Dr. Leigh Weisz is the Founder of Coping Partners, a mental health clinic. As a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice, she was on staff and affiliated with The Family Institute at Northwestern University for several years. She has experience working with children, adolescents, families, and individual adults in areas such as child and adolescent family therapy, grief and loss, and relationship issues.

Dr. Weisz earned her graduate degree in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology with a specialty in children and families. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and Spanish from the University of Michigan, having graduated with honors. Dr. Weisz has practiced in community mental health, hospitals, and outpatient family medicine practice settings.

Parenting through big emotions can feel overwhelming, especially when children and teens are coping with anxiety, grief, self-doubt, or social discomfort. While parents naturally want to remove distress as quickly as possible, children often benefit most from learning how to understand their feelings, regulate their bodies, and move through difficult experiences with support. What practical insights can families gain from experts who help young people build lifelong coping skills?

Five experts offer practical strategies for responding to physical concerns, emotional distress, anxiety, and negative thinking. Dr. Jordan Teitelbaum emphasizes being thorough when assessing children's physical discomforts. Dr. Debra Kissen recommends practicing square breathing to calm the fight-or-flight response. Dr. Leigh Weisz encourages parents to let children process sadness and grief instead of rushing to remove it. Dr. Danielle Doucette suggests helping anxious teens practice more open, friendly social signals. Leslie Randolph advises replacing negative thoughts with realistic, supportive self-talk. These strategies help young people build stronger coping skills and confidence.

In this episode of The Coping Podcast, Dr. Leigh Weisz brings together Dr. Jordan Teitelbaum, Dr. Debra Kissen, Dr. Danielle Doucette, and Leslie Randolph to share practical strategies for managing physical discomfort and anxiety, processing difficult emotions, and developing healthier self-talk. Their insights offer parents, caregivers, and educators actionable ways to help children and teens build emotional awareness, confidence, resilience, and effective coping skills.