Teens Who Thrive

Do you ever struggle to find that perfect Goldilocks "just right" spot being gentle and empathetic but also being firm? In this episode, we break down one of the biggest myths in parenting teens—the idea that you have to choose between connection and boundaries. Learn why BOTH are essential and how to combine them into a powerful strategy that builds trust, responsibility, and long-term influence....

In this episode of Teens Who Thrive, we're digging into a truth that might feel uncomfortable at first—but is actually incredibly empowering: the secret to transforming your relationship with your teen starts with YOU. Cheryl explores three powerful reasons why your self-awareness, emotional history, and parenting habits shape the connection you have with your teen—and what you can do to shift the...

As our kids transition into their teenage years, we all know it's essential to give them more responsibility and help them become accountable and independent. But how? This week on Teens Who Thrive, we'll explore how to navigate this tricky middle stage of parenting. The stage where you know you shouldn’t be doing everything for them, but they aren’t quite ready to tackle everything on their own....

We all know we need to give our teenagers a little more freedom. But how much? And how? Your teenager is growing and changing right before your eyes and it can be hard to figure out how much independence is the right amount. It can also be incredibly difficult and scary to let go of control as a parent. This week on TEENS WHO THRIVE, I am giving you concrete examples of how to loosen your parentin...

We’ve all experienced it – the famous eye roll. Your teenager receives news they don’t like – usually about something they need to do that they don’t want to do – and they respond with an eye roll, an exaggerated sigh, or they storm away and maybe even slam a door. It’s the teenager version of a toddler tantrum. I’ve worked with so many parents who come to me just furious about the eye rolling. “I...

Did you ever ready Choose-Your-Own_Adventure books as a kid? I loved those books! And these CASE STUDY episodes are set up much the same way: I present a scenario that has come up in a recent parent session or teen session, and we will walk through 3 different options for how it might play out. This week's scenario is about Teens and Summer Chores. How do we help our teen's learn that they need to...

This week on Teens Who Thrive we’re going to dive into 3 reasons why BECAUSE-I-SAID-SO parenting is so tempting. The short answer is: It’s easier It looks pretty from the outside It “seems like” there’s less fighting But those are all short-term wins at the expense of long-term goals. So we’re going to dig even deeper an explore: ➡Why it’s a bad idea ➡Why it doesn’t actually work 🌟And🌟 ➡What to...

On this episode of Teens Who Thrive, we explore a crucial question for parents: How often do we truly allow our kids to fail? While the concept of letting children stumble and face natural consequences is widely acknowledged, putting it into practice is often challenging. We will dive into several essential reasons our teens benefit from struggling: -->Building resilience by giving them the opp...

One thing we know for sure about teenagers is that they have BIG feelings about everything. We know this not just from experience but from actual research about adolescent development. We know that teens experience emotions with more intensity than adults – they feel higher highs and lower lows. We also know that they often experience these big feelings all of the sudden and it can be very overwhe...

In today's episode, we're diving into all things boundaries! I'm going to share my 3 favorite examples of moms setting simple but important boundaries that actually worked! I'll walk you through these examples and highlight: The different between boundaries and rules Why it's so hard to be consistent with our boundaries Why consistentcy and patience are essential The positive effect of your bounda...

I think nearly every parent at some point has said the phrase “you can tell me anything”. But so many parents end up frustrated because they feel like their teen isn’t opening up and never shares anything with them. So what’s going on? On today’s episode I invite parents to reflect on 4 key questions that will shed some light on why your teen might be reluctant to open up to you. Together, we will...

 We've all heard the stereotype that teens refuse to take any advice from adults -- especially their parents. But I have to tell you -- my teen therapy clients tell me a different story. What I hear from them is that they absolutely value what their parents have to say, but they feel like whenever they approach their parents for advice, all they get is a lecture. On today's episode, we will e...

Let's talk about Stress. In my therapy practice where I work with teens and young adults, I work with kids every day who tell me their lives are super stressful. The stressors they experience are pretty typical – academic pressure, conflict with friends or family, worry about the future, etc. But the stress itself isn’t really what concerns me. What I’m noticing in my teen clients is this pattern:...

Many of you know I started my career as a foreign language teacher. And it occurred to me recently that parenting has something in coming with learning a new language. When you learn a new language, there are things you “learn” – grammar, vocabulary, etc. and there are things you “acquire” – the sounds, the common phrases, the culture. Parenting has similar features –there are things we explicitly...