The Street Shrink Chronicles

Jason Wittman , M.P.S., is fond of saying, "All teens are young adults deserve 24/7 access to at least one responsible, caring adult who loves them unconditionally." Unfortunately, many teens get cut off from their families and end up on the streets fending for themselves. For the past thirty-five years, Jason has been a father figure to countless teens and young adults. Follow Jason, the Street Shrink, as he deals with street violence, suicides, judges and cops. Be there as hopelessly lost kids begin to turn around their lives as they receive his attention and guidance. With a mixture of high drama, raw dialogue, and tender moments, this novel captures what it is like to work with street kids on their turf. Loosely based on his real-live experiences working with kids living on their own, Jason captures the essence of what it take to work those miracles for which he has become renowned.

Jason Wittman , M.P.S., is fond of saying, "All teens are young adults deserve 24/7 access to at least one responsible, caring adult who loves them unconditionally." Unfortunately, many teens get cut off from their families and end up on the streets fending for themselves. For the past thirty-five years, Jason has been a father figure to countless teens and young adults. Follow Jason, the Street Shrink, as he deals with street violence, suicides, judges and cops. Be there as hopelessly lost kids begin to turn around their lives as they receive his attention and guidance. With a mixture of high drama, raw dialogue, and tender moments, this novel captures what it is like to work with street kids on their turf. Loosely based on his real-live experiences working with kids living on their own, Jason captures the essence of what it take to work those miracles for which he has become renowned.

Jason Wittman, M.P.S., received his master's degree in counseling psychology from Cornell University in 1975. While still a grad student, he founded and ran a residential drug rehab and then his first street program for high-risk teens. Since then, he has directed youth programs in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, and, for the last fifteen years, L.A. Youth Supportive Services ( http://la-youth.org ) in Hollywood, CA where he personally averaged moving 25 teens per year off the streets and on to a better life. Because his first love has always been working directly with high-risk teens in need, in all these programs he was the lead counselor as well as being the executive director. In addition, he has raised thirteen foster teens and has an adopted son. It has been said that he has a black belt in raising teens. Wittman also has a private practice as a life and mentor coach to parents of teens and young adults. He regularly speaks to parents’ groups on teen issues and effective parenting of teens, and is the author of the forthcoming book, Parenting by Permission. In addition to his work with youth, he has coached Hollywood celebs needing assistance with stage fright and with the fears and hassles that quick success can bring. He coached executives on how to better work and communicate with their employees and bosses. Many clients, including parents of teenagers, credit his coaching with being the critical factor that allowed them to successfully walk through difficult personal relationships and transitional times in their lives. His ability to intuitively know the "rest of the story," combined with his skill as a certified hypnotherapist and Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner has served his clients well. Because of his skills in coaching the "inner game," he is regularly called on to assist clients who are having problems with getting their insides in sync with their aspirations. Through the years, Jason has done many interesting things. He is a trained community drum circle facilitator. He is a press, commercial and fine art photographer. He was an Air Force officer, including a tour in Viet Nam. As a Fuels Management Officer, he was responsible for all the petroleum products used on an air force base. In his off-duty time, he raced motorcycles in the Mid-West and had the largest live collection of poisonous and non-poisonous reptiles in Viet Nam. He has been a private pilot; a progressive-rock disc jockey; an actor, a singer, an ice hockey player; a licensed, single-parent foster parent; a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan; an urban farmer; and a welding sculptor. He has had other work experiences including being a farm hand, a car salesman; an undercover narcotics investigator, a private detective, an owner/operator of a mobile windshield repair business and a facilities manager of a manufacturing plant. Other than that, he has led a pretty dull life. More information regarding coaching with Jason or getting him to speak to your group or organization can be found on his parenting website.