Why I Encourage My Teenager to Trick or Treat

We all remember how confusing the teenage years are. You’re not quite an adult yet and you’re not really a child either. You’re in the grey zone, which makes it hard to know what adults expect from you. On the one hand, we seem to be having an epidemic of helicopter or over-parenting. Parents are overly concerned with protecting teens from […]

Parenting Teens: Parent Survival Tips

  I always say: Parenting is like a marathon. You’re in it for the long haul. Day to day in the trenches is hard. I’m right there with you as I have two teens myself. Some days are great and some day I just want to run away. I put together a few tips to help you through. Parenting Teens […]

Parenting Teens: Don’t Forget Their Strengths

It’s so very easy to focus on all the challenges of parenting teenagers. Even the research shows that teens are often moody, impulsive, and have poor judgment and planning. We all know that those teenage years are stressful and awkward beyond belief for both teens and parents. Teens often get a bad rap. After recently writing a post about how to cope if […]

How to Cope if your Teenager is Arrested

Parenting Teens: How to Cope if your Teenager is Arrested First let me say that I am not an attorney. And, therefore, this article does not provide legal advice. If you need an attorney, please consult one in your area. I am a psychotherapist. I have spent 20 years working with teenagers and families in various capacities – homeless and […]

Help! My teenager is acting out

Have you been wondering, is my teenager normal? Is s/he depressed? Is s/he using drugs? Am I a good parent? Parents often come to me when their teenager is acting out. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish normal teenage behavior from signs of depression, anxiety, trauma, or other maladjustment. Some warning signs include: substance use, truancy, failing grades, running away, defiance, moodiness, self-harm, […]