Craig Podell: Raising Boys--Helping Boys Grow in Their Emotional Development and Emotional Literacy

Boys today are in real trouble. Confused by a host of internal and societal influences, many boys who appear “normal” and appear to be doing fine are struggling with feelings of sadness, fear, and confusion they cannot even name. This presentation and discussion will focus on the interacting influences on a youngster’s development: environment, social culture, technology, and biology in shaping a young male’s emotional development. A focus will be directed to the role of parents, teachers, and loved ones in serving as a boy’s auxiliary ego to help him learn to identify, verbalize, and use emotions in their various relationships both to self and others. Craig Podell, LCSW, is in private practice in Brooklyn, NY and Maplewood, NJ. He has been a mental health consultant to numerous public and private schools, hospitals, and social service organizations including the clown care unit of The Big Apple Circus. He was formerly a clinical supervisor for many years at the Jewish Board of Family Children’s Services in NY and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work. Craig has published numerous clinical papers on issues of adolescent treatment and bereavement.