Laura Thomas Teen & Family Therapist

21/01/2026

Many parents are doing their best with very little support.

This stage can feel heavy, uncertain and emotionally demanding, especially when there’s no clear roadmap.

You’re not weak for finding it hard.
You’re responding to a genuinely challenging phase of parenting.

20/01/2026

Belonging is right there at the top for a teen!

Fear of missing out, and the social cost of being the only one who says no can be physically painful for a teenager!

For many teens, exclusion feels far bigger than disappointment, it can feel like a threat to their place in the group.

👉🏻 Before responding with a flat yes or no, slow the moment down.

👉🏻 Acknowledge what’s underneath first: “I get why this matters so much to you.” Feeling understood reduces escalation far more effectively than debate.

👉🏻 You can still hold boundaries. The key is separating empathy from the decision. Validating their feelings doesn’t mean you have to change your mind, it means you’re staying connected while you decide what’s safest and most appropriate.

19/01/2026

When a teen is overwhelmed, their thinking brain goes offline.

That’s why explanations, consequences or “talking it through” often go nowhere in the moment, the brain simply isn’t available for reasoning.

Regulation isn’t a reward or a soft option.
It’s the foundation that allows learning, reflection and change to happen later, once the nervous system has settled.

18/01/2026

Anxiety doesn’t settle because a teen is told they’ll be ok.

It settles when they feel understood, supported, and not pushed faster than their nervous system can cope.

When anxiety is high, reassurance often sounds like pressure.
Not because you are doing it wrong but because fear narrows what the brain can take in.

👉🏻 Safety softens anxiety.
👉🏻 Connection builds safety.
👉🏻 Time allows regulation.

If you’re supporting an anxious teen, this work is heavy.
You’re doing more than you realise.

17/01/2026

Parents are often told to focus on stopping behaviour.

But behaviour is usually the last thing to change.

When a teen is overwhelmed, their behaviour is information — not a personal attack, not a failure of parenting, and not something you’ve “caused”.

It’s a sign that their nervous system is under strain and looking for safety.

Connection comes first.
Regulation comes next.
Behaviour follows later.

This work is hard, especially when you’re exhausted.
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.

17/01/2026

This is one of the hardest shifts for parents to make.

Reassurance, encouragement and “you’ll be fine” comes from care but anxiety isn’t soothed by words alone.

It settles when they feel emotionally safe, not rushed, and not alone with what they’re experiencing.

That takes patience, steadiness, and often a lot of understanding from the adults around them.

Use empathy, allow them to pace through the anxiety with you right next to them. The anxiety will pass quickly and process far better.

16/01/2026

This comes up in so many families. Schools, CAMHS, GPs focus on what they can see.

When we shift the focus from ‘how do I stop this?’ to ‘what’s going on underneath?’, things tend to soften…even before behaviour changes.

13/01/2026

12/01/2026

From 1am Panics to Parentology: Bedford mental health practitioner bridges the gap in Teen Mental Health crisis

10/01/2026

Weekend mode loading ☕️

Weekends with teens are rarely the calm reset we imagine, are they?

Later nights. Longer sleeps. Bigger emotions. Taxi service activated.
And often… more friction.

If things feel a bit wobblier at weekends, you’re not doing anything wrong.

Routine drops, boundaries shift, and tired nervous systems bump into each other.

Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is slow the pace, lower expectations, and choose connection over correction.

Leave them to it and go grab a coffee 😝

12/10/2025