In this first episode in a series on having hard conversations with teens, Roy discusses the “anatomy” of a difficult conversation with a young person on a topic that is sensitive, timely, and/or emotionally charged. Various factors can discussing such topics even more difficult, like a history of combative past conversations, unclear religious teaching on the issue, as well as poor timing or an inappropriate setting. Roy offers suggestions for making these difficult exchanges with adolescents easier, including acknowledging the awkwardness of the topic at hand, asking a young person for permission to discuss the issue, and seeking a teen’s opinion while also reflecting back to the teen their thoughts and feelings. Today’s Teenager podcast is produced for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to nor should it be used as a replacement for professional counseling Roy has established Today’s Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager.com for more information.
