Laurie and Nate Page are the therapists behind Northfield Dynamic Therapy.  They met with us to talk through parenting over the transition to adulthood.  In their practice, they specialize in working with young adults in college, particularly neurodiverse students.  In our conversation, we talked more broadly about graduating, parenting young adults and creating some space for our newly minted grads to figure things out on their own.  We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

Dr. Jen Doty shares tips for parents based on the research on how to promote healthy technology use using the T.E.C.H. Parenting framework.  She encourages parents to take a developmental appoach, restricting younger children, but taking a more conversational and active approach as children get older so they can learn to handle technology on their own as they become adults.

In this episode, Jen interviews Jess as a therapist to get her tips  for strengthening relationships with teens.  She suggests a dose of self-care and some practical advice for finding balance in parent-child interactions.  As always, listening to Jess has a calming effect on the frayed nerves of a busy parent!

So many young people are walking away from faith in recent years.  We invited Jonathan and Kara Sherman to talk with us about how to handle it when a child goes through a faith transition and how to keep parent-child relationships strong despite differing points of view. Jonathan is a marriage and family therapist and Kara has been a stay-at-home mom and a child advocate.  They bring a wealth of personal and professional insight on this tender yet important topic. 

Do you ever feel like you can't get your teen to talk with you?  Dr. Jen Doty and clinical therapist Jess Peterson share seven tips based in research and therapy practices to get better at asking questions, affirming, and listening to your teens.  These communication practices apply to any relationships.  They remind us that even if we know all the rules, putting good communication into place takes mindfulness, intention, and a little bit of grace. 

In this episode, Dr. Jen Doty and clinical therapist Jessica Peterson talk about toxic perfectionism.  In a world that constantly holds up high expectations, it can be hard to be compassionate with ourselves when we slip up. When we practice letting go of perfectionism and learning from our mistakes, though, our kids see that and learn to do the same. Join us for a conversation about giving ourselves a bit of grace.

Meghan Decker joins us this week to share ways to support LGBTQ youth.  She dives into some of the research and statistics but also shares her own life experiences and wisdom.  To read Meghan's blogs and learn about her book Tender Leaves of Hope, visit her website at https://meghandecker.com/.

At the start of our second season, we talked with Tammy Hill, a relationship expert, about encouraging relationship skills in teens. She talks about changes in what teens face today, including dealing with ghosting and comparisons on the internet. She shares her compelling personal stories and tips for parenting teens and modeling relationship skills. Learn from more about her workshops and podcast, Live Your Why, at www.tammyhill.com. 

We all look forward to summer, but do you ever find yourself pulling your hair out half way through? In this episode, Jen and Jess invited two special guests to talk through some tips on how to be intentional about enjoying bonding time with your family at home or on the road. Join them with their husbands, Matthew Doty and Lance Peterson, in a lively discussion on how to not just survive summer but savor it! Click in the link above for the new podcast episode!

In honor of father's day, this month we talk about fathers.  Erin Holmes and Kevin Shafer, professors at Brigham Young University share their research on fathers.  We had a great time talking about how fathers contribute to healthy development, stereotypes of fathers, and ways fathers can help build resilience. Erin and Kevin each shared some personal tips of what they have learned in their personal parenting journeys as well.