Van Nuys, California. (August 4, 2017) Faithtree Resources, a teaching ministry of St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church in Van Nuys, CA, has released their latest resource for clergy and families, a free eBook entitled: 13 Reasons: Why We Must Engage with Our Teens. (Download a free copy)
The 20+ page resource is Faithtree’s response to the popular Netflix series "13 Reasons Why," a teen-oriented drama about a high school student who takes her own life. The series aired this year and has not only caused a national stir, but as new research indicates, may have significantly increased the number of teens now researching and contemplating their own suicides. In an article in The Atlantic, Google reported queries about suicide rose by almost 20 percent in the 19 days following the wake of the show’s release. This represents between 900,000-1.5 million more searches than usual regarding the subject.
“Our goal in creating this resource was to respond to the overwhelming demand we’ve received to help our clergy and families as they have the really hard conversations with the teens in their lives, especially in regards to this series.” said Faithtree Executive Director, Michelle Moujaes. She went on to say, “The realities our teens are facing are changing so rapidly. We as adults can really struggle to offer solid guidance and wisdom. Our team also understands that articulating our rich theology on issues like suicide, rape, bullying, loneliness and identity isn’t always easy for a lot of us. It only made sense to collaborate with a seasoned Orthodox counselor and theologian like Dr. Mamalakis to help give us the words. This eBook lays a framework and provides strategies to help prepare our adult leaders to have those hard conversations in a way that is effective, and God willing, truly transformative.”
Faithtree worked with Dr. Philip Mamalakis, Ph.D., LMFT, M.Div. and Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology who wrote the eBook. Hundreds of clergy, parents, church school administrators, doctors, and teachers have downloaded the resource already.
To learn more about other offerings from Faithtree Resources, log on to Faithtree's website or email info@faithtree.org.