School Counselor Wisdom

Do you have a teenager or know someone that does?! In my private practice, I work with teens and the parents/guardians of teens. I’m hosting a workshop in April on the very best strategies parents can use to get teens to open up! (Link in comments) - please feel free to share!

A gratitude practice has been shown to boost mood, reduce stress, and improve a sense of well-being. What are you grateful for today? Doesn’t need to be huge things - can just be something you appreciated! Scroll for my list.

Making rules is something a parent needs to do. A teen needs boundaries as they learn what's ok and what's not ok. BUT ... if they don't understand WHY you've put the rule in place, they are much less likely to follow it. So, make it make sense. Explain your rationale to them. Even if they don't agree, they are more likely to follow the rule. Or, they will engage you in conversation about it and maybe you'll compromise. Good luck!

Reminder that we have workshops for parents (and other caregivers) up on our website. Link is in bio! The workshops are recorded and organized into sections so you can watch/learn at your own pace, on your own time. Please check them out!

Home Page Tools & techniques for all those with a teen in their life -- parents, coaches, teachers. Learn ways to connect more deeply, build resilience, and improve mental health.

Use the “circle back” technique to apologize or make amends, sure. (“Hey, I want to circle back and apologize for what I said last night. I’m really sorry.”)

But it’s a gosh darn wonder when we use it to show we care, that we were listening, and we want to know more. (“Hey, I wanted to circle back to our conversation the other day about the issue that your friend was having. I was thinking about it and wondered how they were doing?“ or “Hey I wanted to circle back to our talk last night when you said __________. I was thinking about it today and I wanted to ask you something else.”

Used well, it can build so much trust between you and your teen. Let me know how it goes for you!

My husband (long-time coach) and I (psychologist) have partnered to bring you a course on supporting teen athlete mental health. Link in bio!!

Athletes, sports, and mental health have received a lot of attention in recent months -- and rightfully so! I'll be collaborating with my husband (a long-time coach) to bring you all a mini-course for coaches, focused on how to take care of your athlete's mental health. Stay tuned!

We all have a compassionate inner voice and a critical one. The critical one tends to be faster and louder, so we need to work on getting it to sit down and shut it's mouth so we can hear the compassionate one. The more we can normalize for our teens that they don't have to listen to the critic and can be caring and compassionate with themselves, the better equipped they'll be to handle times when they feel bad or disappointed about something they did.

Starting high school is a big deal! And even if your teen wants to play it off, it’s important to know that it still is huge transition. Knowing this can help you keep your cool and be patient with them if they aren’t their best self in the mornings before school or when they get home from school. A lot of teens don’t yet have the emotional vocabulary to fully describe their experience and they are using all of their energy to figure out high school, make friends, and get used to this new routine.

A thriving teen that confides in you. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? It is NEVER too late to connect with your teen. Kids want, and are wired for, connection. They WANT a good relationship with you, for you to be someone they can talk to. Though their behaviors and attitude might suggest otherwise, they still need your guidance, love, and support. In fact, they need it now more than ever. “Connecting with Your Teen” is a practical, self-paced course for parents and caregivers of teens. You’ll learn tools and techniques for deeper connection, better resilience, and emotional well-being. The skills taught in the course are research-based, straight-forward, effective, and easy to implement. Find more info on website listed in bio.