Dr Gordon Neufeld Awarded Swedish Gold Medal

The Swedish national organisation Haro decided to award Developmental Psychologist Dr Gordon Neufeld from Canada the Haro Gold Medal Award for 2013 at their AGM in April.

The prize was instituted in 1988, and has been awarded annually to “people who have contributed to the discussion about the interests of children and parents in an excellent way, working for and defending their welfare in the Swedish society.”

Motivation:

Few people have like Dr Gordon Neufeld been able to explain the importance of the family and close relationships for children to develop into mature and independent adults. Dr Neufeld has presented strong scientific support in classical developmental psychology, modern attachment theory and neurobiology for his detailed explanations of the significance of children’s safe attachments to adults who care – usually parents. He has also shown that such relationships are most likely to develop in families. He has specifically explained how separation from parents impedes the development of children, not only toddlers, but even teenagers.

Dr Neufeld’s book “Hold On to Your Kids – Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers” (co-authored by Dr Gabor Maté) has been translated into fourteen languages (Swedish included). His presentations at all of Haro’s national seminars have been highly appreciated, and his evening classes and seminars for parents and professionals in Sweden have been very well received.

One of his full-day seminars in Stockholm was recorded and broadcast on Swedish national television, Kunskapskanalen, in December 2012.

Dr Neufeld has never been afraid of presenting a very clear message that small children develop best in close relationship with their parents or other adults to whom they are deeply attached. His warm commitment as an advocate of children’s needs make Dr Gordon Neufeld a most worthy receiver of Haro’s Gold Medal Award 2013.

The prize ceremony will take place at Haro´s national seminar in Stockholm on May 31, titled “Do We Meet the Needs of Children in Sweden?” where Dr Neufeld will give a presentation followed by a panel discussion with Swedish experts.

Haro is Sweden's leading women's organisation with a critical perspective on Swedish family policies.