Teens: No Cap

Hey everybody, welcome back to episode 44 of Teens: No Cap! I’m your host, Charity Chaffee, a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts who specializes exclusively in treating teenagers. In this episode, I’m coming to you straight from Pennsylvania after an exciting Day 1 at the Teen Therapy Conference run by Katie Kates May. It's been a long day and I am tired, but I couldn't wait to shar...

Welcome back to Teens No Cap! I'm your host, Charity Chafee, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in teens and their families. Today, I am absolutely jazzed to welcome Jamie Roberts to the show! Jamie is a California-based LMFT who specializes in working with neurodivergent teens and young adults (ADHD, autism, learning differences, and anxiety). She joins us to discuss her incredible n...

Working with teenagers isn't the same as working with children or adults. Because of their unique brain development, teenagers are their own distinct clinical subspecialty. In Episode #40 of Teens: No Cap, licensed mental health counselor Charity Chaffee breaks down the critical standards of care required for working effectively with adolescents. If you want to offer better scaffolding and support...

Welcome back to Teens No Cap! In episode 39, we are tackling a heavy but crucial topic for March, which is Self-Harm Awareness Month. Self-harm is still a very taboo subject today, and there are many misconceptions about what it actually is. As a licensed mental health counselor specializing in high-risk teens, I want to share a different perspective on how we approach and treat self-injury. Here...

Is your health journey impacting your teen’s body image? In Part 2 of our deep dive into GLP-1 medications (like Ozempic and Wegovy), Charity Chaffee, LMHC, and Dr. Emily Gordon, Psy. D., explore the complex "spiderweb" of parenting while on a weight-loss journey. As GLP-1s become a cultural movement, many parents are left wondering: Should I tell my teenager?. In this episode, we discuss the "Gre...

Happy Friday! In this episode of Teens No Cap, host and licensed mental health counselor Charity Chaffee dives deep into the "lens" she uses in her specific practice: Harm Reduction. Many parents and providers struggle with the shift between childhood and teenhood, often defaulting to a demand for compliance. Charity explains why a "hard no" often backfires and how shifting the locus of control fr...

Is it "all in their head," or is something else going on? In this episode of Teens: No Cap, Charity Chaffee sits down with Destiny Davis, LPC, CRC, a specialist in counseling people with physical and mental disabilities. Together, they dive deep into the pervasive issue of chronic illness in teenagers—an often invisible struggle that is frequently misidentified as "just anxiety." In this episode,...

Welcome to our Valentine's Day chat on all things teen relationships! Whether you are a parent supporting your teen's first relationship or navigating the preteen dating years, this episode is for you. It can be tempting for parents to say, "No dating until college!". However, if teens don't date now, they often end up navigating their first serious relationships in college without the supervision...

In this powerful episode, Haley Moss—autistic attorney, author, and neurodiversity advocate—joins Teens Uncharted for a deep conversation about autism, neurodivergence, and supporting teens through self-discovery and advocacy. We explore: 🔹 The pressure to constantly achieve and how to enjoy the journey 🔹 Navigating autism and neurodiversity in school, work, and relationships 🔹 Parenting teens...

What do you do when your teen says they don't want to go to college? In this episode, host Charity Chaffee talks with Cathy Tallone, founder of The Non-College Blueprint: Finding Futures That Fit. They discuss how to navigate this pivotal decision without shame, build a practical and fulfilling alternative path, and support your teen's confidence, values, and network. Cathy shares her personal jou...

In this important first installment of a two-part series, Dr. Emily Gordon returns to Teens: No Cap to discuss the rise of GLP-1 medications and their impact on teen mental health, body image, and eating behaviors. We dive into the history of these drugs, their shift from diabetes treatment to widespread weight loss use, and the serious risks they pose for adolescent development. 🔍 In this episod...

🤔 It's the tough question every parent and educator wrestles with: Is your teen's IEP setting them up for success, or is it holding them back? In Episode 31 of Teens: No Cap, host Charity Chaffee sits down with Monica Trost—a school psychologist, educational psychologist, and parent advocate—for a raw, honest conversation about the fine line between support and enabling in special education. We g...

Welcome back to Teens: No Cap! In this episode, your host Charity Chaffee sits down with Gaby Diller, founder of Lotus Advocacy, to dive deep into the world of IEPs, student-led meetings, and effective collaboration between families, schools, and providers. We explore practical strategies for empowering students to take ownership of their education, how to foster productive partnerships with schoo...

Welcome back to Teens Uncharted! 🎙️ I'm your host, Charity Chafee, LMHC, a teen specialist and licensed mental health counselor. In this solo New Year's special, recorded on January 1st, 2026, we dive deep into why January through March is one of the most challenging times for teenagers. We discuss the perfect storm of post-holiday letdown, academic pressure, seasonal affective disorder, and few b...

Is your teen constantly exhausted, struggling with joint pain, or labeled as "lazy"? In this episode of Teens Uncharted, host Charity Chaffee sits down with therapist and mom, Becky Shaulis, to discuss the complex reality of raising a teenager with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Becky shares her personal journey of fighting for a diagnosis after realizing her daughter’s extreme flexibility and pain...

In this powerful episode of Teens No Cap, host Charity Chafee sits down with Dr. Tabitha Hapeman, a neurodiversity-affirming psychiatric nurse practitioner, to explore how autism presents differently in teen girls—and why so many go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. We discuss: 🔍 Key differences between autism in boys vs. girls 🔍 The internalized shame and impact of late diagnosis 🔍 Why “m...

Why do some teens master coping skills while others continue to struggle? The secret isn't the skill itself—it's the system around it. In this follow-up episode of Teens No Cap, host Charity Chaffee, a teen mental health specialist, provides a step-by-step clinical framework for building effective, lasting coping skills with high-risk teens. Moving beyond the "try this" approach, this episode dive...

Struggling to get through to a teenager about coping skills? You're not alone. In this episode of Teens No Cap, host Charity Chaffee, a teen mental health specialist, dives deep into why the common advice to "just use your coping skills" often fails and can even damage trust and connection. We'll unpack what coping skills truly are (and what they are NOT), how to match the right skill to the real...

In this episode of Teens: No Cap, host Charity Chaffee—a teen mental health specialist—dives deep into the philosophy of harm reduction and why it's a game-changer for engaging high-risk teens in therapy. Learn why traditional methods like strict "no-harm contracts" can often backfire, and how meeting teens where they are with curiosity and neutrality can build trust and save lives. Charity breaks...

Welcome back to Teens No Cap! I'm your host, Charity Chaffee, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in high-risk teens and young adults. In this episode, I'm switching it up and diving into your questions from Reddit! We're tackling three big topics that every teen therapist and parent needs to hear: ➡️ What to do when your teen client is quiet, resistant, or just "unimpressed" with ther...

In this powerful episode of Teens No Cap, host and teen mental health specialist Charity Chaffee dives into four raw and emotional Reddit posts from parents at their wits' end. We explore the real, complex challenges of raising teenagers today, including: 🔍 A teen who acts completely different with her mom than with her dad—is it manipulation or a cry for help? 🚨 A daughter trapped in a toxic ho...

What do you do when a teen is stuck in a cycle of repeated hospitalizations, self-harm, and suicidal ideation? In this powerful episode, I'm joined by Katie K. May, LCSW, a renowned expert in working with high-risk teens and their families. We dive deep into why the "revolving door" of inpatient stays often fails to create lasting healing and can even increase a teen's vulnerability. Katie shares...

Is your teen's version of events always different from yours? In this episode of Teens: No Cap, host Charity Chaffee, a licensed mental health counselor, dives into the concept of the "reliable reporter" in family systems. We explore why it's less about who is "right" or "wrong" and more about creating a "shared narrative" that validates every family member's experience. Charity discusses: ➡️Why d...

In this powerful episode for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, host Charity Chaffee delivers a crucial message every parent needs to hear. We tackle the hard truth: prioritizing a teen's grades, sports, and activities over their mental health can have devastating consequences. Charity, a teen mental health specialist, explains why we must stop waiting for teens to hit "rock bottom" before gettin...

Struggling with your teenager? In this episode of Teens: No Cap, licensed mental health counselor and teen specialist Charity Chaffee tackles your toughest Reddit parenting questions! From social struggles and secret relationships to defiance at home, we're diving deep into the chaos of raising teens. We cover: - What to do when your teen has no close friends (00:01) - How to handle your teen's re...