Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

Some days with our neurodivergent teens feel impossibly difficult. I remember seasons when my husband would ask how the day went, and all I could honestly say was, “They’re still alive.” It wasn’t dramatic. It was real. Parenting teens who are still growing in judgment, impulse control, and emotional regulation can stretch us in ways we never expected.

In this episode, I’m sharing the mindset that helped me find steadiness on those difficult days. I talk about Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED Talk on teenage brain development, why “keep them alive till 25” became a lifeline for me, and how this perspective shifted the way I support my daughters as they move through the long, uneven road toward adulthood. I also share practical ways to build patience, develop a shared language with your teen, and create a support network that keeps you grounded, too.

As you listen, I hope you’ll feel a little less alone and a little more equipped to breathe through this season with compassion and grace.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Neuroanatomical Transformation of the Teenage Brain: Jill Bolte Taylor
• Episode 3: From Frustration to Compassion: Shifting to See Your Neurodivergent Teen as a “Baby Adult”
• The days are long, but the years are short. Gretchen Rubin video
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• Learn more about coaching with Crystal or attending a workshop.

Let’s connect:

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• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

Sometimes it feels like our teens listen to everyone except us. We pour out advice, offer support, and try to guide them, yet the ideas only seem to stick when someone else says the same thing. In this episode, I share what I’ve learned about this dynamic and how a simple mindset shift has helped me see these moments with much more peace and grace.

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

When you’re supporting a neurodivergent teen or young adult through a hard season, it’s easy to slip into survival mode. I’ve been there recently myself, and I was reminded how quickly we can run on empty without even noticing. Even when we love our children deeply, the weight of their needs can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, I share what this looked like in my own family and how I cared for myself through it. I talk about why this season feels so different from those early parenting years, what makes the unpredictability so exhausting, and how small, steady choices can help you stay present without burning out.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Your Body is Your Brain by Amanda Blake
• Somatic Awareness YouTube Playlist
• Free Pause + Listen audio guide and reflection prompts
• Flare Audio Calmer Attenuation Filters
• Loop Switch Attenuation Filters
• Breath by James Nestor
• Coaching with Crystal
• Brick by Brick Calming the Storm Workshop

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

Sometimes the smallest moments reveal the biggest truths. I recently had one of those moments with my daughter when she asked for help when I didn’t have the capacity to give it. I slipped into problem-solving mode, she grew frustrated, and I walked away wishing I had slowed down long enough to ask what she actually needed. That experience reminded me how powerful a simple pause can be, especially when emotions or expectations are running high.

In this episode, I talk about the power of pausing in our communication with neurodivergent teens and why silence, though uncomfortable, can create space for deeper thinking, emotional regulation, and genuine connection. I share what I’ve learned about giving our teens room to process, recognizing when they need support versus time to think, and becoming comfortable with the silence

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

🧘🏻‍♀️ How to Stay Calm When Your Teen’s Emotions Explode

⏸️ Slow down, breathe, and learn to embrace silence. Download the free Pause + Listen audio guide and reflection prompts.

🧱 Join our Brick by Brick Session

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

Interviews can be challenging for anyone, but for our neurodivergent teens, there’s a whole world beneath the surface that can create additional turbulence. The sensory load, social expectations, executive function demands, and emotional regulation required can make interview situations feel overwhelming.

In this episode, I talk about some of the hidden layers that make interviews uniquely difficult for differently wired teens and share practical ways you can support your teen or young adult during preparation, follow-up, and recovery.

As you listen, I hope you feel encouraged to slow down, notice what your teen needs, and walk with them in ways that help them feel safe and supported. Sometimes the most meaningful help we offer isn’t fixing anything at all, but simply being present.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

✨ Want to help your teen shine during interviews? Grab the free parent guide.

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

It’s easy to get swept up in our teen’s emotions—especially when they’re intense, unpredictable, or seem to come out of nowhere. As a mom of two neurodivergent daughters, I’ve had to learn (and relearn) how to stay grounded in the middle of emotional storms. The idea of being a thermostat instead of a thermometer changed everything for me.

In this episode, I share what it means to stay calm when conversations with your teen get tense. We’ll explore why mirror neurons make emotional regulation contagious, how empathy can make it harder to stay steady, and simple grounding techniques that help you find your center again.

As you listen, I hope you’re reminded that staying calm doesn’t mean being perfect. It means creating safety, connection, and trust—one moment at a time.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Neuroanatomical Transformation of the Teenage Brain Jill Bolte Taylor
• Tired of your emotions running the show? Take control of them today with the Thermostat Approach.
• Brick by Brick: Finding Your Calm, LEGO® Serious Play® events for moms

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

Belief is powerful. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right.” While there are limits to that idea, there’s also a deep truth in it, especially when it comes to parenting our neurodivergent teens and young adults. What we believe about their abilities shapes how we respond, how we support, and ultimately how they see themselves.

In this episode, I share how shifting my mindset from “Can they do this?” to “I believe they can” changed the way I show up for my daughters. I talk about the balance between offering support and stepping back, how to create a safety net that builds confidence rather than dependence, and why giving our kids ownership helps them grow stronger.

As you listen, I hope you’ll reflect on where you might need to hold space for your teen’s growth and trust that God is working in both of you through the process.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Want to help your teen shine during interviews? Grab the free parent guide.

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.

Have a comment or question for Crystal? Send it in here!

There was a season when I found myself getting frustrated with my daughters’ choices, wondering why they couldn’t just figure things out. Then a friend described her young adults as “baby adults,” and something in me softened. That phrase helped me remember how much learning happens in every new stage of life. It gave me a lens of compassion and reminded me that adulthood, like walking or driving, takes practice.

In this episode, I share how this simple mindset shift changed the way I approached parenting my neurodivergent teens. I talk about what it means to see them as learners instead of expecting instant independence, how that perspective reduced frustration in our home, and why patience, celebration, and grace matter so much in this stage.

As you listen, take a moment to reflect on the stage your teen is in and how you might bring a little more compassion—to them and to yourself.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Want to help your teen shine during interviews? Grab the free parent guide.

Let’s connect:

• Subscribe to my email newsletter
• Website

Here are three ways I can support you on your journey:

1. Join a Workshop
Experience calm, creativity, and connection in a hands-on setting. Each month, I host a live workshop where you can slow down, reflect, and explore your relationship with your teen in a supportive space.
See upcoming events.

2. Pivot Points Group Coaching Program
Join a small-group experience to strengthen your listening skills and connection. In the Pivot Points Group Coaching Program, you’ll learn simple, powerful ways to shift how you communicate with your neurodivergent teen or young adult.
Learn more about Pivot Points Group Coaching.

3. 1:1 Life Transitions Coaching
Get personalized support for your season of transition. In private coaching, we focus on your unique challenges—whether that’s redefining your role, rebuilding connection, or finding your next step as your teen becomes more independent.
Learn more about 1:1 Coaching.