When Teens Shut Down: How to Listen and Support

Teen Mental Health, Trust, and School Trauma with Jenny Jarvis

In this Episode, Dr Ebi Oginni starts with a song- “Talk to Me” to encourage teens to reach out for help. Dr Ebi, a pediatrician and singer-songwriter, interviews life coach and NLP practitioner Jenny Jarvis, who discusses shifting from shouty, sanction-based parenting to listening, allowing mistakes, and ensuring teens can tell the truth without fear of punishment, plus apologizing when parents get it wrong. They explore how school environments can be traumatic, issues like phones in schools, the need for teachers to build trust and show respect, and criticism of shaming behavior systems. Jenny suggests safe-teacher supports, consistent mental health resources, asking students what they need, and simple breathwork, and emphasizes hope and connection in suicide prevention, along with parental self-care. 00:00 Welcome To The Project 00:54 Song Talk To Me 02:53 Emotive Music Interlude 06:13 Meet Jenny Jarvis 07:29 Project Mission Explained 10:04 Teen Focus And School Change 11:02 School Trauma And Phones 13:34 Home Strategy Listen First 18:33 Mistakes And Consequences 22:13 Apologize And Teacher Respect 27:57 Rethinking School Discipline 31:47 Parenting Different Kids 33:17 Kindness Is Strength 35:06 Mental Health Disclosures 37:40 Hugs And Boundaries 40:11 Safe Teacher Network 42:24 Practical Coping Tools 44:31 Validating Teen Dreams 48:34 When Life Feels Hopeless 52:26 Breathwork And Listening 56:54 Self Care And Wrap Up * Join our  - Emotionally wealthy Family Skool Community [https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812]  (or paste "https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/" into your browser to join) * Book a free coaching session [https://calendly.com/ebioginnimusic/30min]  with me (or paste "https://calendly.com/ebioginnimusic/30min?back=1&month=2026-02 " into your browser)

When Teens Shut Down: How to Listen and Support

The episode of the Harmony and Healing Project explores why teens go silent when struggling and how parents can respond in ways that build safety rather than escalate disconnection. Drawing on clinical experience with families and teens whose mental health declined to self-harm and overdoses, Dr Oginni explains common drivers of shutdown—emotional overwhelm, shame and fear of disappointing parents, fear of making things worse, and nervous system freeze—and how parental lecturing, pushing, withdrawing, or ignoring problems can undermine trust. Practical guidance focuses on three shifts: * interrogation to invitation, * fixing to listening, * and panic to patience, Beginning with parents regulating their own triggers and creating space for uncomfortable emotions. Steps include removing pressure to talk immediately (sometimes using gentle deadlines), prioritizing connection before conversation, using softer entry questions, affirming safety without forcing disclosure, staying consistent after brush-offs, and quietly monitoring red flags to increase safety. 00:00 Teen Silence Signals 01:50 Why Parents Panic 03:26 What Teens Feel Inside 05:02 Emotional Overwhelm 06:40 Shame And Fear 11:21 Nervous System Freeze 13:27 Three Key Mindset Shifts 14:26 Regulate Yourself First 18:53 Connection Before Conversation 20:05 Practical Steps To Try 24:19 Watch For Red Flags 25:16 Faith Lens On Waiting 26:43 Silence Is A Season 28:29 Get Support And Wrap Up * Join our  free group for parents on Skool [https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/]-  (or paste "https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/" into your browser to join) * Book a free call [https://calendly.com/ebioginnimusic] with me (or paste "https://calendly.com/ebioginnimusic/30min?back=1&month=2026-02 " into your browser) (or copy and paste "guide.harmonyandhealing.co" into your browser) * guide.harmonyandhealing.co * https://ebi-8dsefegv.scoreapp.com/

Integrating Faith and Mental Health: Ending the Stigma and Supporting Teenagers

Dr. Oginni, a pediatrician and mental health coach for teenagers and parents, challenges the belief that mental health struggles come from not praying enough or lacking faith, comparing it to how Christians treat physical conditions like asthma or diabetes. She explains that stigma in church spaces can prevent people—especially teenagers—from seeking help, and emphasizes that supportive conversations do not require professional training. She shares a formative experience with a teenager who had self-harmed and was hesitant to seek support from church leaders, which helped inspire the Harmony and Healing Project, including a podcast and music to support mental health. Using biblical examples—Elijah’s despair after a major victory, Job’s depression after losing everything and being blamed by friends, and David’s emotional processing through the Psalms—she highlights practical and spiritual approaches such as rest, food, honest prayer, journaling, supportive community, listening without judgment, and connecting people to professional help when needed. She references Brandon Lake’s experience with depression after touring and a scene from the film The Forge to normalize expressing anger and grief to God as part of healing. The episode also invites listeners to join her free community, the Emotionally Wealthy Family, mentions a forthcoming episode on mental health skills, promotes her upcoming course “Bridging the Gap” for youth leaders and educators, and offers coaching calls for parents and teenagers.00:00 Faith vs Mental Health Stigma00:49 Why Church Should Be Safe01:52 Mission and Host Intro03:07 Teen Choir Wake Up Call05:37 Mental Health Is Health07:06 Elijah After the Victory09:46 Stress and Self Care Skills12:19 Join the Family Community13:27 Bible Examples for Mental Health15:06 Elijah, going back to the basics and Support17:08 Job and Blame Free Listening20:36 David Psalms and Journaling22:06 Processing Anger in Prayer24:34 Wrap Up and Next Steps * Join our free community [https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/] on Skool-  (or paste https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/ into your browser) * Book a free call [https://calendly.com/ebioginnimusic/30min?back=1&month=2026-02] with me (or paste "https://calendly.com/ebioginnimusic/30min?back=1&month=2026-02 " into your browser) * Access Bridging the gap course [https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/] in the classroom of the community

Empowering Teens for Mental Wellness with Jessen James

In this episode, I speak to Jessen James about how shifting our focus is an important step in achieving resilience. Jessen James is an Ex-Psychiatric Nurse Turned Entrepreneur specialising in Public Speaking, Communication Skills, Influence, Psychology, Sales and Marketing. Having spoken all across the world, sharing the stage with giants such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Les Brown, Deepak Chopra, Eric Thomas & Dr John Demartini to name a few, Jessen founded The Professional Speaker School and has trained thousands of students globally to become world class communicators! His deep understanding of human behavior and psychology, coupled with his 'no nonsense' approach, makes Jessen one of the most sought after speakers globally! Summary In this conversation, we explore the intersection of mental health and education, focusing on how to empower teenagers to overcome challenges and create safe spaces for communication. The discussion emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in achieving happiness and the need for supportive environments for young people. Takeaways Mental health is crucial for achieving goals. Empowerment comes from allowing teenagers to make choices. Creating safe spaces encourages open communication. Teenagers need to feel valued and responsible. Focus on interests to engage students effectively. Parents should foster an environment of trust. It's important to celebrate small victories in mental health. Teenagers can turn challenges into life lessons. Support from adults can change a teenager's perspective. Happiness is a personal responsibility, not dependent on others. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Harmony and Healing 04:54 The Importance of Mental Health in Education 11:58 Empowering Teenagers to Overcome Challenges 21:10 Creating Safe Spaces for Communication 41:03 Final Thoughts on Personal Responsibility and Happiness Keywords mental health, teenagers, education, empowerment, safe spaces, communication, personal responsibility, happiness, support, healing * Join our free community on Skool- Emotionally wealth family [https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/about] (or paste https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/about into your browser) * Download your free guide- harmony at home [https://guide.harmonyandhealing.co/], 25 family activities to improve mental health ( or paste https://guide.harmonyandhealing.co/ into your browser) * DIscover your teen connection style [https://ebi-8dsefegv.scoreapp.com] by taking the quiz here and getting personalised parenting tips (or paste https://ebi-8dsefegv.scoreapp.com into your browser)

Intentional Parenting Strategies to Support Teen Mental Health

Intentional Parenting: How to Support Your Teen's Mental HealthIn this episode of the Harmony and Healing Project, Dr Ebi Oginni discusses how parents can influence their child's mental health positively through intentional parenting. The episode highlights various strategies and routines that parents can incorporate into their daily lives, including morning and bedtime routines, mealtime conversations, and emotional awareness activities. The host also addresses challenges parents might face, such as feeling inadequate due to their own upbringing, and offers resources like a supportive online community, a guide with family activities for mental health, and an assessment tool to help parents evaluate and improve their parenting skills. Listeners are encouraged to be proactive and intentional in their parenting to nurture their children's mental health and build resilience.00:00 Introduction: The Influence of Parenting00:57 The Importance of Intentional Parenting04:20 Addressing Parental Inadequacy06:50 Breaking Negative Cycles09:25 Community Support for Parents10:51 Intentional Parenting Strategies13:43 Daily Rhythms and Routines18:15 Handling Big Emotions22:54 Resources and Tools for Parents27:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts * Join our free community on Skool- Emotionally wealth family [https://www.skool.com/emotionally-wealthy-family-8812/about] * Download your free guide- harmony at home [https://guide.harmonyandhealing.co/], 25 family activities to improve mental health * DIscover your teen connection style by taking the quiz here [https://ebi-8dsefegv.scoreapp.com/]