In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom podcast, host Laura Ollinger explores the critical need for mental health literacy to support the emotional well-being of today's teenagers. You will learn how to distinguish between normal adolescent stress and clinical symptoms, providing a roadmap for parents and educators to foster resilience and grit in their children.

Discover actionable strategies for breaking the silence around suicide prevention and removing the stigma of asking for help. We also introduce the MindMap app, a free tool thanks to the generosity of Engage and Heal, designed to give teens and parents immediate access to evidence-based mental health resources and local professional support.

• Defining Mental Health Literacy: Understanding the difference between a temporary feeling, like test anxiety, and a clinical diagnosis.
• The Power of Resilience: Why moving away from "lawnmower parenting" helps teenagers learn from mistakes and build essential life skills.
• Identifying Red Flags: How to spot "triggers" in high-achieving teens, such as sudden changes in athletic status or academic performance.
• Effective Communication: Techniques for active listening that ensure your teenager actually feels heard.
• The MindMap App: How this digital platform provides free, evidence-based modules on coping and thriving for teens.

• What is the difference between a teen being "anxious" and having an anxiety disorder?
• How should a parent respond when a teenager starts sharing their feelings?
• Does talking about suicide "give" a teenager the idea?

Kathleen Hassenfratz is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and co-founder of Engage and Heal. She is a leading advocate for mental health literacy in Texas, serving on the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative’s Interstate Workgroup to integrate these vital concepts into schools and communities.

• Website: engageandheal.org
• Instagram: @engageandheal
• App: Download the MindMap App for free mental health modules and resources.

Resources From Laura Ollinger

• Free Webinar: Get Through May Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, Or Yourself
• Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
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Is your high-conflict divorce taking a toll on your relationship with your child? It is heartbreaking for any parent of a teen to feel like they are being pushed out of their child's life, especially when it feels like the other parent is pulling the strings. In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, host Laura Olinger—a dedicated teen and parent well-being coach—interviews groundbreaking expert Ginger Gentile to uncover the painful reality of child estrangement and how to find a path back to connection.

Laura knows that the teen years are already a whirlwind of identity seeking and social pressure. When a difficult split adds emotional triangulation to the mix, the results can be devastating. She sits down with Ginger to provide parents with a toolkit for navigating these "resist and refuse" dynamics and breaking the cycle of family conflict.

In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, we discuss:

• The Alienation Spectrum: Identifying parental alienation, emotional triangulation, and the subtle "micro-actions" that cause a teen to pull away.
• The Victim Trap: How the "spiral of instability" can make a rejected parent look "unstable" in the eyes of the court and professionals.
• The "Unbothered" Strategy: Why processing your pain in private and staying calm in public is the most effective way to protect your parental rights.
• Why Teenagers Take Sides: The specific reasons older children are often easier to alienate, including the "reward" of a lack of rules or the material item they’ve been wanting.

Why do teenagers take sides in divorce? Teenagers often take sides due to a combination of social pressure and a search for autonomy. In high-conflict situations, a teen may align with one parent to simplify a complex emotional environment or because they receive "rewards," such as fewer boundaries or more freedom.

What are the signs of parental alienation? Parental alienation often manifests through "micro-actions" rather than one single event. Signs include a teen calling a parent by their first name instead of "Mom" or "Dad," a parent hiding gifts or letters from the other side, or one parent constantly pointing out the other’s flaws to the teen.

How can I stop my teenager from pulling away after a divorce? To stop a teen from pulling away, a parent must pivot from a "fix-it" or "victim" mindset to an "unbothered" approach. This involves regulating your own emotional pain response so that you remain a calm, safe harbor for your child.

Ginger Gentile is a groundbreaking expert and the director of the documentary Erasing Family. Her mission is to provide proven strategies and compassionate guidance to help parents heal and reconnect with their children.

Learn more about about Ginger Gentile at: https://reversingparentalalienation.com
Connect with Ginger on Instagram @erasingfamily
Watch Ginger on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@erasingfamily

Connect with Laura:

• Free Webinar: Get Through May Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, Or Yourself
• Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
• Rate This Podcast!

In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, host Laura Olinger is joined by TEDx speaker and Cloud9 founder Sonia Suthar to discuss the art of improving teen communication.

Sonia shares her unique "bridge" perspective as a young adult working directly with teens, explaining why holding space is more effective than offering immediate solutions. You will walk away with a practical toolkit for navigating social pressure and emotional outbursts, ensuring your teen feels respected, heard, and supported.

Does it feel like your well-intended advice is being met with resistance or even resentment from your teen? Many parents jump into "fix-it" mode the moment their teen shares a struggle, but this often leads to the teen pulling away to protect their autonomy.

• The "Three H’s" Framework: A simple communication tool to use whenever your teen comes to you with a problem.
• The 60/30/10 Rule: How to help your teen navigate social circles and find the confidence to be their authentic self.
• Identity vs. Influence: Why teens view "solutions" as a threat to their developing independence.
• The Role of Emotional Intelligence: How to move from a parent-child hierarchy to a partnership of mutual growth.

How can I stop my teenager from pulling away when I try to help? To stop a teenager from pulling away, parents should pivot from "fixing" to "holding space." When a parent immediately offers a solution, it can unintentionally signal that they don't trust the teen's competence. By simply listening without judgment, you validate their experience and protect their need for autonomy, which keeps the lines of communication open.

What is the "Three H’s" framework for parenting teenagers? The "Three H’s" is a communication tool where a parent asks their teen: "Do you want to be Heard, Helped, or Held?" This gives the teenager the power to define the support they need in the moment. If they want to be Heard, they just need to vent. If they want to be Helped, they are open to solutions. If they want to be Held, they simply need physical or emotional comfort.

How does the 60/30/10 rule help teenagers with social anxiety? The 60/30/10 rule is a mindset shift for social confidence. It suggests that 60% of people will like you if you put in the effort, 30% will like you no matter what, and 10% will likely not like you regardless of your actions. Understanding this helps teens stop "performing" for everyone and instead focus on the 90% who value their presence, reducing the pressure of social perfectionism.

• Learn more about Sonia Suthar and Cloud 9: https://cloud9go.com/
• Connect with Cloud 9 on Instagram: @cloud9go
• Learn about Laura’s Get Through May Webinar: Let’s Do It With Joy
• Connect with Laura on Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
• Rate this podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/tphmom