In this episode, Meg Gluckman sits down with therapist, child specialist, and author Kristin Little to explore how to support teenagers through their parents' divorce. Kristin shares her unique approach as a child specialist in the Collaborative divorce process, offering practical guidance on communication, boundaries, and helping teens navigate this major life transition.

Kristin Little is a therapist, child specialist, and writer based in Seattle. She co-authored The Co-Parenting Handbook with Karen Bonnell and has been working as a child specialist in collaborative divorce since 2009. She also wrote No More Us, a book for people navigating the early stages of an unwanted divorce.

Website: KristinLittleCounseling.com

• The child specialist role – How Kristin brings children's voices into the collaborative divorce process through her "Classic 1-2-3" approach: meeting with parents, then children individually, then sharing feedback

• How teens differ from younger children – Teens have already built their own world and may feel frustrated that parents are disrupting their stability; they want independence while also craving explanations

• The information dilemma – Why parents should protect teens from adult information even when they insist they can handle it, and how to be transparent about why you're not sharing everything

• Creating a shared narrative – The importance of parents crafting an agreed-upon explanation that validates children's experience without encouraging them to take sides

• Supporting big emotions and repair – Validating teens' feelings as appropriate responses to major change, and the power of owning mistakes rather than trying to be perfect

Books Mentioned:

• The Co-Parenting Handbook by Karen Bonnell and Kristin Little
• The Stepfamily Handbook by Karen Bonnell
• No More Us by Kristin Little (for those navigating an unwanted divorce)
• Untangled and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour
• Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Dan Siegel (the "red book" for teen development)
• Smart but Scattered Teens by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare