When your family is in crisis, the last thing you want to do is start the orientation process of finding support. You need help - ASAP.

So that time when things feel a bit calmer, and your teen seems to be doing okay, might actually be the best time to build the support system they'll need for the road ahead.

In this episode, Seth Gottlieb joins me to explore why waiting until your family is in crisis often makes it harder to get the right help in place. We discuss the unique roles of therapists, mentors, and parent coaches, why they aren't interchangeable, and how creating a strong support system before problems escalate can make all the difference for both you and your teen.

If you're looking for support for parents of struggling teens, we’ll help you think beyond crisis management and toward proactive, long-term support. Whether your teen is returning home from treatment, resistant to therapy, or simply navigating a difficult season, building the right team early can create stronger relationships, better communication, and more sustainable progress.

In this episode on support for parents of struggling teens, we discuss:

• Why it's better to build support before your teen reaches a crisis
• The differences between therapists, mentors, and parent coaches
• How mentors help teens discover their own goals and build independence
• Why many teens respond differently to mentors than to therapists or parents
• When to introduce additional support during or after treatment
• How proactive support can reduce the likelihood of future crises
• Why parents often wait too long to ask for help, and how to recognize the signs sooner
• The importance of continuing support, even when things seem to be going well
• How parents can shift from crisis management to long-term growth and healthier family dynamics

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

→ Leaving a review

→ Subscribing to the show

→ Sharing it with another parent!

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

Your teen’s behavior is never just that. They’re not lying because they want to, they’re not missing curfew because they want to annoy you, and they’re not pulling you into power struggles because they enjoy it. There’s always something underneath the behavior, so let’s try to understand.

As a parent, it's natural to react to the behavior that's right in front of you. After all, being lied to hurts. Anger feels personal. Deception feels like a betrayal. But when you stay focused on the behavior alone, you can miss what's happening underneath it.

In this episode, Seth and I explore how behaviors like lying, manipulation, anger, and avoidance are often protective strategies rather than the root issue. Because even when you've worked hard to become a calmer, safer parent, your teen may still struggle to be honest with you. Creating emotional safety doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long game.

You'll also learn why you don't have to address every behavior in the moment, how timing can make all the difference, and how curiosity can open the door to deeper connection instead of another exhausting power struggle.

If you've ever wondered why your teen keeps repeating the same behaviors despite your best efforts, this conversation will help you look beyond the surface and respond with greater understanding and intention.

In this episode on what's behind your teen's behavior, we discuss:

• Why lying, anger, and other challenging behaviors are often symptoms, not the real problem.
• How to look beyond your teen's behavior to understand what's really going on.
• Why your teen may still hide the truth, even when you're working hard to create a safe relationship.
• The difference between reacting to behavior and responding with curiosity.
• How to avoid getting pulled into power struggles that distract from the real issue.
• Why timing matters when addressing difficult behaviors.
• Practical ways to create emotional safety and invite honest conversations with your teen.
• How patience and consistent connection can strengthen your relationship with your child over time.

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

→ Leaving a review

→ Subscribing to the show

→ Sharing it with another parent!

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

Live workshop: Learning to live with (maybe even love) THE MANY FACES OF ADHD

🗓️ Monday, August 10, 2026
⏰ 5:30-7:00PM MT | 6:30-8:00PM CT | 7:30-9:00PM ET
📍Live on Zoom (Recordings available)

Register now at https://bethhillmancoaching.com/adhd

Receiving an ADHD diagnosis for your teen can bring a mix of relief, confusion, and a hundred new questions. What does it actually mean? How does ADHD show up beyond the stereotypes? And perhaps most importantly: how can you best support your teen without unintentionally making things harder?

In this episode, I'm joined by ADHD and executive functioning specialists Lisa Miller and Tatiana Guerreiro Ramos to unpack what every parent should know about parenting a teen with ADHD. We explore why ADHD looks different from one child to the next, why a diagnosis is only the beginning, and how understanding your teen's brain can completely change the way you parent.

Together, we talk about moving beyond shame and labels, recognizing the strengths that often come with ADHD, and making simple but powerful shifts that help your teen build confidence, self-awareness, and lifelong skills. As always, we come back to the idea that, parents, the change begins with us.

In this episode on parenting a teen with ADHD, we discuss:

• Why an ADHD diagnosis is only the beginning, not the full picture
• The different types and presentations of ADHD
• How ADHD often looks different in boys and girls
• The strengths and "superpowers" that can come with ADHD
• Why parents often receive a diagnosis with very little guidance
• How changing your own parenting approach can transform family dynamics
• The importance of emotional regulation and distress tolerance as a parent
• Why curiosity works better than criticism when your teen is struggling
• Practical questions that help teens build self-awareness and problem-solving skills
• How reducing friction can make everyday tasks feel more manageable
• Why apologizing to your teen can strengthen your relationship
• The value of meeting your teen where they are instead of where you think they should be

More about our guests:

Lisa Miller
Lisa is a certified Transformational Coach and Director of Classroom Matters, specializing in supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families. With over 20 years of experience in education, she helps people build executive function skills and achieve personal, professional, and academic goals.

Tatiana Guerreiro Ramos

As the other Director of Classroom Matters, Tatiana works alongside Lisa Miller as an educational advocate, consultant, and certified Transformational Coach.

Tatiana works with Bay Area schools and organizations to offer customized professional development for teachers and administrators to better support all students, especially those with learning differences. Tatiana also works closely with families to help them access support and services for their students at school through the 504 plan and IEP processes.

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

→ Leaving a review

→ Subscribing to the show

→ Sharing it with another parent!

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

Handing your teen the keys to a car can feel like a huge milestone, for them and for you. It's exciting to watch them gain more independence, but if your teen has struggled in the past, it can also bring up a lot of fear. Can you trust them? Are you giving them too much freedom? What if something goes wrong?

The truth is, there isn't one right answer. Every teen is different, every family is different, and every situation deserves its own thoughtful approach.

But what if, instead of seeing a car as something you simply give your teen or help them finance, you viewed it as an opportunity? An opportunity to teach responsibility, build trust, practice healthy boundaries, and prepare your teen for adulthood.

When expectations are clear and consequences are discussed ahead of time, a car can become much more than transportation. It can become a valuable learning experience for your teen.

In this episode, Seth and I unpack the many decisions that come with having a new teen driver. We talk about how to think through ownership versus borrowing a family car, why responsibility should always come before freedom, and how to support your teen's growing independence without letting fear or anxiety take over your parenting.

In this episode on teen driver responsibilities, we discuss:

• How to decide whether your teen is ready for the responsibility of driving
• Whether it makes sense to buy your teen a car, share a family vehicle, or have them earn one themselves
• Why responsibility should always accompany greater freedom
• How to set clear expectations and boundaries before handing over the keys
• Ways to rebuild trust if your teen has made unsafe choices in the past
• How to reduce power struggles by letting natural consequences do the teaching
• Why your own fears matter and how to make decisions from a place of wisdom instead of anxiety
• How to create the right amount of support and independence for the unique teen in front of you

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

→ Leaving a review

→ Subscribing to the show

→ Sharing it with another parent!

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

Before your teen can tell the truth, they need to feel safe enough to do it.

When your child lies, it's easy to feel hurt, betrayed, or even disrespected. But what if their lying isn't about manipulating you at all? What if it's simply their brain's attempt to avoid pain, shame, or consequences?

In this episode, Seth and I unpack one of the most frustrating challenges parents face: lying. Drawing from our own experiences as both, believe it or not, former teens, and adults working with struggling young people, we explore why lying is such a normal human behavior, why taking it personally often makes things worse, and how the way you respond can either create more defensiveness or open the door to honesty.

Instead of focusing on catching your teen in a lie, we invite you to shift your attention to building the kind of relationship where accountability feels safe. Because while you can't force honesty, you can create the conditions that make it much more likely.

In this episode on answering the question ‘why does my teen lie?’, we discuss:

• Why your teen isn’t lying out of disrespect, but a much more sensible reason.
• How power struggles, lectures, and accusations can unintentionally encourage more lying.
• The difference between creating accountability and trying to force a confession.
• Practical ways to respond when you know, or strongly suspect, your teen isn't telling the truth.
• Why curiosity and emotional safety are far more effective than proving you're right.
• How changing your own responses can help build more trust and honesty over time.

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

Leaving a review

Subscribing to the show

Sharing it with another parent!

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

You probably spend a lot of energy trying to prevent mistakes, avoid conflict, and get parenting “right.” But what if the real goal isn’t perfection at all?

In this conversation, therapist and parent coach Emil Harker and I explore why conflict, misunderstandings, and even parenting mistakes are not signs that you’re failing. In fact, they may be some of the most important opportunities you have to strengthen your relationship with your teen.

We talk about the pressure parents feel to be perfect, why so many parenting tools fall flat when they’re disconnected from genuine understanding, and how learning practical relationship skills can completely change the way you navigate difficult moments with your child. Most importantly, we share what it actually takes to repair trust after a rupture.

I also share a recent parenting mistake that left me feeling embarrassed, ashamed, and convinced I had damaged my relationship with my son, until I remembered the very skills I teach parents every day.

If you've ever worried that you've messed up too badly, said the wrong thing, or damaged your relationship with your teen, this conversation is for you.

In this episode on repairing your relationship with your teen, we discuss:

• Why conflict is often the pathway to deeper connection with your teen
• The difference between preventing problems and learning how to repair them
• How validation helps teens feel safe enough to listen and learn
• Why understanding your teen's experience matters more than winning the argument
• What happens in the brain when teens feel understood versus threatened
• How parents accidentally make conflict worse by explaining, justifying, or defending themselves
• The role accountability plays in rebuilding trust after a mistake
• Why repairing your relationship with your teen matters more than getting parenting “right”
• A recent parenting mistake I made and the steps it took to “fix it”
• How practical parenting skills create hope, confidence, and stronger family relationships
• Why perfection isn't the goal, and what to focus on instead

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

Leaving a review

Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

FREE online workshop - June 24 from 5-630MT

Respond Like Yoda (When Your Kid Is Acting Like Vader)
How to be grounded, avoid power struggles, and respond with clarity instead of reaction

Register at https://bethhillmancoaching.com/yoda

Bringing your teen home from treatment is something you've likely thought about for months. Maybe even longer.

You miss them. You want them home. And yet, if you're honest, you're also terrified.

What if they fall back into old patterns? What if treatment didn't "work"? What if all the progress disappears the moment they walk through the front door?

In this special conversation, I sit down with fellow parent coach and podcast host Brenda Zane to talk about one of the most challenging, and often overlooked, parts of the treatment journey: the first 90 days after treatment.

Many kids experience an emotional rollercoaster when they return home, and setbacks are more common than most parents realize. Unrealistic expectations can create unnecessary pressure on everyone involved. So let's talk about what the first 90 days after treatment really look like, what your teen may be experiencing beneath the surface, and how you can support both them and yourself through this challenging transition.

If your child is currently away in treatment, or has recently returned, this conversation will help you better understand what both you and your teen may be experiencing during the first 90 days after treatment.

In this episode on the first 90 days after treatment, we discuss:

• Why bringing a teen home from treatment is often harder than parents expect
• What teens may be experiencing emotionally, socially, and mentally after treatment
• Why setbacks, slips, and "blips" are common during the first 90 days after treatment
• The hidden challenges of rebuilding friendships and finding a sense of belonging
• How treatment can leave teens with skills their peers don't yet have
• The role expectations play in creating stress for both parents and teens
• Why curiosity is more helpful than panic when challenges arise
• The importance of creating a flexible home plan instead of relying on rigid contracts
• How parental self-regulation can dramatically impact the transition home
• Practical ways to stay grounded when fear, anxiety, and uncertainty show up

More about Brenda Zane

Brenda Zane is a Mayo Clinic Certified health coach and CRAFT-trained parent coach. After her son struggled for years with a high-risk lifestyle and addiction, she started Hopestream, a podcast and online community to prevent other parents from experiences like hers.

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🧘Learn how to respond in hard moments, without losing your cool, the relationship, or yourself, inside my 6-week Boundaries Masterclass.

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

Leaving a review

Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.