Written by Susan Caso Empathy is the foundation of meaningful, healthy relationships. It’s more than simply being nice or polite—it’s the internal drive to truly understand and care about another person’s experience. At its core, empathy says: I see you. I care about how you’re feeling. I want to help. And when we act on that care, we create […]
Written by Susan Caso As parents, we’re often told to prepare for the “rebellious” teenage years — to brace ourselves for slammed doors, loud arguments, and eye rolls. But what if this view isn’t just outdated — what if it’s also deeply unhelpful? Calling teens “rebellious” frames their normal developmental drive for independence as a problem to be […]
Written by Susan Caso As a therapist and a parent of three, I’ve spent more than 20 years helping families navigate the emotional complexities of raising teenagers. One thing has become undeniably clear: adolescence today is far more demanding than it was a generation ago. Teens are growing up in a pressure cooker of academic expectations, rigorous […]
“The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt – A Must Read for Parents: Reflections by Susan Caso, MA, LPC In The Anxious Generation Haidt and his research team illuminate major contributors to teens’ mental health decline over the last two decades, particularly around smartphone and social media use. His central thesis is that two trends, “overprotection […]
May is mental health awareness month. It’s a time to pause and ask yourself, “how am I caring for myself?” Self care is important for good mental health and your mental health impacts everything from success and happiness in your relationships to the way you perform at work and school. Focusing on your mental health […]
While parents may assume a teen would rather share their struggles and worries with their peers, teens express wanting their parents to be the ones listening. When parents create an environment at home that allows for expression of feelings and discussion of difficult topics teens know they have a safe landing place. The best thing […]
How “View of Self” taints communication between teens and parents Ever notice how hard it is to “stay present” during a conversation with your teenagers? Parents and teens often try to juggle too many thoughts simultaneously. We can become “flooded” with things we want to convey. It helps to take a beat before responding. We […]
How do you handle yourself when something doesn’t go your way? Do you sit with your feelings, process them and move on? Or do you become grumpy, edgy, or angry… and then carry those bad feelings around with you all day? We all do it, push unrelated emotional stuff on to someone else. Maybe it’s […]
I hear the word “pressure” often in my counseling sessions with teens and young adults. They express feeling pressure related to academics, sports, and life direction. What is causing this pressure? Are we asking too much? Adolescence has always been a time of change and transitions. There’s a lot to figure out. It’s a time […]
