1. Teenagers’ Transformational Training:
Evaluating the 20 Years of “Teenager Dynamic”®
Personal Growth Program in the UAE
By
Dr. George Kaliaden
Chapter 12 in the Book:
Mental Health and Psychological Practice
in the United Arab Emirates
Edited by
Dr. Carrie York Al-Karam and Dr. Amber Haque
Published by:
Palgrave Macmillan
PUBLISHING COMPANY 175 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10010 USA
TELEPHONE: 1 (646) 307 5151
Palgrave Macmillan is an international academic and trade publishing company.
Its program includes textbooks, journals, monographs, professional and reference works
in print and online.
In Press May 2015

2. ABSTRACT
Teenagers’ Transformational Training: Evaluating 20 Years of
“Teenager Dynamic”® Program in the UAE
Dr George Kaliaden
Mental health programs for teenagers should include remedial and preventive therapy
as well as generative, positive support for age-appropriate skills development and
personal growth. The challenge faced by youth counselors, therapists and trainers is
how to combine these three components within a brief therapy format. This chapter
discusses a transformational training program that, predictably and consistently,
facilitated rapid change in teenage motivation, attitude, behavior and skill levels.
"Teenager Dynamic”® program (developed by the author and presented in the UAE,
Qatar and India for the past 20 years) is evaluated here as a viable and effective model
for teenage guidance in a non-clinical setting. Significantly high positive changes are
reported by participants that included demotivated, aggressive and socially withdrawn
adolescents. Wider application of the format is recommended.
Author Profile
Dr. George Kaliaden has been practicing as a psychologist in the UAE since
1994, attached to various organizations including Welcare Hospital,
Middlesex University and Prime Medical Center. Author of several books on
behavior modification and parenting, he is the founder of “Teenager
Dynamic”® program. He is a member of the American Psychological
Association and has served as a member of the DHA Psychology SME panel
(October 2008) to set the regulatory framework for psychological practice in
Dubai. His current interests include poetry therapy and the psychology of
religion.
Book Contents
Foreword
Introduction – by the editors – Cultural, economic, and social realities of the UAE and
the region to be discussed. Then overview of psychology in the region and specifically
the UAE. Introduction to the various chapters.

3. Part 1
Setting the Scene
Thinking and Practicing Psychology in a Kaleidoscope UAE: Notes from a Social
Responsibility Perspective – Dr. Shaima Ahammed
Mental Health System Development in the UAE
Dr. Amber Haque & Badriya Al Kindi
Conducting Psychology Research in the Lab: Challenges in the UAE
Dr. Mark Aveyard
Part 2
Culture, Diversity, and Social Psychology
Implications of Ethnic Stereotyping for Emirati Society
Dr. Angela T. Maitner
Cultural Identity Transformation: Emirati Students in the UK Dr.
Samineh Shaheem
Culturally and Spiritually Attuned Psychotherapy in the UAE
Dr. Justin Thomas & Steven Furber
Made in the UAE: An Indigenous Positive Psychology for the UAE
Dr. Louise Lambert & Dr. Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi
The Transition to Retirement for Expatriates in the UAE: A Psychological
Perspective – Dr. Tatiana Schifferle Rowson
Part 3
Psychology in Action: Counseling, Psychotherapy, and Mental Health Interventions.
The Status of Counseling in the UAE - Dr. Fatima Al-Darmaki

4. Marriage Counseling in the UAE – Dr. Kennon Rider
Substance Misuse in the UAE and the National Rehabilitation Center
Dr. Shamil Wanigaratne & H.E. Dr. Hamad Abdullah Al Ghaferi
Teenagers’ Transformational Training: Evaluating 20 Years of the “Teenager
Dynamic” ® Personal Growth Program in the UAE Dr.
George Kaliaden
Telepsychology: A Potential Lifeline for People in the UAE Chasity
O’Connell
Complementary and Alternative Modalities in Psychology: An Islamic Therapy for
non-Muslims - Dr. Carrie York Al-Karam
Part 4
Schools, Kids, and Assessments: Educational, School, and I/O Psychology Explored
Educational Psychology and the UAE Vision 2021 - Dr. Mandy Ewen
Cultural and Language Based Issues in Educational Psychology Assessment
Dr. Amy Bailey and Esra Uzsayilir
Bilingual Creative Education: A New Approach to an Old Curriculum Dr.
Anatoliy Kharkhurin
Social Skills Training for Children in the UAE - Dr. Jessica Rios-Habib
School Psychology in the UAE: A Mindfulness Based Intervention Explored Carmen
Barrack
Assessment in the UAE Workforce: Are We Measuring Capability with a
Thermometer? Dr. Angela deJong
Part 5
Making Sense and Moving Forward

5. Regulating the Practice of Psychology in the UAE: An Ethical Code Dr.
Alia Al Serkal
Building a Professional Community: Are We a Salad or a Soup? Dr.
Annie Crookes & Dr. Alia Al Serkal
Sowing the Seeds: Academic Psychology as the Foundations for an Applied
Psychology Community - Dr. Annie Crookes

6. Regulating the Practice of Psychology in the UAE: An Ethical Code Dr.
Alia Al Serkal
Building a Professional Community: Are We a Salad or a Soup? Dr.
Annie Crookes & Dr. Alia Al Serkal
Sowing the Seeds: Academic Psychology as the Foundations for an Applied
Psychology Community - Dr. Annie Crookes