One situation that’s happening all over the country is parents struggling with an emerging adult who is living at home, dealing with depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges. Many parents wonder if “tough love” is the right approach to push them forward—but in these cases, I don’t reco...

Parental estrangement can be one of the most painful experiences for any parent. It’s when your relationship with your child becomes strained or even completely severed, and it often leaves you feeling confused, heartbroken, and unsure of how to fix things. This is especially challenging when your c...

Parenting emerging adults comes with its own set of unique challenges. Among the biggest concerns I hear from parents are these three:

1. Their emerging adult’s marijuana use.
2. Their emerging adult’s mental health.
3. Fear that their emerging adult will be financially dependent for longer than expecte...

As Generation X parents, many of us grew up in a time when emotions weren’t exactly front and center in our households. Big feelings like sadness, anger, or frustration were often brushed aside, minimized, or outright ignored—not out of malice but because our parents weren’t equipped to handle them....

As your children grow into emerging adults, the way they need you changes dramatically. They’re exploring their identity, making big decisions, and figuring out who they are in the world. It’s a time of transformation—for them and for you as a parent.

If you want to maintain a strong, supportive re...

A question I often hear during consultation calls is, "How do I know if I’m helping my emerging adult or enabling them?" It’s a tough one because the line between helping and enabling can be blurry. But my response is usually the same: Are you parenting from your gut, or are you parenting from the a...