Healthy Family Connections

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom concerned that her 16 year-old son will never be able to manage his adult life. Mom has tried a lot of ways to motivate him, but he continues to procrastinate, not get things done, and not turn them in when he does. Neil offers Mom a two-pronged approach to help him grow his executive functioning and end the parent-teen control battle.

In this episode Neil responds to a therapist working with a family with a depressed, non-compliant teenager.  The therapist is using Neil’s Parenting Course and wants guidance for how to conduct The Talk when the teenager’s world is so limited.  What can they take away when he needs everything for school and even a minimal social life? 

In this episode Neil reviews a blog post where a Mom shares her story of turning her painful relationship with her teen daughter around.  Neil appreciates her approach yet recognizes that 1) It can be harder than it sounds and why, and 2) Often, destructive teen behavior has to be called out and immediately addressed. Neil explains that like the Mom in the story ending her Control Battle, calling out destructive behavior must be done in a way that is outside of and is part of ending a Parent-Teen Control Battle.  Neil shares his powerful method for doing just that.

In this episode Neil responds to a Mom whose previously successful and responsible 17 year-old son is smoking and vaping marijuana and his school performance is going down as well. Neil helps this Mom understand what might be going on with her son given a recent divorce, a pandemic and at-home learning, as well as entering a new stage of development. Neil then provides a healthy way to engage him while maintaining accountability.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom whose 15-year-old son is on probation for theft and feels undermined by the Probation Officer.  Neil explains the importance of helping professionals and agencies in supporting families and healthy family structure.  In addition to providing insight into the workings of probation departments, Neil helps this Mom advocate for herself and her needs to provide her son the structure and support he desperately needs.

In this episode Neil responds to a Mom looking for ways to help her 13 year-old raging, cutting daughter.  Neil shows Mom how being reasonable with an emotionally out of control daughter is unreasonable and offers Mom four steps to action instead.  

What do you do when your 16-year-old son turns your house upside down with drama and emotion, displays defiance, is argumentative, aggressive, loud, has provoking behaviors, and fits the description of Narcissistic Personality Disorder? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a mom who wonders whether her teenage son has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). After doing some research, Mom discovered that her son's behavior exactly lines up with the traits of an individual with NPD. She wants to know if there is a solution to helping her son ditch these negative traits. What can Mom do to help her son turn things around and build healthy personality traits into his young adulthood? Listen in to learn: → The two necessary elements for a healthy personality → How a difference in temperaments can result in Control Battles → Tips for addressing critical issues with your teenager ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/does-my-son-have-narcis

What do you do when you’re 15-year-old is avoiding responsibilities and smoking weed, and the therapist you’re going to says as parents, you need to back off? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a father who is questioning the advice he's getting from his son's therapist. Dad is stuck in a Control Battle with his son, who's developing some unhealthy habits. We don't want these habits to become character traits in his son's adult life. The advice Dad is getting from his son's therapist is that he and his wife need to back off. But is this the right step to take for a healthy path forward? Listen in to learn: • How to “back off” the right way • How to work together towards a common goal • Tips for moving forward collaboratively for everyone involved ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/the-therapist-says-to-back-off-should-i/   Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/NeilDBrownLCSW/ https://twitter.com/neildbrownlcsw http

What do you do when you’ve taken some good parenting steps and your previously violent 13-year-old daughter is back in control? Is that enough, or is there more to do? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a grandmother who is raising her 13-year-old granddaughter. Her granddaughter used to exhibit violent, destructive behavior. But, after utilizing the tools outlined in my book, Ending the Parent-Teen Control Battle, and my course of the same name, she saw some great results. The work isn't over yet, though. Her granddaughter still has some areas of improvement. Grandma wonders if she should expect more from her granddaughter and help her grow or simply live with her improved-upon behavior. So, what steps should this grandmother take moving forward? Listen in to learn: → About the necessity of accountability to benevolent parental authority → The importance of validating and showing empathy for your teen's feelings when “raising the bar” → How my Parenting Course can help your family, too ..

What do you do when your husband is letting his very disturbed adult son take him and his business downhill? This week, I address concerns from a woman who is facing some pretty tough challenges with her husband, their small business, and her adult stepson. Her husband has been enabling his adult son since he was a teenager. His son has some severe issues and his deteriorating condition and behavior are destroying the business. Dad has turned to alcohol to handle the stress, which, of course, is not a healthy coping mechanism. His wife loves him but doesn’t want to tolerate the situation. She wants to know if there is anything she can do to turn things around. So, what can this family, who is on an enablement train, do to create desperately need change? Listen in to learn: • Standards for successfully mixing family and business • How to set limits and address critical issues in a failing marriage • How to ask for the help you need in therapy ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: http

What do you do when your relationship with your truly terrific teenage daughter with learning disabilities has turned into a daily battle over homework?   This week, I answer a question from a Mom who is struggling to support her teenage daughter in getting her schoolwork completed.   Mom has provided ample support to her daughter who has struggled with a learning disability since elementary school.   She has stayed on top of her daughter's needs, resourced her needs, been her advocate in the schools, and filled in the gaps in her executive functioning at home.   But, it can be quite a challenge to support a special needs teenager in the area of her or his disability and support their independence at the same time.   So, what steps can this mom and other parents of teens with disabilities take to teach their child how to manage responsibilities?   Listen in to learn: → About the intricacies of the transitional years of adolescence → The importance of teaching your teenager with disabilities to be their own ad

What do you do when your very normal 17-year-old starts to fail in their senior year? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a Dad who is trying to help his 17-year-old son, who suddenly seems to no longer care about school or college.   There are many challenges at play, like failing grades and a lack of motivation to attend college, but the most concerning is his son's substance abuse.  What started out as "normal teen behavior" that was never addressed appears to have turned into a destructive issue. Dad and Mom are now at a loss for what steps to take next to get their son back on track. With the times we're living in, many parents may be faced with teenagers who are in a downward spiral. So, what can we do? Listen in to learn: → Why substance abuse is a challenge that needs to be addressed first → Tips on how parents can address issues early to avoid major problems later   → How my new Parenting Course can provide guidance on moving forward ...and more!   Visit our website for the full sh

How do you keep your son caught up with his work when you only have 50% custody, he won’t do it on his own, and his father won’t take responsibility? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a Mom having a challenging time getting her 15-year-old son to take responsibility for his school work. Unfortunately, she's not getting any support from her ex-husband. She's stuck in a Control Battle with her son and needs advice on how to teach her son to be accountable for his actions. Many families are distancing learning right now, and a lot of them are also splitting custody. You could be facing a very similar situation with your teenagers. So, what can parents do to set healthy limits while feeling undermined by the other custodial parent? Listen in to learn: • Why your teenager needs to be responsible for their own motivation • How to motivate students who aren't academically talented • Ways my new Parenting Course can help you and your family ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes

What do you do when your daughter is hibernating in her room, has a history of cutting, is on meds, in counseling, but remains depressed? This week, I answer a question from a mom who is concerned about her daughter’s mental health problems. She feels lost and doesn't know what else she can do to help her daughter thrive. There are lots of parents out there who can relate to this Mom's concerns, especially given the current pandemic and changes in our sense of normalcy. So, what steps can this mom and parents like her take to help their teenagers achieve mental health? Listen in to learn: • How the way we frame a problem helps or hinders the solution • The critical elements necessary for mental health • Ways my new Parenting Course can help you and your family ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/meds-counseling-and-no-change/    Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/NeilDBrownLCSW/ https://twitter.com/neildbrownlcsw https://inst

What do you do when you move to a new country, work to put a roof over your child’s head, only to have them say that they hate you? This week, I answer a question from a mom who is facing a challenge with her daughter after moving to a new country, and in turn, a whole new culture. The expectations of teens and the journey of adolescence vary widely among cultures. Many parents who make a move to a new country find themselves stuck in a control battle with her teens and young adults. This mom is no different. So, what can she do to mend the relationship and open up communication? Listen in for: → The difference between surviving and thriving → How to bridge the gap of understanding between you and your teenager → How culture plays a role in parenting ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/parenting-in-a-new-culture/    Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/NeilDBrownLCSW/ https://twitter.com/neildbrownlcsw https://instagram.com/nei

What do you do when you fall in love with someone who has a young adult child at home, and they don’t like you upsetting their very comfortable, dysfunctional lifestyle? This week, I address a question from a gentleman named Christopher who is dating the mother of a 20-year-old son. Christopher is concerned that his girlfriend is enabling her young adult son who abuses cannabis and doesn’t work or help around the house. He cares about her son and wants to help him grow into a capable young man. But, how can he do that without becoming “the bad guy”? Listen in for: • How to know when the situation is right for getting involved in a romantic relationship with a parent • Why it’s hard for parents to end their enabling behaviors in parent-young adult relationships • How to have an open and constructive conversation with a parent about their young adult child ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/my-son-doesnt-like-it-when-youre-around/    Follow us

What do you do when your kids won’t own up to a problem and you don’t know whom to hold responsible? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a mom who is trying her best to teach her sons responsibility, but is struggling to get the message across. Taking responsibility is an important value to learn. While this mom's intention and her plan is great, she's facing challenges with getting cooperation from her sons. What are her opportunities here? Listen in for: → Tips for identifying whether or not parental burnout is undermining your parenting → How to adjust the execution of your strategy → Learning whether your self-esteem injury plays a role in your parenting ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/i-didnt-do-it/   Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/NeilDBrownLCSW/ https://twitter.com/neildbrownlcsw https://instagram.com/neildbrownlcsw  https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbrownlcsw

What do you do when you have a Special Needs Child throwing fits while you are struggling to make a living and be a good mother to all your kids? This week on the podcast, I answer a question from a mother of 3 kids, one of whom has special needs. She is struggling to manage the household, work a full-time job, and teach her remote-learning children. She's facing particular challenges with her youngest son. This mom is stuck in a control battle and experiencing Pandemic Parental Burnout. Most people parenting during the pandemic can recognize and appreciate these challenges. Listen in for: → How to find solutions to parental burnout → Strategies to get everyone to do their part in the household → Tips for teaching self-regulation and ending tantrums ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/i-cant-do-everything/    Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/NeilDBrownLCSW/ https://twitter.com/neildbrownlcsw https://instagram.com/neildbrownl