In this conversation, Brian Sacks shares what it was like to grow up as the only child of parents who had him late in life—parents he would eventually care for emotionally, physically, and financially while still trying to become an adult himself. Brian opens up about the pressure of stepping into adulthood far too early, running his father’s business as a teenager, and learning to navigate life without the safety net most young people rely on. Brian also reflects on how those early hardships shaped him as a husband, father, and professional—and why breaking generational patterns became a non-negotiable part of raising his own children. Now, decades into a successful marriage and career, Brian has turned his lived experience into service, creating the Stuck in the Middle newsletter, podcast, and community for people balancing the simultaneous demands of aging parents, growing children, relationships, and work. This episode is a grounded, heartfelt reminder that success isn’t defined by ease—it’s defined by resilience, compassion, and the willingness to play the hand you’re dealt with integrity and grit.

Brian’s Resources:
Podcast: Stuck in the Middle
Episode: Guiding Young Adults Through Emotional Struggles and Family Transitions with Joanna Lilley
Newsletter: Stuck in the Middle
Facebook: Stuck in the Middle News

Connect with Joanna Lilley
Therapeutic Consulting Association
Lilley Consulting Website
Lilley Consulting on Facebook
Lilley Consulting on YouTube
Email joanna@lilleyconsulting.com

#TherapeuticConsulting #LilleyConsulting #Successful #TherapeuticPrograms #Therapy #MentalHealthMatters #Podcast #PodcastCommunity #TheJourney #SuccessIsSubjectivePodcast #TheUnpavedRoad #PFCAudioVideo #StuckInTheMiddle #StuckInTheMiddlePodcast #BrianSacks #TeenYears #TeenAnxiety #ParentingHelp #LifeTransitions #UpsAndDownsOfLife

In this week’s episode, Joanna sits down with Ann Coleman—attorney turned parent-educator and the host of Speaking of Teens. After years of struggling through her son’s anxiety, ADHD, and eventual placement in treatment, Ann realized that her own fear, misunderstanding, and emotional reactivity were driving the conflict at home. What happened next changed everything. Ann shares how she dove into adolescent neuropsychology, rewired her entire approach to parenting, and ultimately built a framework that has since helped thousands of families break destructive cycles. She talks openly about the grief of letting go of old expectations, the relief that comes from understanding the developing brain, and why “success” must be defined by the young person—not the parent. This conversation is an anchor for any parent navigating adolescence or young adulthood. Ann offers clarity, compassion, and the kind of perspective that can genuinely shift a family’s trajectory.

Ann’s Resources:
Website: https://speakingofteens.com/
Podcast: Speaking of Teens
Instagram: @speakingofteenspodcast
Facebook: Speaking of Teens Podcast

Connect with Joanna Lilley
Therapeutic Consulting Association
Lilley Consulting Website
Lilley Consulting on Facebook
Lilley Consulting on YouTube
Email joanna@lilleyconsulting.com

#TherapeuticConsulting #LilleyConsulting #Successful #TherapeuticPrograms #Therapy #MentalHealthMatters #Podcast #PodcastCommunity #TheJourney #SuccessIsSubjectivePodcast #TheUnpavedRoad #PFCAudioVideo #SpeakingOfTeensPodcast #TeenYears #MomEmotions #TeenAnxiety #ParentingHelp

In this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna sits down with author, advocate, and mother Stacy Ross, whose 28-year journey parenting a child with serious mental illness reshaped everything she thought she knew about success, family, and resilience. Stacy opens up about infertility, adoption, raising three children, navigating years of misdiagnoses, and ultimately learning how to parent through chaos, crisis, and transition.

She shares how writing became her lifeline during the early days of COVID, how her memoir emerged from 200 raw pages written in solitude, and how she rebuilt her sense of self, purpose, and balance along the way. Stacy’s story is honest, grounding, and deeply human — a reminder that success rarely follows the script we imagined, and that acceptance, boundaries, and connection can transform even the hardest chapters.

Stacy’s Resources:

Website: https://stacyrossspeaks.com/

Book: Searching for Slippers

Book: Where Do the Waves Come From?

Connect with Joanna Lilley

Therapeutic Consulting Association

Lilley Consulting Website

Lilley Consulting on Facebook

Lilley Consulting on YouTube
Email joanna@lilleyconsulting.com

#TherapeuticConsulting #LilleyConsulting #Successful #TherapeuticPrograms #Therapy #MentalHealthMatters #Podcast #PodcastCommunity #TheJourney #SuccessIsSubjectivePodcast #TheUnpavedRoad #PFCAudioVideo #StacyRoss #StacyRossSpeaks #AdoptionAwareness #SearchingForSlippers #BPDAwareness #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder