Welcome! For nearly thirty-five years, I have worked as a clinical psychologist, school consultant and international speaker on the subjects of children, schools and parenting. I’ve authored ten books focusing on the emotional lives of boys, friendships and social cruelty in childhood, the impact of summer camp experiences on child development, the tensions that arise in the parent-teacher relationships, and psychological aspects of school leadership.
My work with independent schools and public-school districts throughout the United States, and with international schools in Europe, Asia and South America takes me to about thirty schools a year to lead workshops for teachers, administrators, parents and students. I welcome your interest. Please contact me or my administrative assistant, Elizabeth Diggins with any queries.
Hopes and Fears
Working With Today’s Independent School Parents
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2021
Over the past twenty-five years, independent school parents have become more deeply involved in their child’s school life. They are more conscientious and far more anxious. Teachers are communicating with parents more than ever, writing newsletters, keeping them updated on homework, etc. The relationship remains uncomfortable because teachers are rarely trained to work with parents. More >>
Homesick and Happy
How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow
PUBLISHED MAY 2012
An insightful and powerful look at the magic of summer camp—and why it is so important for children to be away from home . . . if only for a little while. In an age when it’s the rare child who walks to school on his own, the thought of sending your “little ones” off to sleep-away camp can be overwhelming—for you and for them. But a parent’s first instinct—to shelter their offspring above all else—actually deprives children of the major developmental milestones that occur through letting them go—and watching them come back transformed. More >>
Raising Cain
Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In Raising Cain, Michael Thompson and collaborator Dan Kindlon, Ph.D., two of the country’s leading child psychologists, share what they have learned in decades of combined experience working with boys and their families. They reveal a nation of boys who are hurting—sad, afraid, angry, and silent. Drs. Thompson and Kindlon set out to answer this basic, crucial question: What do boys need that they’re not getting? More >>