Synopses & Reviews
Review
“The Secret Lives of Teen Girls is a bold and much needed perspective on teen sexuality and should be a must read for all parents of teens. Evelyn's patient stories and personal experiences provide real-world examples that help readers to relate to the challenges mothers and daughters face during adolescence. I have been a women’s health care provider for over 25 years and plan to recommend this book to parents seeking guidance during the teen years.” — Carrie Klima, PhD, CNM, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing
Review
“I laughed aloud and bemoaned that I hadn’t read The Secret Lives of Teen Girls before my daughter’s adolescence arrived. With wisdom, grace, and an endearing sense of humor, Evelyn Resh encourages a mother to just say yes to her daughter’s emerging sexual, relational, and uniquely independent self. Both informative and entertaining, it’s sure to resonate with mothers of daughters, who dance on the head of a pin as we try to help our daughters negotiate the joys of becoming women.” — Renée Schultz, co-author, The Mother-Daughter Project
Review
“An honest, cogent, indispensible guide that sparkles with insights for parents, grandparents, teachers, counselors, and everyone who cares about teenage girls. Evelyn Resh tackles the sexual dramas and paradoxes of growing up with sound medical advice and teachable ‘Aha!’ moments that offer galaxies more than ‘just say no.’” — Gina Ogden, PhD, author of Women Who Love Sex, The Heart and Soul of Sex, and The Return of Desire.
Review
“Whether or not we know it, Evelyn Resh’s The Secret Lives of Teen Girls is a resource we all have been waiting for. Her insights about adolescent girls’ sexuality, maternal fears and anxiety, and the intricate relationship between the two are clearly and honestly discussed in this brave new book. Sharing examples that demonstrate the sometimes frightening aspects of adolescent rebellion, Ms. Resh offers timely advice that can help mothers take the bold steps to honor their daughters’ choices and accept their mistakes. The author’s wisdom about adolescent girls’ sexuality, tempered with humor and sensitivity, make this book essential reading for every mother of a teenage girl.” — Catriona McHardy, Vice President of Education & Training, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Synopsis
In
The Secret Lives of Teen Girls, Evelyn Resh, the mother of a teenage daughter and a certified nurse-midwife specializing in the treatment of teenage girls, explores the mysterious world of female, adolescent sexuality and how parents--especially mothers--can help their daughters through this tumultuous time.
Secrets divulged by teenage girls during consultation have made Resh realize that, with rare exception, most adolescents are left to develop a sexual identity without any adult guidance and often without the most basic knowledge of what is happening to them physically and emotionally. She also realized that many girls are frequently subject to criticism and shaming about their normal, adolescent behavior. Resh believes these issues are what underlie many of the problems teens face during this crucial step into becoming a fully developed adult woman capable of making good, sound, safe, and independent decisions throughout life.
Through compelling, frank, and sometimes humorous stories from both Resh and her patients,
The Secret Lives of Teenage Girls explains to parents just want is going on with their teenage daughters during this essential phase of their development. She discusses many of the complicated problems she's seen in practice, including not just sexual activity but also eating disorders, substance abuse, mental illness, unplanned pregnancies, violence, and STDs. She also looks at less serious but still troubling issues like under-achievement, battles with parents, and lack of emotional and social support. In this insightful book, Resh provides parents with the tools to help their teen daughters negotiate the waters of their sexual development and emerge with their strength, their sexuality, and their self image intact.
About the Author
Evelyn Resh CNM, MPH, the Director of Sexual Health Services and Programming for Canyon Ranch Health Resorts, has been in practice as a certified nurse-midwife for more than 15 years. In her role at Canyon Ranch, she creates and implements programming focused on the integration of sensuality into daily living.
Resh holds a Master of Public Health degree and undergraduate degrees in nursing, psychology, and medical anthropology. She practices integrative midwifery and gynecology with women of all ages and lectures frequently throughout the nation to professional and lay audiences on the topics of women’s health and sexual satisfaction.
Ms. Resh lives in western Massachusetts with her family where she also maintains a small private practice as a sexuality counselor.