Ep 35. Your Teen's Brain is Under Construction (Here's What You Need to Know)

Ep 42. Screens, Sleep, and Zero Motivation: 5 Steps to Help Your Teen Have a Different Kind of Summer

Have you ever looked up in the middle of summer and realized your teen is sleeping until noon, spending hours on screens, and slowly losing motivation? You're not alone. In this episode, I'm sharing five practical steps that can help your teen create a summer that feels meaningful, productive, and enjoyable—without turning you into the summer police. I'll walk you through how to get your teen's buy-in, create a realistic plan together, build healthy routines, set motivating goals, and stay accountable without creating daily conflict. These are the same strategies I'm using with my own teenagers this summer, and I hope they'll help your family create a summer that feels good for everyone. What You'll Discover: * Helping your teen learn from last summer's experiences  * Balancing high expectations with strong support  * Creating a summer plan together instead of enforcing one  * Building healthy routines and screen-time boundaries  * Using SMART goals to increase motivation and purpose  * Holding weekly check-ins that encourage accountability  *  Strengthening your connection through positive encouragement and support Resources and links mentioned: Free Summer Planning Sheet for Teens To make summer planning easier, I've created a free Summer Planning Sheet that helps teens: * Create a daily routine * Set meaningful goals * Build healthy habits * Stay accountable throughout the summer Download it here: youth.guided-passages.com/summer-plan [https://youth.guided-passages.com/summer-plan] Recommended Reading 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager This book has had a significant impact on my approach to supporting young people and on my understanding of what truly motivates them. Connect With Me I'd love to hear how summer planning is going in your family. 📧 Email: Jasmyne@guided-passages.com 📱 Instagram: @jasmyne.guidedpassages Send me a message and let me know what strategies you're trying or what goals your teen is working toward this summer.

Ep 41. High School Graduation: A Rite of Passage for Parents Too

If you have a graduating senior, or you've had one in the past few years, or you're watching one of your younger kids and already feeling the anticipation of this moment coming, this episode is for you. No matter where you are on the parenting journey, there is something here for you today. In today's episode I'm coming to you from a very personal place. In two days, my own senior graduates, and I've been living right in the middle of everything I want to talk about with you today. I'm sharing honestly about what this transition has been like, what I've been feeling, and the tools and perspective that have been helping me move through it. My hope is that you walk away from this one feeling a little less alone and a little more grounded as you navigate this season. In this episode I cover: * Why every emotion you're feeling right now is valid, including the messy, inconvenient, and unexpected ones * How grief pulls us out of the present and what to do instead so you don't miss what's still right in front of you * What letting go actually means and why trusting your child is one of the most loving things you can do * Why this is a rite of passage for you as a parent, not just for your teen, and a simple ritual to mark the moment and set intentions for your next chapter * A message for the parents whose teen's path looks different right now, whether that's a delayed graduation, a different route altogether, or an uncertain next step Quotes from this episode: "Reminiscing is not the same as dwelling. It is honoring." "We're not releasing our kids into a void. We're releasing them into their own lives, into their own becoming." "Progress is not always linear, and neither is becoming who we are each meant to be." "Everyone is at their own spot and they are right on time for their own life." Resources and links mentioned: * Guided Passages wilderness rites of passage backpacking trips for high school girls. We just have 2 spots left! https://youth.guided-passages.com/high-school-girls-wilderness-quest [https://youth.guided-passages.com/high-school-girls-wilderness-quest] * Join the Parents of Teens Rising Skool community [https://www.skool.com/rooted-in-connection-1711/about] * Rise Up & Ignite Coaching programs for Teens & Young Adults [https://youth.guided-passages.com/rise-up--ignite] Connect with Jasmyne: * Instagram: @jasmyne.guidedpassages [https://www.instagram.com/jasmyne.guidedpassages/]

Ep 40. The Confidence Breakthrough Your Teen Needs More Than Ever: A 4-Step Framework

If you've been watching your teen struggle with anxiety, low motivation, or a lack of direction and wondering what you can actually do to help, this episode is for you. I'm sharing the full framework I normally teach inside my workshops so you can access it right here, for free. This is not about quick fixes or surface-level advice. It's about understanding what's really going on beneath the behavior and giving your teen the tools they need to build genuine, lasting confidence. What I cover in this episode: Why confidence, motivation, and emotional regulation are skills that can be learned, not fixed personality traits your teen is stuck with What's really driving the behaviors you're seeing at home and why addressing the root cause changes everything The four-step coaching framework I use with every teen and young adult client in my programs The Four-Step Framework: Step 1: Dreams, Purpose, and Passion When teens connect with a personal vision and what genuinely lights them up, they shift from feeling stuck to feeling excited about what's possible. Step 2: Thoughts, Mindset, and Focus Your teen's thoughts, mindset, and where they place their attention shape their entire experience. I walk through how to help them challenge unhelpful thinking and focus on what they can actually control. Step 3: Feel, Process, and Express Most teens have big feelings and no idea what to do with them. This step is about building emotional fluency so your teen can name what they're feeling, move through it, and express it in healthy ways. Step 4: Regulate, Reset, and Rise Up When teens don't know how to calm their nervous system, even small challenges can feel overwhelming. I cover the tools that help teens return to a centered state and build the resilience to keep going. Resources and Next Steps: If this resonated and you're ready to get your teen real support, here's how to take action: Learn more about my coaching programs -- Ignite (ages 12-14) and Rise Up (ages 15-24) are 12-week one-on-one coaching programs that help teens and young adults dealing with anxiety, low motivation, self-doubt, or lack of direction. Rise Up and Ignite Coaching Programs [https://youth.guided-passages.com/rise-up--ignite] Book a call with me -- If you'd like to talk through your teen's specific situation before deciding, grab a time on my calendar and we'll figure out together whether it's the right fit. https://link.guided-passages.com/widget/bookings/ignite-rise-up-discovery-call [https://link.guided-passages.com/widget/bookings/ignite-rise-up-discovery-call] Not sure your teen will be open to it? Download the free PDF [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x6WpLSRw1sUnFCpvv4JXrgM02FPJrEvH/view?usp=sharing] with talking points and scripts to help you start the conversation at home.  "Life is not safe, and so our task is not to promise our kids there will be no turbulence. It's to assure them that when the turbulence comes, we will all hold hands and get through it together." — Glennon Doyle Connect with Jasmyne: Website [https://guided-passages.com] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jasmyne.guidedpassages/] | Parent Coaching Community [https://www.skool.com/rooted-in-connection-1711/about]

Ep 39. You're on Fire, It's Fine, with Katie K. May

In today's episode, I have a special treat for you. Today I'm talking to Katie K. May, therapist, author, and founder of a therapy practice in the greater Philadelphia area that supports teens and families. Katie is also a board-certified self-harm specialist, and she wrote the book "You're On Fire, It's Fine: Effective Strategies for Parenting Teens with Self-Destructive Behaviors." This conversation was so good, and I know you're going to get so much out of it. In this episode, we talk about: What it means to be a "fire feeler" and why some teens experience emotions like an internal explosion that takes over everything, as well as why it's rooted in biology and not a character flaw What's actually happening in a teen's nervous system when they shut down and go to their room, and why pushing harder as a parent tends to backfire The transactional model of behavior and how the changes a parent makes on their own, even without their teen in therapy, can start shifting the patterns at home right away Why judgment-based labels like "manipulative" or "oppositional" can inadvertently reinforce the very behaviors we want to change, and what to do instead The difference between reactive punishment and natural consequences, and how to hold teens accountable in a way that actually teaches something What self-harm is communicating about a teen's internal world, why it works physiologically to calm the nervous system down, and how parents can respond in a way that keeps the door open rather than driving the behavior underground The "circle of support" concept and why it's so important for parents to look outward for their own support rather than leaning on their teen to be okay so that they can feel okay What DBT gives teens that other approaches don't I finished Katie's book the morning of this interview and I cannot recommend it enough. It is a quick read, it is practical, and it gave me so much language for things I've felt but couldn't always articulate in my own work with teens and parents. Whether your teen is in crisis or you just want to show up better in your relationship with them, this book is for you. Go find Katie and her book, read it, and share it with every parent you know who is in the thick of it. https://katiekmay.com [https://katiekmay.com/] IG: @katiekmay [https://www.instagram.com/katiekmay/]

Ep 38. The Power of Never Giving Up and Believing in Yourself (for Teens and Parents)

In this deeply personal episode, I share the long and winding journey that led me to finally sell out my middle school wilderness backpacking rite of passage trip, a dream that has taken years, setbacks, heartbreak, resilience, and unwavering belief to bring to life. I open up about the science of grit, self-belief, growth mindset, and perseverance, while also sharing my own transformational experiences with wilderness rites of passage, solo time in nature, mentorship, and the challenges of building a purpose-driven business that supports teenagers and families. This episode is for parents, teens, educators, mentors, and anyone who has ever felt called toward something meaningful but difficult. If you’ve ever questioned yourself, doubted your path, or wondered whether your dreams are worth pursuing, this conversation is for you. In This Episode, I Share: *  Why grit and perseverance matter more than talent  *  The science behind resilience, growth mindset, and self-belief  *  My life-changing wilderness rite of passage experiences  *  How nature and challenge build confidence in teenagers  *  The struggles of building a purpose-driven business  *  What repeated failure taught me about persistence * Why do parents and teens both go through rites of passage  If you feel like your teenage daughter is craving more confidence, connection, resilience, and time away from the pressure of screens and social media, I would love to invite her to join my High School Girls Wilderness Backpacking Rite of Passage Trip this July in the Marble Mountain Wilderness of Northern California.   So if this is calling to you and your teen, now is the time to register.  🔗https://youth.guided-passages.com/high-school-girls-wilderness-trip-2026 [https://youth.guided-passages.com/high-school-girls-wilderness-trip-2026] If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another parent or teenager who may need this message right now. I’d love to connect with you and your family. Resources & Mentioned Research *  Dr. Angela Duckworth’s research on grit  *  Dr. Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset  *  Dr. Albert Bandura’s research on self-efficacy  *  International Coaching Federation (ICF) Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast to help more families discover the power of rites of passage, resilience, and nature-based transformation.