Samen Sterk

Carine Kielstra-van der Schalk,
Marjanke Ruys-Zonneveld,
Romke van den Nouweland-van Baars & Bernet Elzinga

Supporting Your Child Through Sadness and Depression with Strength and Compassion

AI-BOOK   I   2024   I   Original language AI-Book: Dutch

€ 4.95

Are you a parent (or caregiver) of a young person struggling with sadness or depression? Then this clear, practical, and concise guide is for you.

When a child experiences symptoms of depression or low mood, it impacts not only their own life but the entire family. Parents often feel powerless and overwhelmed with questions. But the good news is: you can make a real difference.

This book offers countless tips and strategies to help you support your child with strength and compassion. The advice is grounded in scientific research and years of hands-on experience from working with parents in the evidence-based Together Strong program.

In this book, you’ll learn:

  • How to stay connected with your child.

  • How to handle your child’s emotions.

  • How thoughts influence behavior, and how to respond.

  • How to encourage positive behavior and keep parenting through the tough times.

  • What depression is and what behavior is typically associated with it.

  • What factors can contribute to depression in young people.

  • What treatment options are available for adolescents.

About the authors

Carine Kielstra-van der Schalk is an orthopedagogue and founder of Parenting Consultancy, a practice primarily focused on supporting expat families. She also works at the International School of Amstelveen and serves as the lead trainer for Triple P in the Netherlands, as well as a Triple P trainer in the UK. Until September 2024, she was a Clinical Lecturer in Pedagogical Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. For the Together Strong program, she provides online parent courses and individual coaching for parents of children experiencing low mood and/or depression.

Marjanke Ruys-Zonneveld is an orthopedagogue and systemic therapist (specialized in relationship and family therapy), trained within the specialized mental health care system in the Netherlands. Together with Romke, she co-facilitated Samen Sterk parent groups at Rivierduinen, a Dutch mental health organization. She currently works at De Waag in Amsterdam in the field of forensic psychiatry, supporting families and adolescents dealing with boundary-crossing behavior. In addition, she is a trainer for the Together Strong online parent courses and provides individual coaching for parents of children experiencing low mood and/or depression.

Romke van den Nouweland-van Baars is an orthopedagogue working at GGZ Rivierduinen Child and Youth Services in Zoetermeer. She has extensive experience supporting both children and parents, individually and in group settings. Within both specialized mental health care and the prevention department, she has focused on the treatment and prevention of depression in children and adolescents. At GGZ Rivierduinen, she facilitates the Together Strong course for parents of teenagers with depression.

Bernet Elzinga is a Professor in the Clinical Psychology section at Leiden University. She is also a licensed healthcare psychologist (GZ-psycholoog) and trained psychotherapist. Through her research, she aims to deepen our understanding of the family context of depression and other stress-related disorders, and to translate these insights into webinars and training programs for parents and clinicians. For her contributions to the field, she was awarded the prestigious Spinoza Prize.