Ashland, Oregon (August 26, 2025) – Teenagers can face a wide array of challenges, temptations, and stresses before their brains are fully developed. As many parents can attest, that lack of maturation might lead to troubling situations and behaviors. The Teenage Brain: Impacts on Despair, Homelessness & Substance Abuse lecture is happening on Tuesday, September 2, from 4:00-5:30 p.m., in the Gresham Room at the Ashland Library. This program is presented by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Ashland Branch and Jackson County Library Services.
The speakers are Cheyenne Nichols, Director of Education and Community Health at the Maslow Project, and Lacey Corbett, a licensed private practice therapist and Clinical Supervisor with Maslow. They will discuss how social context and the stressors of homelessness affect the emotional and physical health of teenagers. They will also talk about brain development, the role of executive functioning, Gen Z extended adolescence, and building existing strengths.
Nichols has over 15 years of experience working with at-risk populations. She currently oversees their school-based program and community health work across Jackson and Josephine Counties. Nichols is an Ashland native and is grateful to be working with youth and families in the region she grew up in.
Corbett has 14 years of experience using mindfulness-based and Art Therapy practices – along with traditional counseling services – for individuals ages 11 and up. Her experience includes providing therapy services to youth and families at Maslow Project (those experiencing houselessness), Lotus Rising Project (LGBTQ+), and Family Solutions (local high schools). She obtained a bachelor’s degree at Southern Oregon University and a Master’s from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.