As many parents, caregivers, and teachers raising and working with teenagers find, powerful emotions come with the territory. And with so many of today’s teens contending with academic pressure, social media stress, worries about the future, and concerns about their own mental health, it’s easy for them—and their parents—to feel anxious and overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In Dr. Lisa Damour’s important new book, THE EMOTIONAL LIVES OF TEENAGERS: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents (Ballantine, on sale February 21, 2023), parents will gain the confidence they need to guide their adolescents through this challenging developmental phase.

Dr. Damour’s long-standing interest in the emotional lives of teenagers took on a new urgency and relevance after the emergence of COVID-19. The pandemic created an adolescent mental health crisis—one so severe the U.S. Surgeon General issued a rare advisory on protecting youth mental health. While distressing for people of all ages, COVID-19 presented unique challenges for teenagers. The forced social isolation derailed the central developmental markers of adolescence: spending time with peers and becoming increasingly independent. Add on to that the fact that many parents felt—and still feel—ill-equipped to help their teenagers manage overwhelming emotions. But there is a silver lining! The pandemic has made us realize that we must change how we talk about what adolescent mental health is—and is not—and what parents can do to raise emotionally resilient teenagers.

In THE EMOTIONAL LIVES OF TEENAGERS parents will learn:

·       What to expect in the normal course of adolescent emotional development and
when it’s time to worry

·       Why teens (and adults) need to understand that mental health isn’t about “feeling good”
but about having feelings that fit the moment, even if those feelings are unwanted or painful

·       Strategies for supporting teens who feel at the mercy of their emotions so they can become psychologically aware and skilled at managing their feelings

·       How to approach common challenges that come with adolescence, such as friction at home, spiking anxiety, risky behavior, navigating friendships and romances, the pull of social media,
and many more

·       The best ways to stay connected to their teens and how to provide the kind of relationship that adolescents need and want

THE EMOTIONAL LIVES OF TEENAGERS is a game-changing book that will transform the current conversation about adolescents. With clear, research-informed explanations alongside illuminating, real-life examples, Damour’s timely new book gives parents the concrete, practical information they need to steady their teens through the bumpy yet transformational journey into adulthood. I look forward to discussing your interest.