Jacob Ham Jacob Ham

Today's Touching Training

I led a training for a group of dedicated people who work with the most difficult adolescents in the city--the teens who run, cut, spit, and fight. 

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Jacob Ham Jacob Ham

Today's Touching Moment

Snippet of a therapy session with an awesome mom rooting for her child overwhelmed by anxiety. 

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My Patient's Lovely Description of Our Therapy
Therapy Jacob Ham Therapy Jacob Ham

My Patient's Lovely Description of Our Therapy

It's like you hold up a mirror and I really don’t want to look into it because I think I am so ugly, but deep inside I wish I were cute and pretty (she tears up). But, you keep holding up the mirror and show me that I just have some dirt on my face and you help me brush it off. Then I begin to realize that maybe I’m not so ugly...

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Loss and Love
Jacob Ham Jacob Ham

Loss and Love

I work with a group of advocates who champion the cause of encouraging adoption of transition age youth. They go around the city talking to youth about holding on to the hope for unconditional family love and commitment, and they recruit parents to fulfill those dreams.

They hurt today when one young man in the audience despaired, “fuck family!”

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Jacob Ham Jacob Ham

Cardozo Lecture Video Remastered

Ok, I wasted the weekend editing the Cardozo lecture so people can actually see the video and my talk at the same time. And I shrank it down to 35 minutes! I hope you enjoy it. I think it's kinda funny yet educational. After this talk, the NYC Dept of Education asked me to helped them improve youth development and school safety. 

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Protecting Children's Worlds
Jacob Ham Jacob Ham

Protecting Children's Worlds

Today, a mother shared memories of being one of those little children who dallied walking to and fro from school, dreaming up fantastic elaborate worlds of little fairies hiding under blades of grass, building cities in piles of sidewalk snow. She was punished by her teachers for being so late, and now she worries that her own child will lose that precious imagination if labeled ADHD and medicated.

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