Failure to Launch: Working with Teens & Parents w/ Deborah Epstein

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On Episode 18 Matt speaks with guest Deborah Epstein who is a former teacher, guidance counsellor and now a psychotherapist in private practice in Toronto, Ontario. For 20 years, Deborah has worked with children and adolescents in the school system. She has extensive experience working with Middle School students and teenagers. Much of her career has focused on helping children and adolescents learn to problem-solve effectively and to enhance self-esteem and confidence. She is passionate about helping adolescents develop strong resiliency and coping skills and the ability to communicate effectively so they can successfully navigate through life’s challenges.
On this episode we cover:

-School system- counselling, trauma, focus on behavior, emotions
-Counselling children, teens and their parents
-Failure to launch teens
-Struggles of working in the school system
-Anxiety in kids- role of social media, lack of coping skills, parents accommodating/lack of push
-Protecting children from failure, pain, stress
-Changing relationship from correcting to connecting
-Instructional parenting
-Routine and structure with teenagers
-How to balance therapeutic work with teens and their parents
-Running a private practice and the pressures of being a new therapist
-How to get teens to buy into therapy and making changes
-The tough positions teenagers put therapists in
-Consequencing and behavior management approaches
-Helping parents to identify and express emotions in healthy ways
-Emotion Focused Family Therapy
-Building self esteem and confidence and the impacts of social media
-Tips for balancing private practice and number of clients with your own self care and energy levels

Recommended book: Adele LaFrance- “What to say to kids when nothing seems to work”

For more information about Deborah Epstein check out her website