Does your group need an inspiring presentation? As a twin, the mother of twins, and an author and psychotherapist specializing in twin issues, Dr. Joan Friedman is ideally qualified to share her unique personal insights and professional advice with twins and parents of twins. Her speech topics include the following:

Helping Twins Prepare for College
Going off to college tests the self-efficacy of most young adults. However, in the case of twin pairs who have had limited opportunities to be separate from their twin, the challenge of managing on one’s own can be overwhelming. Dr. Friedman shares the stories of three twin pairs who experienced extraordinary circumstances as they attempted to begin their college journey.

More Than Just a Twin: Fostering Each Child’s Uniqueness
Young twins often hide their feelings of resentment over being treated as half of a whole. However, older twins can become markedly defensive about their twin status and long to be recognized as a single entity. Twins need ongoing help to understand and articulate their feelings toward one another. Dr. Friedman presents strategies to help parents support their twins in exploring these difficult feelings.

Being a Twin Is Not Always Fun: Behind the “Twin Mystique”
Twins play tricks on people, get lots of attention, and have a best friend and soul mate. However, this stereotypic depiction of twinship does not reflect how many twins feel cheated out of life’s singleton privileges. They wonder, “How might life be different if I weren’t stuck in a matrix of comparison and competition?” “Am I nothing on my own?” Twins yearn for deep connections with others beyond their twin experience. Dr. Friedman presents examples that illustrate how they can accomplish this goal.

Testimonial

Recently, my daughter and I attended a wonderful presentation by Dr. Joan Friedman about the unexpected challenges of raising (and being) emotionally healthy twins and multiples. Among many of the helpful anecdotes she shared, perhaps the most important piece of advice she gave to parents was to make sure they spent time with each twin (or multiple) separately. If parents are able to provide their children with “alone time,” not only does it help the parent and child to bond but, ultimately, it creates the foundation for the child to grow and mature into a healthy individual. This might strike parents of singletons as fairly obvious, but given the complicated nature of the twin relationship, it is not as easily achieved as one might think.
As a parent of college age identical twin girls, I can testify to the fact that there wasn’t a lot of information like Joan’s books available when I needed it. The research she has done over the years regarding the twin experience is invaluable to us all.

—Nancy Hopkins

For information about having Dr. Friedman address your group, please contact her.