Check out our latest podcast with Dr. Marc Brackett, Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence; Professor, Child Study Center; Co-creator of RULER approach to SEL; Author, Dealing with Feeling. This podcast is based on our new workbook: The Teens' Guide to Emotions: Your Essential Workbook for Navigating Big Feelings, Decision-Making, and Relationships with Confidence This podcast is for teens, parents, counselors, and teachers about navigating the emotional rollercoaster of raising teens. Here are some highlights of the episode: 1. Emotions are Signals, Not Problems. One big theme Dr. Brackett brings up (and we explore with him) is that emotions aren’t something to “fix.” They’re data — helpful information that guides decisions, relationships, and growth. This is huge for parents who feel stuck in cycles of frustration or avoidance. 2. Emotional Intelligence Is a Skill, Not Just a Feeling We're not born with Emotional Intelligence — we learn it. Dr. Brackett breaks it down into practical parts: recognizing feelings, understanding them, and using them to make better choices — especially in times of stress. That’s a game-changer when teens are reactive or overwhelmed. 3. Real Tools You Can Use Today Instead of just talking theory, this episode gives actionable tools — small things you can start practicing right now: - How to reflect before responding - Ways to help teens name what they’re feeling - Shifts in language that reduce conflict and boost connection (We actually demo a few of these in the podcast — so don’t skip that part!) - The Circle of Control - helpful diagram of the tool attached! 4. Why Emotional Intelligence Matters SO much for Teens Emotional intelligence affects: - how teens make decisions - how they manage pressure, anxiety, and overwhelm - how teens connect with peers and family - how they handle setbacks And parents modeling emotional awareness literally builds that capability over time.

Welcome to our new group to support parents and teens with research-based tools, tips and strategies to navigate the ups and downs of adolescence. The resources we'll share here are based on our book "The Teen's Guide to Emotions: Your Essential Workbook to Navigating Big Feelings, Decision-Making and Relationships with Confidence". As a counselor and life coach, we've worked with thousands of kids, teens and families and these are the top tools that we've seen work well for helping teens and families feel better every step of the way. As a thank you for joining our community, we'll share our five favorite tools free here and offer conversation and support every week in our Sunday Scaries live chat. Thanks for letting us be part of your village - we're honored to be here and look forward to figuring this all out together!! 🥰