SkillSense - savvy parents | sensible t(w)eens

I really think Tammy "gets" the teen experience.  She's like our window into middle school! ~A Mom

Tammy Finch understands the stress, pressure, and the expectations that our teenage daughters feel each day. She identified and clarified for my daughter the focus that was important and how to navigate all the influences that affect her life. Tammy has coached my daughter to achieve all the goals she wants for herself at this stage in her life.~ A Dad

Tammy is THE best! Tammy KNOWS teens and what makes them tick! ~ A Mom

Tammy just tells it like it is. She does not sugar coat around issues. But talks to Teens like an Adult. She believes that if they want to be treated like adults than they need to be talked to as one; and to know the facts straight out. They have to know how things work and also how to help a Teen to ask the right questions about issues. How to be able to tell friends that maybe they don't want to do something and to be brave enough to do that. To be able to stand up for themselves in all situations. I admire Tammy Finch a lot. She knows how to get to the Teens level of thinking and to be in their heads - to understand their fears and joys and sadness. That takes a huge talent and I so admire that. ~ A Mom

In a nonjudgmental, comfortable and trusting way, Tammy (Dr. Finch) helped our daughter (age 17) peel away layers of a complicated and emotional issue empowering her to honestly (and bravely) assess her role in a very challenging situation. As parents, we know that what our daughter learned about herself and other from having smart, compassionate and understanding counseling at 17 will stay with her for a long time to come.~ A Mom

Tammy brings a unique perspective to her counseling relationships, both as a parent of a teenage daughter as well as her years of experience with high school girls at Saint Mary’s School. Her understanding of a teenage girl's thought process is remarkable and provides unique insight for any parent attempting to better understand, love, and support their daughter as they navigate through the transitions and challenges the teen years present. ~ A Mom

Dr. Finch worked with my daughter from 10th grade through 12th grade on issues ranging from anxiety to peer issues to learning how to cope with a newly diagnosed ADHD and a mild learning disability. Had it not been for Dr. Finch, my fear is that the latter would not have been discovered until college as it so often is with girls. She developed a wonderful relationship with our daughter based on trust and admiration. She is the parent of a college age daughter and is really in touch with the challenging issues facing our daughters today. ~ A Mom

I patched things up with my friend and called my dad.  Thanks for the advice.  It would have ended different without your help.  ~ A Student

I learned how many people in America are so judging and so I learned that I didn’t want to be in that category of people…It was great!~ A Student

I learned the importance of not judging/discriminating and also how to use my strengths to solve problems.~ A Student

I learned that it’s easy to make others feel unwanted; it will help me be more aware and considerate.~ A Student

It was very helpful to have a morning without stress where the grade could come together and talk together in an open environment. I learned to not immediately believe my first thoughts and instincts because they tend to be based in prejudices. This will help me to be a more open person and to look at situations from different perspectives.~ A Student

The workshop made me focus closely on how I view others.~ A Student

I learned a lot! Everything she said I will take away. The workshop was perfect.~ A Student

Just wanted to let you know that the seminar was—once again—fabulous and your evaluations were off-the-chart. Thanks for your clear message that, I believe, can transform the parent-child relationship during the adolescent years. I just love the work that you do and I’m so glad I have someone in the community of your caliber that I can refer to. ~ Page D. Cvelich, M.Ed., SAS Work/Life Programs 

Wanted to send you my sincerest thanks and gratitude for all the wonderful work you've done this quarter at CHH. You've been a wealth of knowledge and have expanded our reach into the community; you are such an asset to our organization. With great people like you, we are much more able to fully live into our mission and vision. ~Julianne Kirby, Director of Center for Hope and Healing

Tammy Finch provided the most skilled instruction I have had in a long time.  Outstanding!!!  A very powerful woman. ~North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching participant

I felt valued and respected for my ideas, opinons, and expertise.  I also felt a great sense that the other educators learned from me, but not nearly as much as I learned from them.  Most of all, Tammy, our presenter, changed the way I treat myself and made me want to be kinder to myself and others. ~ North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching participant.

Tammy Finch was a fantasic presenter.  She gave informaton that I did not know existed. ~North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching participant

Tammy recently presented a fabulous session on relational aggression to our independent school guidance counselors. She was a joy to work with, incredibly knowledgeable and articulate about the subject matter, and most engaging. She connected immediately with the group and it was apparent that she really knows girls and what they go through in adolescence. Her real-life examples were powerful and her arsenal of books and resources gave us resources for continuing to grow our knowledge and strengthen our skills. We will definitely utilize Tammy as a speaker at future events. ~ Linda Nelson, Executive Direction, North Carolina Association of Independent Schools

I attended ‘“Mean Girls”-Understanding Relational Aggression-The Who, What, When, Where and Whys of Adolescent Girl Behavior’ with Dr. Tammy Finch. In the seminar, Dr. Finch provided realistic, practical strategies for identifying and addressing female relational aggression. The seminar included differentiated approaches for a variety of personality and teaching styles, as well as methods to support targets, bullies and bystanders.~ Workshop participant

I am not a parent of a “tween” or pre-teen girl, however, I do work at an all-girls boarding and day school and I know girls and I understanding parenting. I recommend, without a shadow of a doubt, Dr. Tammy Finch to work with your daughters and/or you parents. She is the expert on growing girls. She is an expert in educating parents on how to parent. ~ Margaret McGlohon, Asst. Dean of Students, Saint Mary’s School, Raleigh NC

We hired Tammy to develop a workshop curriculum for dads and daughters. After an initial meeting to brainstorm ideas, establish parameters, and outline the elements of the project, Tammy produced a creative and targeted curriculum that was perfectly suited to our needs. Tammy was easy to work with, organized, and quick to finish the project. Because our staff is so busy with numerous projects, this was an effective, efficient, and economical way to help us create curriculum that we could then implement ourselves!~ Millie Maxwell, PhD, UNC Eating Disorders Program

• Practical, realistic, good follow through
• Excellent, very thorough
• Superb
• Outstanding—best session of the conference!
• Great ideas and lots of resources!
• Real detail and nuts and bolts information about program initiatives.  Well done.
• Wonderful, energetic presentation.
• Lively, engaging and empowering!
• Well done by obviously enthusiastic, experience, and knowledgeable presenter!
• Great energy; practical advice and experience; excellent answers to all questions!
• Great speaker, good energy, real material to help us move forward.
• Thorough, enlightening.
• My favorite and most informative workshop.

~ Comments from participants at a presentation on Life Skills Education for Schools at The Association of Boarding Schools annual conference (2008)