5 Ways College Support Groups Save Struggling Students

College support groups prevent freshmen year “crash & burn.” For many years I’ve sat with stunned parents who asked, “What went wrong with my kid in college?” Their son or daughter left home upbeat and full of hope, only to return from freshman year overwhelmed, anxious or depressed. Yet they had excelled in high school. […]

Normal Adolescence or Not? Three Signs Your Teen Needs Therapy

How to tell the difference between normal adolescence and more serious conditions. Some kids pass through adolescence swiftly, with little turmoil. For others, puberty detonates like a time bomb; once it goes off, nothing is the same. As a psychotherapist, I’ve sat with many brokenhearted parents as they agonize over their teen’s behavior, mystified by […]

Parent’s Guide to the Gender Revolution

Your teenager is changing. You’re not sure what’s happening. You’re concerned. Gender identity 101 for Parents. Maybe your daughter ditched dresses for battered jeans and a leather jacket. Maybe your son started growing his hair long and wearing touches of make-up. You wonder, “Is it a fad? A phase? A sign of mental problems?” Welcome […]

7 Best Parenting Tools for Raising Teens in New York City

The ultimate resource guide for city parents. New York City can a teenager’s dream — and a parent’s nightmare. A massive playground with endless possibilities, and unforeseen hazards. At my New York City Parenting Workshops, parents of teenagers inevitably appear the most stressed out. Who can blame them? Compare NYC to other US cities and […]

Separation Anxiety in Adolescence: How to Grow A Healthy Teenager

Published in Issues in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Vol. 38 During adolescence, teens confront complex feelings toward their parents and find themselves caught in an anxiety-fueled dilemma: the wish to reject or distance themselves while they are unavoidably dependent on them and yearning for their approval. This clash of impulses fuels adolescent separation anxiety. What is the […]