Parenting Post-Wilderness: Parenting a Struggling Teen Before, During and After Treatment

Implementing parenting tools as preventative measures, even before things get out of hand, is absolutely invaluable when it comes to parenting a struggling teen. Changing the environment, being able to regulate your own emotions differently, being able to relate to your kid’s emotions and reason with your kid differently, are all skills that can be learned. 

Today’s guest, Laura Goldstein, has developed an incredibly valuable resource for parents to learn these tools which they can employ not only for their kids but also for themselves. With the development of TheraCourses, Laura made these skills available for parents from anywhere.

In this episode on preventative measures, we discuss:

• The importance of implementing parenting strategies as preventative measures, before things get out of hand;
• Why it’s so important to put what you learn into practice;
• Learning new parenting skills and tools is a muscle that can be trained;
• How TheraCourses helps parents learn new parenting skills and implement them right away;
• Modeling the behavior you wish to see;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

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Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

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More about Laura Goldstein

Laura Goldstein is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist in Rockville MD. She is the founder and Executive Director of Montgomery County Counseling Center and the founder of TheraCourses, which she will talk more about in next week’s episode! She has worked across multiple settings including in-home behavioral health services, IOPS for adolescent dual diagnosis treatment and young adults struggling to launch, and her private practice. 

You can learn more about Laura here or about TheraCourses by clicking here.

If you’re familiar with my work or have listened to my podcast before, you know how I strive to help parents see their own part and take responsibility for it. Today I’m having such a valuable conversation around this with my guest, Laura Goldstein, LMFT. She shares some amazing metaphors that will really help shift the way we think and show us the role parents play in their family’s dynamics and their child’s behavior.


Laura also provides us with a very clear explanation of different kinds of therapists out there to help you choose which one is best for your family.


In this episode on doing your own work and finding the right therapist, we discuss: 

• The difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist;
• An explanation of the difference between an LMFT, LCSW, etc.;
• Great metaphors to show the role parents play in the family dynamics and their child’s behavior;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

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Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

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More about Laura Goldstein

Laura Goldstein is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist in Rockville MD. She is the founder and Executive Director of Montgomery County Counseling Center and the founder of TheraCourses, which she will talk more about in next week’s episode! She has worked across multiple settings including in-home behavioral health services, IOPS for adolescent dual diagnosis treatment and young adults struggling to launch, and her private practice. 

We’re rounding up our Wilderness series with this episode on transitioning your child home after wilderness or other treatment. Don’t forget parents, wilderness (or treatment) is not a one-stop-fix for anything. Once your child comes home, a new chapter of your family’s journey begins. 

In this episode on transitioning your child home from wilderness, we discuss:

• Beth’s story of transitioning her son home;
• The reasons why Beth and her family decided to bring her son directly home from wilderness;
• Things we would do differently;
• The honeymoon phase and what it looks like; 
• Moving towards healthier patterns in your family;
• Building your support team;
• Using a transition company;
• Having a home agreement;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

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Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

Have you already thought about what’s going to happen once wilderness is over? It’s a tough decision that every wilderness parent is faced with. It might feel overwhelming or you might even feel like you don’t have any options at all. But I want you to know that you do have options to choose from! 

This episode will help you make the best decision for your teen and your family!

In this episode on options to consider after wilderness therapy, we discuss:

• Many different options to consider for your teen and family after wilderness;
• A brief explanation of each option and who this might be best for;
• The differences between Residential treatment centers & Therapeutic boarding schools;
• Why your family’s therapist can not be the same as your teen’s therapist;
• Questions to ask yourself to come to the right decision for your family;
• And more!

As promised in the episode, here are the questions to ask yourself to decide whether to bring your teen directly home from wilderness or have them go to a Residential Treatment Centre (RTC) or a Therapeutic Boarding School (TBS):

• What do I most want for my child? (big picture)
• Who and where can they best provide this for my child?
• If my child will come home at some point, would I like it to be now or later?
• What socialization is going to be potentially missed in regards to family/school/developmental dynamic when they stay in an RTC or TBS?
• Is my child safe at home? (physically and emotionally)
• Do I want to be involved in my child’s decisions, feelings, behaviors, outcomes, goals, failures, and successes on a daily basis or more like a weekly basis? What level can I show up at?
• Am I willing to experience the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, the hard and the easy, every hour of every day?
• If there are ups and downs, which experience do I want our family to have?
• If there were no right or wrong decision, which would I choose?
• How or what do I need to change in myself to support my child in the best way possible and am I willing to do that?

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

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Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

Parent Trish is back to share her experiences when her severely depressed and suicidal young-adult son came back from wilderness. It didn’t take long for things to go downhill and her son to become suicidal again. As a family, they decided on one agreement that works for them and that changed everything. This agreement is sending a very powerful message to her son and reflects exactly what Trish has learned along the way. Tune in to find out more!

In this parent interview, we discuss:

• Trish’s experiences when her son came back from wilderness;
• What her son decided to do after wilderness;
• How he became suicidal again;
• The challenging situations after wilderness;
• The one agreement they have in their family now;
• The powerful underlying message this agreement sends to her son;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

Today’s parent, Trish, got her severely depressed and suicidal, young-adult son to choose to go to wilderness. We hear her journey of offering wilderness to her just 18-year-old son and what got him to go. She openheartedly shares her relief when he was there, her experience when he ran away, and the disappointment she felt after wilderness.

Trish is full of great advice for parents and I’m super excited to share it all with you! 

In this parent interview, we discuss:

• Her son’s challenges and her own;
• How her son got to wilderness;
• Where his son’s hesitancy to get help came from;
• The support Trish felt she got from the wilderness program;
• Incredible advice for parents;
• What it was like when her son came home from wilderness;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

Even though the things that are happening and the behavior your child is showing aren’t your fault, you do have a role to play in it. And if your child comes back from wilderness into the exact same environment and you haven’t worked on anything while they were away, your family will most likely be back where you were before wilderness in no-time.

So what can you work on while your child is in wilderness or any other therapy program? And how do you go about this? That’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in today’s episode!

In this episode on what parents can work on while their child is in therapy, we cover:

• What to look for in wilderness programs when it comes to parent support;
• Realizing what you have control over and doing your work on that;
• Questions to ask yourself;
• The difference between roles and relationships;
• Working on how you want to show up as a parent and who you want to be in that relationship;
• Both parents getting on the same page; 
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

You’ve decided wilderness will be the best next step for your family to take. But there are so many programs out there and every family has their own, unique needs. You’re gonna want to find the right fit. 

In this episode, we’ll walk you through the best ways and places to gather information about specific wilderness programs so you can find the best fit for your family. And if you’re unsure what questions to ask, we’ve got you covered!

In this episode on finding the best program for your family, we discuss:

• The best places to gather information and experiences about specific programs;
• The right person to speak to when you want more information;
• How an education consultant can help you;
• Questions you should be asking your education consultant or the program you’re interested in;
• The role of a field guide & field director;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

Expectations can be tricky, and so also when it comes to wilderness. To avoid going in with the wrong expectations as much as possible, we’re going to share with you today what wilderness is and what it is not so you can have realistic expectations before deciding whether or not it is the best option for your family.

Wilderness is not for everyone but it can be the reset your teen and family needs in life. Tune in to today’s episode to hear all our thoughts about what wilderness is and is not so you can make sure you step into it with the right expectations.

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

There’s so much to say about transport, so let’s continue our conversation with Gabriela Deambrosio! We talk about everything you need to know about transportation to wilderness and what things to consider. You might be surprised by my own story about my son’s transport to wilderness.

In the second part of the episode, we talk about the power of language and how the language many people use around transportation and the therapeutic field affects people’s view on it.

In this episode on transportation to wilderness and the language we use around it, we discuss:

• What you need to know about transport to wilderness;
• What to consider when it comes to transportation;
• Misconceptions about transport to wilderness;
• Beth’s story of their transportation choices to get their son to wilderness;
• Do your research before choosing a transportation company;
• Encouraging parents to know what language to use with their teens;
• Including siblings in the conversation to enhance understanding;
• And more!

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Instagram (@bethhillmancoaching) or go to my website www.bethhillmancoaching.com. And if you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more about my private coaching here or my group coaching here.

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!