Loss can be hard to deal with at any age. Yet, the teenage years are often when people experience their first serious loss when everything is already so difficult. So, if a teen learns poor coping mechanisms at this stage in life, it can cause lasting damage. Whether...

The holidays are a time for family, gratitude, and goodwill towards all. Problem is, if you have a troubled teen in the house, you likely have a good deal of disruption already on your hands. It can make the approaching holidays more stressful as you try to figure out...

Plenty of parents complain about the teenage years, but if you are parenting a troubled teen, it can feel like no one can really understand. Sure, maybe one of your friend’s teenage daughter is dating a scruffy boy that the family doesn’t like—at least they know where...

No parent wants to find out that their teen is engaging in self-harm. Unfortunately, in recent years, the number of teens who self-harm—particularly cutting—has risen. There can be many reasons why a teen may engage in self-harm, from emotional turmoil to a form of...

Parents often expect their teens to date in high school. Even parents who prefer that their teens not engage in exclusive relationships often want their teens to participate in group dates. But when a teen isn’t interested in dating, it can be concerning to some...

What parents say to their children is clearly important, as it can affect their sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and confidence, leading teens to struggle and potentially engage in troubled behavior to soothe their feelings. But what isn’t as well understood is how...

Most parents brace for the teenage years and expect a certain amount of parenting struggle. But when a teen is defiant or struggles with a disorder like Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), the difficulty level of raising that teen rises. Add to that a diagnosis of...

Often, when adults discuss underdeveloped teenage brains, it’s usually in reference to troubled teen behavior or how teens will engage in poor decision-making. But there can be positives to the fact that teenagers’ brains are still developing. Developing Brains Mean...

With savvy and aggressive marketing, vaping has cemented a corner of the tobacco industry—an industry that was starting to decline before e-cigarettes hit the scene. While e-cigarettes can be helpful as a part of a smoking cessation program, many teens are picking up...

As a resource for parents considering various troubled teen programs, we have talked to many parents who have enrolled their teenagers at least one troubled teen program. These parents are often frustrated, as the program they chose didn’t have the desired impact on...