychiatry specialist. During the lecture, Dr. Kline discussed her new book The School of Hard Talks, How to have Conversations with Your (Almost Grown) Kids, a practical, engaging guide to help families connect and communicate with young people, and took questions from the audience. A video recording of the lecture is available here.

A clinical psychologist and writer, Dr. Kline grew up in Pittsburgh and worked for Jewish Residential Services in Squirrel Hill and in psychiatricresearch at the University of Pittsburgh. She then went on to graduate with degrees at the University of Maryland, a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, and faculty appointments at Harvard and Boston University.

A conversation with Dr. Kline was held at The Friendship Circle earlier on May 11 with members of community organizations, families, and parents learning Dr. Kline's method of motivational interviewing and providing tools for difficult conversations. As noted by Sarah Pesi, MSPPM, JHF policy associate, providing families with skills like those Dr. Kline shared is becoming increasingly important as they often act as the safety net when the mental health system fails.