Healthy Family Connections

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom struggling with her son about what school to enroll in for next year.  Son has special learning needs, but just wants to go to the big local high school and be treated as a “regular kid”.  Mom fears he won’t be successful and doesn’t look forward to trying to get the administration to accommodate his needs. 

In this episode, Neil responds to a Dad whose 16 year-old son is depressed, unmotivated and piling up zeros in his classes. Dad doesn’t want to “come down on him” and add to his depression and wants to know what to do.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom whose 17 year old is living with his girlfriend, going downhill, and not communicating with his parents.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom whose husband agrees with their teenage son, that there’s no difference between Mom having a martini and their son smoking a joint.  Substance abuse and teens is of course bad news, but that’s the easy part.  Neil gives Mom a plan to change the destructive family dynamic.

In this episode, Neil shares powerful insights from the book Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff.  In this groundbreaking book, Michaeleen, an investigative reporter writes what she learns living in three different hunting and gathering cultures with her hard to manage toddler in tow. Her experiences and insights contradict much of what we believe about good parenting.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Dad whose son has been suspended twice in his first year of high school.  Dad is concerned at multiple levels seeing his son as lacking remorse and seeking recognition in very destructive ways.  Neil identifies the critical issues likely going on with this young man and offers the two major elements a school environment will need to provide for him to succeed. Most importantly though, Neil emphasizes the need for Dad to be a powerful ally and advocate for his son.

In this episode, Neil looks at the Royal Family through a Family Therapist’s eyes. Neil reveals two important characteristics of families that lead to dysfunction or family wellness.  

In this episode, Neil interviews psychologist, ADHD and Executive Function expert, and author of 6 Super Skills For Executive Functioning, Dr. Lara Honos-Webb.  In this powerful interview, Dr. Lara and Neil discuss the importance of adolescence as a time for growing executive function.  In it, they identify the best ways to engage teens in this critical developmental process.  Additionally, they offer numerous specific tools to help kids without lecturing and fighting. 

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom concerned that her 16 year-old son will never be able to manage his adult life. Mom has tried a lot of ways to motivate him, but he continues to procrastinate, not get things done, and not turn them in when he does. Neil offers Mom a two-pronged approach to help him grow his executive functioning and end the parent-teen control battle.

In this episode Neil responds to a therapist working with a family with a depressed, non-compliant teenager.  The therapist is using Neil’s Parenting Course and wants guidance for how to conduct The Talk when the teenager’s world is so limited.  What can they take away when he needs everything for school and even a minimal social life? 

In this episode Neil reviews a blog post where a Mom shares her story of turning her painful relationship with her teen daughter around.  Neil appreciates her approach yet recognizes that 1) It can be harder than it sounds and why, and 2) Often, destructive teen behavior has to be called out and immediately addressed. Neil explains that like the Mom in the story ending her Control Battle, calling out destructive behavior must be done in a way that is outside of and is part of ending a Parent-Teen Control Battle.  Neil shares his powerful method for doing just that.

In this episode Neil responds to a Mom whose previously successful and responsible 17 year-old son is smoking and vaping marijuana and his school performance is going down as well. Neil helps this Mom understand what might be going on with her son given a recent divorce, a pandemic and at-home learning, as well as entering a new stage of development. Neil then provides a healthy way to engage him while maintaining accountability.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom whose 15-year-old son is on probation for theft and feels undermined by the Probation Officer.  Neil explains the importance of helping professionals and agencies in supporting families and healthy family structure.  In addition to providing insight into the workings of probation departments, Neil helps this Mom advocate for herself and her needs to provide her son the structure and support he desperately needs.

In this episode Neil responds to a Mom looking for ways to help her 13 year-old raging, cutting daughter.  Neil shows Mom how being reasonable with an emotionally out of control daughter is unreasonable and offers Mom four steps to action instead.  

What do you do when your 16-year-old son turns your house upside down with drama and emotion, displays defiance, is argumentative, aggressive, loud, has provoking behaviors, and fits the description of Narcissistic Personality Disorder? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a mom who wonders whether her teenage son has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). After doing some research, Mom discovered that her son's behavior exactly lines up with the traits of an individual with NPD. She wants to know if there is a solution to helping her son ditch these negative traits. What can Mom do to help her son turn things around and build healthy personality traits into his young adulthood? Listen in to learn: → The two necessary elements for a healthy personality → How a difference in temperaments can result in Control Battles → Tips for addressing critical issues with your teenager ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/does-my-son-have-narcis

What do you do when you’re 15-year-old is avoiding responsibilities and smoking weed, and the therapist you’re going to says as parents, you need to back off? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a father who is questioning the advice he's getting from his son's therapist. Dad is stuck in a Control Battle with his son, who's developing some unhealthy habits. We don't want these habits to become character traits in his son's adult life. The advice Dad is getting from his son's therapist is that he and his wife need to back off. But is this the right step to take for a healthy path forward? Listen in to learn: • How to “back off” the right way • How to work together towards a common goal • Tips for moving forward collaboratively for everyone involved ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: https://neildbrown.com/17-blog/podcast/the-therapist-says-to-back-off-should-i/   Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/NeilDBrownLCSW/ https://twitter.com/neildbrownlcsw http

What do you do when you’ve taken some good parenting steps and your previously violent 13-year-old daughter is back in control? Is that enough, or is there more to do? In this week's episode, I answer a question from a grandmother who is raising her 13-year-old granddaughter. Her granddaughter used to exhibit violent, destructive behavior. But, after utilizing the tools outlined in my book, Ending the Parent-Teen Control Battle, and my course of the same name, she saw some great results. The work isn't over yet, though. Her granddaughter still has some areas of improvement. Grandma wonders if she should expect more from her granddaughter and help her grow or simply live with her improved-upon behavior. So, what steps should this grandmother take moving forward? Listen in to learn: → About the necessity of accountability to benevolent parental authority → The importance of validating and showing empathy for your teen's feelings when “raising the bar” → How my Parenting Course can help your family, too ..

What do you do when your husband is letting his very disturbed adult son take him and his business downhill? This week, I address concerns from a woman who is facing some pretty tough challenges with her husband, their small business, and her adult stepson. Her husband has been enabling his adult son since he was a teenager. His son has some severe issues and his deteriorating condition and behavior are destroying the business. Dad has turned to alcohol to handle the stress, which, of course, is not a healthy coping mechanism. His wife loves him but doesn’t want to tolerate the situation. She wants to know if there is anything she can do to turn things around. So, what can this family, who is on an enablement train, do to create desperately need change? Listen in to learn: • Standards for successfully mixing family and business • How to set limits and address critical issues in a failing marriage • How to ask for the help you need in therapy ...and more!   Visit our website for the full show notes: http