I Don’t “Treat” Teen Anxiety. I Resolve What Causes It. “ “Anxiety” is becoming the single most self- or parent-diagnosed condition among teenagers. What is anxiety? Anxiety is the physical manifestation of a person hyper-overreacting to a perceived threat—typically not an actual threat. With their limited maturity and unsophisticated understanding of the world, teenagers fear…
When Teens Are Overwhelmed by Peer Pressure and School Stress Teens being overwhelmed by peer pressure and school stress is not, in itself, cause for a mental illness diagnosis or treatment! There is another way. What it is a sign of is that they are dealing with too many things that feel complicated to them—making…
I have a side hobby of making up new “mental health” diagnoses that I think should exist, but don’t yet. Yes, it’s partly for my own entertainment. But it’s also a way of acknowledging phenomena that are clearly unhealthy and largely unaddressed. Introducing: Grade Dysphoria (GD) Grade Dysphoria is the condition by which certain…
Why “Hook Up & Hope” Is A Bad Dating Strategy “I just wake in the morning and feel so bad about myself!” one college girl client recently shared with me after yet another night of partying and a casual “hook up”. She is far from the only one to wake up this morning feeling…
All new offering: Jeff will work exclusively with a select adolescent friend group, influencing them to aspire to a more mature, healthy life, and teaching them to support one another on their individual journeys.. Why: Adolescents are heavily influenced by their core peer group. When a peer group is either keeping them stuck in place,…
What To Do Now So They Are Ready Then This morning I received a NY Times email update featuring an editorial on a topic that is near and dear to my professional practice and personal life as a parent: College students and anxiety and readiness. I couldn’t agree more with the author and also couldn’t…
Alarming Trend With College Boys There is a deeply concerning experience that too many college students – particularly boys – are having now. It is perhaps best summed up by this line that one college sophomore shared with me a few weeks ago: “I feel like I am sleepwalking through my college experience, especially my…
Advice to A Nervous Guy About Asking Out A Girl: A 16 year old boy reached out to me today about a girl he likes who is now suddenly sending him signals of her mutual interest. It is not 100% clear that she is “into him” but certainly there is enough evidence to suggest she…
Boys vs Social Justice, Schools, Simping and Cynicism: It’s Time To Address The Elephant(s) In The Room: Many teen boys and young men are struggling with coming of age in a very complex, chaotic world that in it’s effort to “upgrade” and evolve, is instead too often diminishing and marginalizing them and at worse,…
Fundamental #6: The Need To Express and Enforce Boundaries Fundamental #7: Take Responsibility For Your Life – Personal Power Fundamental #8: What and How Fundamental #9: Respect First, Then Trust Fundamentals In Action: