Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam

How to Raise Emotionally Resilient Teens: Expert Tips with Dr. Caroline Leaf

Are you struggling to raise a teen who can cope with life's challenges? In this transformative episode, Dr. Caroline Leaf, a clinical neuroscientist, bestselling author, and expert in mental health and resilience, shares invaluable insights into how to build emotional resilience in teens. Dr. Leaf is the host of the popular podcast Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and the author of 18 books, including Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess. She’s dedicated her career to understanding the mind-body connection and empowering families to nurture emotional wellness. In this conversation, Dr. Leaf introduces a practical, science-based process that helps teens (and their parents) overcome obstacles with strength, clarity, and hope.
 
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
How the mind-body connection shapes our resilience and why it’s unlimited.
The Neurocycle process Dr. Leaf developed to help build emotional resilience.
Why resilience isn’t a limited resource—and how to tap into it effectively.
The importance of modeling resilience for your teens instead of "fixing" them.
 
5 KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR PARENTS OF TEENS
Model Resilience for Your TeenDr. Caroline Leaf emphasizes that teens are more likely to follow your example than your words. Show them how you handle challenges with resilience, so they can learn from your actions.
Use the Neurocycle to Reorganize ExperiencesThe Neurocycle method can help your teen process their emotions and experiences. Dr. Leaf shares how parents can guide teens to recognize the "signals" of their experiences, dig into them, and reframe their thoughts.
Avoid Pathologizing Your Teen’s StrugglesInstead of labeling your teen’s emotional struggles as mental health problems, focus on helping them reframe their experiences as opportunities for growth. This helps them see challenges as normal parts of life, rather than something to be "fixed."
Create a Safety Net for Your TeenDr. Leaf recommends "safety net parenting," where you support your teen through their failures, instead of trying to prevent them from making mistakes. This allows your teen to learn resilience and face adversity without fear of judgment.
Embrace the Power of NeuroplasticityHelp your teen understand that their brains are capable of change. Dr. Leaf shares how the Neurocycle, used consistently over time, can rewire negative thought patterns, leading to long-term emotional growth and resilience.
 
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RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Neurocycle App (20% off with code NEUROCYCLE20)
Book: Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess
Book: How to Help Your Child Clean Up their Mental Mess
Book:Think, Learn, Succeed
Podcast: Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess
 
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
[00:00] – Introduction to Dr. Caroline Leaf’s Approach to Mental Health
[03:15] – Resilience: Beyond What You’ve Been Told
[06:45] – Why Building Resilience in Teens Requires a New Approach
[10:30] – Modeling Resilience as a Parent
[14:00] – The Power of Neuroplasticity in Teen Brain Development
[18:30] – Overcoming Trauma: A New Way of Thinking
[22:00] – How Parents Can Use the NeuroCycle to Build Resilience
[26:15] – The Science of Emotional Healing: 3 Steps to Rewire Your Teen’s Brain
[30:00] – How Long Does It Take to Build Resilience in Teens?
[33:45] – The Importance of Taking Action: Changing the Way You Respond
[37:30] – Toxic Positivity vs. Healthy Emotional Support for Teens
[41:00] – Do You Want to Change? How to Make Lasting Emotional Change
[45:00] – Conclusion: Building Resilience and Navigating Parenting Challenges
 
CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Dr. Caroline Leaf
Website: DrLeaf.com
Instagram: @DrCarolineLeaf
YouTube: Dr. Caroline Leaf
Facebook: @drleaf
 
CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST: Dr. Cam Caswell
Website: AskDrCam.com
Instagram: @DrCamCaswell
TikTok: @the.teen.translator
YouTube: Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam
 
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Cam (00:00): Today we're embarking on a transformative journey with a true expert in the field of mental health and resilience, Dr. Carolyn Leaf. Dr. Leaf is not only a communication pathologist, audiologist, and clinical neuroscientist, but also a pioneer in the study of the mind-brain connection. With her extensive background in psychoneurobiology and metacognitive neuropsychology, Dr. Leaf dedicated her career to understanding how our thoughts and emotions shape our brains. As a host of the podcast Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, and the author of 18 bestselling books, including Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess, Dr. Leaf is a leading voice in the field of mental wellness. Join us as we learn from Dr. Leaf's wealth of knowledge and experience gaining insights into how we can raise emotionally resilient teens in today's challenging world. Dr. Leaf, welcome to the show.
Caroline Leaf (00:08.91): Thank you so much, Dr. Cam. It's lovely to meet you and lovely to be with you today.
Dr. Cam (00:29.602): Dr. Leaf is a leading voice in the field of mental wellness. Join us as we learn from Dr. Leaf's wealth of knowledge and experience gaining insights into how we can raise emotionally resilient teens in today's challenging world. Dr. Leaf, welcome to the show.
Caroline Leaf (04:12.374): I, as I practice for 25 years and I've been doing research for 38 now, and I don't practice anymore because I decided I'm going to have more impact taking what I'm doing in my research and my clinical practice and putting that into accessible tools. We have a mental health technology platform, web and iOS and Android, which we're constantly developing and growing, where we are trying to empower an individual as well as teams of people. But people, every single human needs to know how to understand.
Caroline Leaf (07:06.18): I'm so glad you asked that question because, as you and I both know, that is such a common word used everywhere. It's on book covers, it's in conversations, it comes out all the time. And so it's something that we instinctively know as humans is important for us. And what we've been told in the last 30, 40 years, which has actually been disproved, is that we have limited supplies of resilience, that we run out of resilience. But that's not actually the truth because your brain I was explaining this to someone the other day and it really worked. So let me use it like this. And this is an analogy in a book that I'm actually currently writing at the moment. So you're getting a sneak preview of my next book. Think of a door and a doorway that opens. And that doorway that opens into just infinity. You know, we've seen images of that. We've seen movies with that kind of analogy. You see, you can, you know, just that feeling of this door. Now, that's what resilience is like. It's when you open it, there's unlimited supply of resilience.
If you have any kind of trauma or any kind of anything at any stage of your life that disrupts your functioning, that you basically are reducing your resilience. It's getting less and that you're broken forever and that because you're broken forever, you need a label, you need a diagnosis, you potentially need whatever. And this is what our teenagers are growing up with. This is what our alpha are growing up with. This is the messaging.
Dr. Cam (17:03.426): I love the whole rewiring and neuroplasticity and how do we as parents use this knowledge? And we've already talked about, we want to build resilience. A lot of what we're doing to build resilience based off what you just said is actually making them less resilient because we're trying to fix them, right, to build them. So what do parents do to help build up our children's resilience or open up that door wide open for them?
Caroline Leaf (17:38.468): Three parts to that answer. It's a great question. It's a great question. The first thing is we model it for them because our children and our adolescents will really do what we do. It's easy to say something. It's much more difficult to model it. So that's very, very important. I often get asked this question and they say, what would you do for this current crisis, which has also been mis-explained.
Application, we constantly upgrading that all the time. Even have a neuro. Explain something and answer questions. In other words, that's how, because people say, okay, that's great. I need the knowledge as a parent. I need to model, but what do I do? So the second part of the answer is these are, I've got the tools, the Neuropsycho. We can even talk a bit more about what that is. I'm happy to explain it. And then what...
Dr. Cam (23:03.298): Right. Worst-case scenario.
Caroline Leaf (23:18.596): That if you help a person with a traumatic brain injury, you can actually help them transform their life. So I work with people that were, that were, had shortly come out of comas, that were non-functional, and quite extreme changes happened in sort of, under 12 months, they would go from like a... They would go from, let's say, there was the one case was a 16-year-old who had basically sort of lost all functionality and was like functioning at about a second-grade level. Within 12 months, caught up with a peer group, went on to get degrees.
How often, how long, and the bottom line, and we still do research, we've just done another study, I've published papers, we had a paper coming out this month, and for this year, we're doing more studies, but basically it takes around nine weeks to rewire a network. So in the first three weeks of working daily, and I will tell you what the neuro cycle is, but in the first three weeks of working through the neuro cycle daily, you will basically find what those signals, the depression, the anxiety, those things in your body, the perspective.
Those are just signals. They're not symptoms of a disease. They're signals of an experience. So in the 21 days, you'll be able to learn to recognize the signals, dig into those signals, find the thought, which is the experience that they're attached to and find the...
For that science to all of us. And I've got great images in here to be able to explain, for parents to explain to children. So you basically are healing the roots and so on. And that process takes around three weeks. Then you've got this tiny little newly...
As a little tree-like structure and then in your body cells as hedges. So if you recall at the beginning, and I know this is quite a lot to digest, but if you recall at the beginning, we said that memory and experiences are a body-wide thing. The body keeps the score that people hear about. We know that people go to yoga to release the energy. We know that exercise helps depression. Well, I'm talking about that, okay? So I'm talking about the fact that every experience we have, that traumatic experience, it was an experience that was taken in by your mind, processed.
Stored in your brain as a tree-like structure in every cell of your body as a hedge-like structure, like a little hedge, tightly packed hedge and in your mind as a little wave pattern. So three places and the wave patterns kind of keeping the whole thing going. So that's what you're doing with the neuropsycho is you are opening those all up, you're finding them and you are reorganizing them. So they never go away, but instead of saying...
And you then basically are growing it bigger and making it stronger. So I'll walk you through this in the app, in this book, in the adult book, all of it. So you get the combination, that's a good combination. You don't have to, but people want to know what the resources are. Okay, so in essence, what do you do each day? What is the neuro cycle? It's five steps for the first 21 days, you do it for around 15 minutes a day. First couple of days, you'll take longer as you learn the system. And then the second set of 42 days, totaling 63, which is nine weeks.
Going to it now but there's a way of organizing information that really makes us very effective but it's a mind dump it's not journaling then still flying you need to now look at what you've written which is accumulation of the three steps to those three steps taking off flying and now you're going to reconceptualize what does this mean this has happened what do about this and then you end off with step five which is then landing the plane with an active reach which is an action to help you to be able to anchor yourself so it's accumulation of...
I can't find out why, why did that person bully me? They're going through stuff. I don't need to know why they bullied me. I just need to know that my behaviors are coming from that. So it's not me, there's a because of. And so I reconceptualize what can I do going forward? Okay, that bullying, I can release, I can whatever. So that's what you're doing. What is happening a lot, Dr. Kamen, I know you know this, I'm telling you, I feel like I'm speaking to the choir here. So forgive me. For those of you that are listening, is that there's a huge movement and there's...
Caroline Leaf (36:35.364): That's such a good question. And I know what's happened because you swung from the coddle to the, we've swung from, just pull yourself together to, gosh, you know, let's, so there's two extremes. So you can't wallow and you also can't have toxic positivity. You know, so it's defined and that's what I'm hearing you say, you know, how do we get that balance? And you're absolutely right, there is that tension.
Not promoting toxic positivity, but one of the big things is, and I talk about this a lot in my books and I often refer to the two books I'm holding up here. The first one is, in a nutshell, do you want to be well or not? And that's a tough question, but that's the whole question, do you really want to feel better or do you want to stay in a state of victimhood? And that's the question every person and parent has to answer. Do you really want to change the state you're in?
Dr. Cam (38:22.234): I love that you said that. Yes.
Caroline Leaf (39:14.444): Start, like I say, with those three things: pay attention to the fact that it is not who you are. Recognize the signal, it's not who you are. You can understand the why. And it all comes back to the fact that you’ve got this.
 
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam Podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the challenges of raising teenagers. Hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach, this podcast offers practical parenting strategies, expert advice, and real-world insights to help you build a stronger relationship with your teen and support their emotional growth.
Whether you’re struggling with teenage behavior or looking to improve communication, each episode provides actionable tips to make parenting teens easier and more rewarding. Perfect for both new and seasoned parents, this podcast helps you build the confidence to handle teen challenges and thrive together.
#theteentranslator #drcamcaswell #parentingteenswithdrcam

Interventions for Teen Substance Abuse

Did you know that according to SAMHSA, over 1.7 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the US have a substance use disorder? It's a staggering statistic that underscores the critical need for effective interventions and support systems for our teens.
As parents, it's essential to equip ourselves with the knowledge and tools to navigate this complex issue.
In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Louise, a renowned family systems coach, interventionist, and trailblazer in the field of behavioral health and addiction treatments. 
Dr. Louise provides us with invaluable insights and actionable steps to effectively intervene and support our teens. 
Feeling lost in the sea of parenting advice?
Wish you had a supportive community to navigate the ups and downs of raising happy, thriving teens?
**Introducing Thriving Parent Academy! **
This online community equips YOU with the tools and knowledge to:
⭐ Foster strong parent-teen relationships
⭐Set clear boundaries and expectations
⭐ Navigate attitude and meltdowns with confidence
⭐ Raise kind, responsible humans
 
Join our amazing community of parents and:
⭐ Connect with like-minded individuals who "get it"
⭐ Learn from me through exclusive laser coaching sessions and master classes
⭐ Get personalized support and guidance tailored to your unique needs
Stop feeling overwhelmed and start thriving!
Limited spots available! Enroll now at thrivingparent.org.
P.S. Share with any parent friends who might benefit!

Raising Respectful Teens with Brooke Romney

Have you ever felt at a loss when faced with your teen's rude behavior? Moments where your requests are ignored, or they respond with sarcasm or eye-rolling? If this sounds all too familiar, this episode is for you.
In this episode, Dr. Cam is joined by Brooke Romney (@brookeromneywrites), the best-selling author of 52 Modern Manners for Today's Teens Volume 1 and 2. Brooke sheds light on how we can foster mutual respect and maintain authority while still strengthening our connection with our teens.
 
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
52 Modern Manners for Today's Teens
FREE Guide: Dr. Cam’s 10 Pro Tips for Raising Teens
 
Feeling lost in the sea of parenting advice?
Wish you had a supportive community to navigate the ups and downs of raising happy, thriving teens?
**Introducing Thriving Parent Academy! **
This online community equips YOU with the tools and knowledge to:
⭐ Foster strong parent-teen relationships
⭐Set clear boundaries and expectations
⭐ Navigate attitude and meltdowns with confidence
⭐ Raise kind, responsible humans
 
Join our amazing community of parents and:
⭐ Connect with like-minded individuals who "get it"
⭐ Learn from me through exclusive laser coaching sessions and master classes
⭐ Get personalized support and guidance tailored to your unique needs
Stop feeling overwhelmed and start thriving!
Limited spots available! Enroll now at thrivingparent.org.
P.S. Share with any parent friends who might benefit!

Supporting Teens with OCD with Kimberley Quinlin

Does your teen display repetitive behaviors like excessive hand washing or hair picking?  Are they battling against intrusive thoughts they can't shake off? If so, this episode is for you. These behaviors may signal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD, a condition impacting around 1 in every 100 children and teens. 
In this episode, I’m joined by Kimberley Quinlin, a therapist with extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and OCD-related disorders. Kimberley is here to help us identify these signs in our teens and provide guidance for supporting them effectively.
 
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode and think others would appreciate it too, please review on iTunes.
 
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ABOUT THE SHOW: The 'Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam' Podcast is your guide to navigating adolescence without the drama. In each episode, your host, adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam, is joined by a guest expert to provide invaluable insights and practical advice for building a closer relationship with your teen & finding joy amidst the challenges
Whether you're an experienced parent looking to support your teenager's mental well-being or a newcomer to the world of adolescence, this podcast is a must-listen.  

Overcoming Unhealthy Teen Sleep Habits with Dr. Holliday-Bell

Are you one of the many parents grappling with the challenge of getting your teenager to sleep? You're not alone. Studies show that approximately 70% of teenagers are sleep-deprived. This lack of adequate rest not only impacts their academic performance but also their physical and mental health.
To shed light on this issue, Dr. Cam talks with Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, a Board-Certified Physician and Certified Clinical Sleep Specialist. Dr. Holliday-Bell shares her expertise and top strategies for ensuring our teens get the rest they need for optimal health and well-being. 
 
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode and think others would appreciate it too, please review on iTunes.
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
Want to be alerted when a new episode drops? Follow on  iTunes, YouTube, Google, Spotify.
 
ABOUT THE SHOW: The 'Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam' Podcast is your guide to navigating adolescence without the drama. In each episode, your host, adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam, is joined by a guest expert to provide invaluable insights and practical advice for building a closer relationship with your teen & finding joy amidst the challenges
Whether you're an experienced parent looking to support your teenager's mental well-being or a newcomer to the world of adolescence, this podcast is a must-listen.  

Acing College Admissions With Dr. Pamela Ellis

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task of navigating the college application process for your teen? Wondering how to find the perfect fit without breaking the bank? Then this episode is for you. Stay tuned as we dive into expert advice on finding, applying to, and paying for college. 
Our special guest, Dr. Pamela Ellis, MBA, PhD, aka The Education Doctor®, is here to share her invaluable insights. Dr. Pamela has helped over 1,000 families successfully navigate this journey, with a whopping 95% admission rate to top-choice colleges and an average scholarship of $75,000. Are you ready to discover the secrets to college success?"
 
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode and think others would appreciate it too, please review on iTunes.
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
Want to be alerted when a new episode drops? Follow on  iTunes, YouTube, Google, Spotify.
 
ABOUT THE SHOW: The 'Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam' Podcast is your guide to navigating adolescence without the drama. In each episode, your host, adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam, is joined by a guest expert to provide invaluable insights and practical advice for building a closer relationship with your teen & finding joy amidst the challenges
Whether you're an experienced parent looking to support your teenager's mental well-being or a newcomer to the world of adolescence, this podcast is a must-listen.  

Boosting Your Teen’s Teen Self-Esteem with Phinnah

In this episode we tackle a common challenge that many parents face: How to help our teens develop a strong sense of self-worth and confidence in a world that often seems designed to chip away at it? Dr. Cam is joined by Phinnah, a seasoned family coach with over a decade of experience transforming family dynamics by strengthening parent-child relationships. Listen in to hear her expert advice for navigating the delicate balance between supporting your teen's self-esteem and allowing them to face life's challenges independently
 
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode and think others would appreciate it too, please review on iTunes.
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
Want to be alerted when a new episode drops? Follow on  iTunes, YouTube, Google, Spotify.
 
ABOUT THE SHOW: The 'Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam' Podcast is your guide to navigating adolescence without the drama. In each episode, your host, adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam, is joined by a guest expert to provide invaluable insights and practical advice for building a closer relationship with your teen & finding joy amidst the challenges
Whether you're an experienced parent looking to support your teenager's mental well-being or a newcomer to the world of adolescence, this podcast is a must-listen. 

Overcoming Teen and Parent Overwhelm with Sheryl Gould

As parents of teens, we’re constantly dealing with a whirlwind of emotions, responsibilities, and expectations that seem to never let up. Whether it's the stress of school, the drama of social life, or just trying to keep their screen time in check, the struggle feels endless.
That's why I'm really excited to have Sheryl Gould, the founder of the international organization Moms of Tweens and Teens, joining us today. She's got some fantastic tips and tricks to help us tackle our own overwhelm and support our teens through theirs.
 
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode and think others would appreciate it too, please review on iTunes.
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
Want to be alerted when a new episode drops? Follow on  iTunes, YouTube, Google, Spotify.
 
ABOUT THE SHOW: The 'Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam' Podcast is your guide to navigating adolescence without the drama. In each episode, your host, adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam, is joined by a guest expert to provide invaluable insights and practical advice for building a closer relationship with your teen & finding joy amidst the challenges
Whether you're an experienced parent looking to support your teenager's mental well-being or a newcomer to the world of adolescence, this podcast is a must-listen.  

Launching Teens into Adulthood Successfully with Kim Muench

As parents, we strive to equip our teens with the skills they need to thrive independently. But many of us worry that they won't learn to make wise decisions, regulate their emotions, or reach the necessary maturity needed to survive in the wild on their own.  
Fortunately, we have Kim Muench, a certified Conscious Parenting Coach and founder of Real Life Parent Guide here to help us. Kim specializes in working with parents of emerging adults (ages 18-25). Kim is the author of  Becoming Me While Raising You – a Mother’s Journey to Her Self. She is also a sought after speaker on topics related to conscious parenting.
In this episode, Kim shares her wisdom on nurturing independence and resilience in our teens, paving the way for a successful launch into adulthood.
 
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If you enjoyed this episode and think others would appreciate it too, please review on iTunes.
 
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Nurturing a Positive Body Image in Teens with Dr. Morgan Francis

As parents, one of our biggest concerns is the impact of social pressures and expectations on our teens' body image. If you’re concerned about your teen’s eating habits, self-care, and self-esteem, you’re in the right place.
In this episode we tackle this critical issue with Dr. Francis, a licensed professional Counselor and the founder and owner of Scottsdale Premier Counseling. Dr. Francis is a nationally recognized treatment specialist in body image and eating disorders. She shares her expert strategies for promoting a healthy body image and self-acceptance in our teens.
 
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