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Sometimes the hardest part of helping a teen is realizing that love alone is not enough. For one family, the decision to seek outside help came only after years of trying everything they could on their own. They worked with specialists, made school adjustments, and tried every plan that promised progress. But nothing seemed to bring peace or consistency.

When both their pediatrician and their son’s school administrators said, “You’ve done everything you can. It’s time to let someone else help,” the family finally listened. What followed was a long drive across several states filled with uncertainty and quiet prayers for direction.

Their first two visits were discouraging. One program felt impersonal, the next chaotic. Then, as they pulled into Turning Winds, something shifted. The atmosphere was calm. The staff listened without judgment. For the first time, these parents felt understood and hopeful.

They describe walking out after several hours and looking at each other with a sense of certainty they hadn’t felt in years. “This is it,” they said. “This is where he can heal.”

The Moment Connection Replaced Control

When they shared the plan with their son, they expected anger or rebellion. Instead, they saw relief. It was the first sign that the path ahead might look different than they feared.

He began to rediscover his strengths. He started completing his schoolwork, found joy in outdoor activities, and eventually took on a leadership role within the program. More than academics, he developed confidence and maturity that reached far beyond campus life.

The Lessons That Last

Their story is one of courage, faith, and the power of letting go. It reminds parents that progress rarely happens on our timeline and that structure, consistency, and connection can rebuild what once felt lost.

If you’re navigating uncertainty or wondering when to take the next step, you’re not alone. Turning Winds has helped hundreds of families find clarity, restore trust, and begin again.

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Healing from Trauma as a Teen in Residential Treatment · How emotional growth begins when safety and trust are restored.

From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a shift in approach helps families reconnect through empathy and understanding.

Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Supporting teens in building insight and self-regulation that lasts beyond treatment.

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Give Them Enough Time · Why patience and consistency are key to long-term change.

How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning difficult moments into opportunities for growth.

The Turning Winds Difference · A closer look at the structure, philosophy, and environment that make progress possible.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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Welcome to the Turning Winds Podcast, where we highlight the voices and ideas that help families navigate teen challenges.

This episode features Dr. Foster Cline, one of the most influential voices in modern parenting and child psychology. Dr. Cline is the co-founder of the world-renowned Love and Logic Institute, a bestselling author, and a sought-after speaker who has spent decades shaping how parents, educators, and clinicians connect with children. His work has guided millions of families across the globe and continues to stand as a trusted resource for raising resilient, responsible kids.

At Turning Winds, we have seen how Dr. Cline’s philosophy transforms family dynamics. Parents arrive expecting to solve problems with stricter rules or tighter boundaries, but they quickly learn that real progress begins with curiosity and compassion. Dr. Cline explains why asking thoughtful questions like, “What’s your plan?” does more to build responsibility than lectures or commands. He shows how language matters and replacing “advice” with “observations” keeps conversations open rather than defensive.

Listeners will hear Dr. Cline describe why teens rebel less against parents who show genuine interest in their lives and how creating systems of natural consequences, not punishments, allows kids to learn without feeling controlled. These approaches are not just theory. They are practical tools families can start using right away to reduce conflict, strengthen trust, and encourage growth.

This conversation is also a reminder that seeking care is not a sign of failure but of strength. Turning Winds provides the environment where these ideas come to life every day... a place filled with structure, consistency, and love. Many teens who once resisted guidance later return to mentor or work alongside us, a reflection of the impact that both Turning Winds and Dr. Cline’s work continue to have.

Join us for an episode with Dr. Foster Cline, a pioneer in child psychology and one of the most respected parenting experts in the world. His insights will leave you with a renewed sense of how curiosity, connection, and love can change everything for families.

Recommended Podcasts

From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a mindset of curiosity reduces conflict and builds responsibility.

Balancing Natural and Imposed Consequences in Parenting · Using thoughtful consequences to teach without lectures or power struggles.

Helping Teens Become Goal Setters: Let’s Start the Year Right · Practical ways to help teens take ownership and follow through on commitments.

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Curious Parenting to Support Your Kids · Why questions like “What’s your plan?” foster accountability and trust.

How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning mistakes into learning moments while keeping conversations open.

Give Them Enough Time · How time, structure, and consistent relationships create lasting change.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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What if your teen could stop being “managed by the world” and start managing themselves? 

Carl pulls back the curtain on what emotional intelligence really is and why it matters more than grades, discipline, or even motivation. For many teens, powerful emotions arrive like tidal waves. They react, they lash out, they shut down, and the cycle repeats. What they do not realize is that their lack of emotional awareness is running the show. At Turning Winds, the goal is not to fix broken kids, but to help them see and repair the broken processes that hold them back.

In this conversation, you will hear how emotional IQ training transforms reactivity into regulation and shame into curiosity. Carl explains why curiosity is the secret weapon. Instead of beating themselves up, teens learn to get curious about their own patterns. That curiosity builds confidence, because when they can map cause and effect in their own emotional lives, they realize they have control. With control comes real self-worth.

Parents will recognize the power of this shift. Think about the difference between a teen who shouts, “You make me so mad!” and one who pauses to ask, “Why did that hit me so hard?” That is emotional intelligence in action, and it is exactly what Turning Winds staff teach in the moment every single day.

Carl also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the stages of change most students go through. In the beginning, they need constant management and structure. Three months in, they start owning their language, behaviors, and coping skills. By six months, many are managing half their challenges on their own. By the time they are ready to transition home, the goal is clear: a self-managing young person who knows when they are off track and has the tools to intervene before things spiral.

Emotional IQ is a skill set that changes everything from anger to self-confidence, from impulsivity to resilience. As Carl reminds us, it is not just about teens. It is something every parent can practice too.

Subscribe to the podcast for more powerful insights on helping teens grow, thrive, and find their way.

Recommended Podcasts

From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a mindset of curiosity reduces conflict and builds responsibility.

Balancing Natural and Imposed Consequences in Parenting · Using thoughtful consequences to teach without lectures or power struggles.

The Moment Everything Changed for Our Family at Turning Winds · A family reflects on finding clarity, connection and hope in treatment.

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Curious Parenting to Support Your Kids · Why questions like “What’s your plan?” foster accountability and trust.

How Grind Culture Harms Our Kids · Exploring how high-pressure environments impact teen emotional regulation.

How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · How structure, relationships and real-world purpose help teens regain strength and direction.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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Executive functioning is one of the most important yet often misunderstood areas of adolescent brain development. These skills shape how teens plan, organize, remember, prioritize, and follow through on tasks. When executive functioning develops unevenly, it can show up as missed assignments, self-sabotage, conflict at home, or difficulty with accountability. For many parents, teachers, and clinicians, the challenge lies in knowing whether a teen’s struggles come from lack of motivation or simply from a brain that is still building the skills it needs to succeed.

Kevin Zundl speaks with clinical expert Jared Sartell, LCSW about how executive functioning unfolds during adolescence and why this stage of life requires both patience and intentional support. Jared explains the 15 executive functioning skills that every adult relies on, including working memory, impulse control, initiation, and organization. Learn why these skills do not fully mature until the mid-twenties and why middle school is often the point where academic and behavioral challenges become more visible. Parents may suddenly feel their child “should” be able to handle responsibilities, when in reality the brain is not yet fully equipped to manage them.

By assessing executive function deficits, providing direct coaching, and creating structured opportunities for growth, clinicians can help teens develop healthy compensations and strategies that reduce risky behavior and improve academic performance. Jared shares examples of how executive functioning deficits can affect everything from turning in homework to managing emotions, and why targeted interventions make such a difference in treatment.

Parents, educators, and professionals will gain practical insights into questions such as:

• Why do some teens appear capable one day and unmotivated the next?
• How do hormones, social identity, and cognitive maturity interact with executive functioning?
• What strategies can parents use to maintain accountability without sliding into conflict?
• How can treatment programs provide concentrated, daily support that accelerates growth in executive functioning skills?

Recommended Podcasts

Healing from Trauma as a Teen in Residential Treatment · How emotional growth begins when safety and trust are restored.

From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a shift in approach helps families reconnect through empathy and understanding.

Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Supporting teens in building insight and self-regulation that lasts beyond treatment.

Recommended Reading

Give Them Enough Time · Why patience and consistency are key to long-term change.

How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning difficult moments into opportunities for growth.

The Turning Winds Difference · A closer look at the structure, philosophy, and environment that make progress possible.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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What if leadership isn’t something you’re born with but something you build? In this episode of the Turning Wind Podcast, Kevin Zundl speaks with Enoch and Carl about how teens evolve into authentic leaders during their time at Turning Winds.

They break down how the program creates space for students to shift from self-focus to service, from insecurity to confidence. You’ll hear about real kids who found their voice, earned respect, and built lasting relationships by showing up for others.

Topics include:

• How leadership begins during treatment
• What makes the Summit level so rare and meaningful
• Why quiet teens often lead by example
• How validation from peers transforms motivation
• The role of service, consistency, and connection in building identity

If you're a parent wondering whether this kind of growth is possible, this conversation is filled with reasons to believe it is.

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From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How families move from conflict toward connection and shared purpose.

Trust, Leadership and Life After Turning Winds · Why alumni carry leadership habits formed in treatment into lasting success.

Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Practical insights into how emotional awareness fuels leadership and resilience.

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Leadership Training at Turning Winds · How structured growth, service and mentoring shape leadership in teens.

How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Exploring the environment and mindset that support lasting transformation.

The Children We Heal · A deeper look at how the treatment model fosters growth, connection and meaningful change.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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What does real healing from trauma look like for a teen? In this episode of the Turning Winds podcast, you'll hear directly from an alumna who shares her personal journey from arriving guarded and disconnected to discovering trust, community, and a stronger sense of self.

She opens up about the challenges of treatment, the emotional growth she experienced, and how staff support, peer connection, and consistent therapeutic care helped her learn to process trauma and build lasting resilience.

Whether you're a parent exploring residential treatment for your teen, a clinician supporting youth with trauma, or someone seeking stories of hope, this conversation offers insight into what real change can look like.

Topics covered:

• Teen trauma and trust issues
• Emotional regulation in adolescents
• How residential treatment builds resilience
• What real leadership development looks like for teens
• Long-term outcomes for teens in therapeutic programs

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From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a mindset of curiosity replaces control and builds stronger connections.

When Teens Become Leaders Through Real Growth · How structure, trust and mentorship help teens transform into leaders.

Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Real tools for emotional awareness and self-management in teens.

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The Children We Heal · A detailed look at how community and connection support teen recovery at Turning Winds.

How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Exploring the internal culture that fosters growth, not just change.

Treating Reactive Attachment Disorder · Understanding how trauma-based attachments impact teens and how treatment addresses them.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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In this special episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, an alumnus returns to campus and sits down with host Kevin Zundl to reflect on the journey that changed his life. Years after completing the program, Aiden shares how the emotional support, academic structure, and peer connection he found at Turning Winds continue to guide his path forward.

Now studying psychology and helping others as a peer mentor, Aiden talks about the real work of personal transformation, what it takes to build lasting change, and why he still carries the lessons he learned with him every day.

Listen to hear:

• What he struggled with before entering treatment
• How he turned things around emotionally and academically
• Why his return to campus feels like coming home
• What advice he offers to teens and families considering treatment

Recommended Podcasts

From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How families move from conflict toward connection and shared purpose.

Balancing Natural and Imposed Consequences in Parenting · Using thoughtful consequences to teach without lectures or power struggles.

Trust, Leadership and Life After Turning Winds · A deeper look at how alumni carry skills learned in treatment into their next chapter.

Recommended Reading

Give Them Enough Time · How patience and consistency set the stage for lasting change.

How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · An inside view of how structure, relationship, and experience create growth.

The Turning Winds Difference · A behind-the-scenes look at how our therapeutic, academic and experiential elements come together.

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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This is what it sounds like when a treatment provider steps up, not only for the families they serve, but for families across an entire state.

In this episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, host Kevin Zundl speaks with John and Owen Baisden about their pivotal role in helping write and advocate for Montana Senate Bill 191 (SB191). This bipartisan legislation creates a new license for Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs) in Montana, expanding access to care for teens with commercial insurance.

They share what motivated the effort, the challenges families faced due to the previous licensing gap, and why SB191 marks a major step forward in Montana’s mental health landscape. The conversation also explores how this effort reflects Turning Winds' broader mission to support both clinical excellence and community well-being.

Whether you are a parent, provider, or policymaker, this behind-the-scenes look offers insight into how real change takes shape through collaboration, advocacy, and a clear vision for better care.

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Trust, Leadership and Life After Turning Winds · How alumni apply leadership habits formed in treatment into lasting success.

When Teens Become Leaders Through Real Growth · How structure, trust and mentorship help teens transform into leaders.

Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Practical insights into how emotional awareness fuels leadership and resilience.

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The Turning Winds Difference · A closer look at how treatment, academic and experiential elements come together to create change.

How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Exploring the environment, relationships and structure that support lasting transformation.

Helping America’s Traumatized Youth · Insight into the broader landscape of adolescent mental health and how relational care makes a difference.

Keywords: Montana mental health, SB191, residential treatment center license, Turning Winds podcast, teen treatment, adolescent care, behavioral health policy, access to care, mental health advocacy, bipartisan legislation, family support, RTC Montana

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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What happens when teens leave behind comfort, routine, and screen time to immerse themselves in a new culture focused on service, connection, and perspective?

In this episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, host Kevin Zundl speaks with Kimberly Sparks, LCPC, a licensed clinical professional counselor with more than 24 years of experience working with adolescents. Together, they explore the transformative power of Turning Winds’ international service trips. Their latest journey to Belize offers a firsthand look at how real-world experiences help teens shift from seeing themselves as part of the problem to becoming part of the solution.

They talk through how activities like building water towers, engaging with local communities, and stepping outside comfort zones create space for emotional growth, self-worth, and lasting change.

Topics include:

• Why experiential learning supports deeper therapeutic breakthroughs
• How international travel helps teens build genuine confidence
• The importance of service and connection in a teen’s healing journey
• How relational environments create more sustainable change than clinical ones alone

Whether you are a parent exploring treatment or a provider curious about impactful programming, this episode offers a compelling look into what makes the Turning Winds approach so effective.

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From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How families move from conflict toward connection and shared purpose.

Healing from Trauma as a Teen in Residential Treatment · Discover what emotional safety and trust really look like in teen treatment.

What Really Happens When Teens Get Treatment and Return Home · Insight into the transition from structured care back to family and daily life.

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Leadership Training at Turning Winds · How structured growth, service and mentoring help teens lead themselves and others.

How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Examining how consistency, relationship and real-world purpose foster lasting change.

At Turning Winds Therapy Goes Deeper · A closer look at the integrated clinical and experiential model that supports change.

Keywords: experiential learning, therapeutic service trips, teen mental health, Turning Winds, Belize, emotional growth, adolescent therapy, healing through service, teen treatment program, connection-based care

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

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Why do parents react so emotionally when teens make mistakes? How do we balance authority with empathy without robbing kids of their self-worth?

In this episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, host Kevin Zundl talks with Carl Baisden about what really happens in the heat of parenting challenges. From late-night gaming arguments to school stress and emotional shutdowns, they explore how these moments often reveal deeper emotional patterns and unmet needs.

Through stories from the field and grounded clinical insight, they dive into:

• Why failure is essential to growth for both teens and parents
• How to use structure in a way that avoids shame
• What identity clashes look like between parents and teens
• Why letting kids face natural consequences builds long-term resilience
• How to reconnect after conflict and encourage agency and trust

Whether you're supporting a teen in treatment or just trying to get through the week, this episode offers practical tools and fresh perspective on how connection can shift everything.

Recommended Podcasts

Balancing Natural and Imposed Consequences in Parenting · Using thoughtful consequences to teach without lectures or power struggles.

Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · How emotional awareness and self-regulation build a foundation for long-term growth.

The Moment Everything Changed for Our Family at Turning Winds · A family’s story of arriving at Turning Winds and rediscovering connection and hope.

Recommended Reading

How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning mistakes into learning opportunities while keeping communication open.

Curious Parenting to Support Your Kids · Why asking the right questions matters more than delivering strict answers.

Give Them Enough Time · Why patience, structure, and relationship make lasting change possible.

Keywords: parenting teens, emotional regulation, adolescent therapy, teen mental health, family therapy podcast, Turning Winds, parenting mistakes, raising resilient kids, emotional growth, parenting in recovery, clinical insights, behavioral health podcast, teen development, therapeutic parenting

For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.