Your Zen Friend

Send Lauren a text!
Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations about our summer ahead. I just had a family vacation with some real highs and lows. I'm talking about temps in the 60's with rain on a beach vacation and a stomach bug or food poisoning kind of lows. Not fun! In this episode, I'll share about that eventful trip, how it can be helpful to have realistic expectations for the summer and 5 ways you can have more connection, peace and calm with your tweens and teens this summer.
📻 Key Episode Highlights
Why having realistic expectations for summer can help reduce stress and disappointment
A true story of summer vacation highs and lows that many parents will relate to
5 practical ways to create more connection with your tweens and teens this summer
Strategies for managing expectations while still creating meaningful summer memories
☺️ Mentioned on this episode
How to For Easy Friendship Bracelets
🏠 Resources for Parents
For CT residents: Email me the word, "Newsletter," to get on my mailing list! You'll receive announcements for free fall workshops and any upcoming groups, workshops or offerings in my counseling private practice
Over 200 podcast episodes available to listen to while I'm on break
💌 Let's Connect!
Website: yourzenfriend.com
Email: yourzenfriendpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @YourZenFriendPod
Join our private Facebook group: Your Zen Friend
💛 If you're finding this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend—it's the best way to help the podcast grow in order to offer more free support to parents of anxious tweens and teens!
Special Announcement: I'll be taking a break from the podcast for the summer to focus on growing private practice. This will help me have more peace and calm this summer! I hope to be back in the fall. Make sure you are following this podcast so that you will receive a new episode once one drops!
Remember: Parenting a tween or teen with anxiety is challenging, so take some time today (and every day) to do something kind for yourself! 💕
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to be a replacement for diagnosis, mental health therapy or psychological treatment of any kind. Please consult with your doctor or mental health provider in order to care for your physical or mental health.

Send Lauren a text!
Does it feel like your teen is more afraid of being "awkward," than you ever were at their age? As a therapist working with kids and teens, I've noticed today's generation seems particularly afraid of social missteps. What we used to call being "embarrassed" has evolved into something they call "awkward". In this episode, I'll explore why kids are so afraid of awkward moments nowadays and share practical ways you can help your tween or teen to take healthy risks, and survive those cringeworthy social moments when they do happen. Because they happen to all of us!
I'll also share some of my own mortifying experiences throughout the episode 🤪
📻 Key Episode Highlights
Why today's teens fear "awkwardness" more than previous generations ever feared embarrassment
How growing up with smart devices and social media impacts teens willingness to take healthy risks
Why kids today have fewer opportunities for low-stakes social mistakes
How shifts in parenting affect children's resiliency
How you can help your teens to take healthy risks and recover when awkward moments happen
Practical strategies for validating feelings while normalizing awkwardness
Why sharing your own awkward moments (with humor) helps your teen
🏠 Resources for Parents
For CT residents: Special wizard-themed courage workshops and mindfulness-based teen groups coming summer 2025 at Firefly Counseling and Wellness in Sandy Hook, CT
Available before mid-July 2025
💌 Let's Connect!
Website: yourzenfriend.com
Email: yourzenfriendpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @YourZenFriendPod
Join our private Facebook group: Your Zen Friend
💛 If you're finding this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend—it's the best way to help the podcast grow in order to offer more free support to parents of anxious tweens and teens!
Remember: Parenting a tween or teen with anxiety is challenging, so take some time today (and every day) to do something kind for yourself! 💕
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to be a replacement for diagnosis, mental health therapy or psychological treatment of any kind. Please consult with your doctor or mental health provider in order to care for your physical or mental health.

Send Lauren a text!
Is this time of year feeling absolutely insane for you as a parent? Between field trips, graduations, concerts, and athletic awards, these final weeks of school can push even the most organized families to their breaking point. In this episode, I'll share three essential tips to help you navigate this hectic time with more peace, joy, and calm—while supporting your anxious tween or teen.
📻 Key Episode Highlights
Why this time of year is the most overwhelming for families with tweens and teens
How anxiety escalates during stressful times and what that means for your child
Understanding your child's "alarm system" and why it sounds louder than necessary
Three practical strategies to survive the end-of-school chaos with your sanity intact
Permission to lower your parenting bar and embrace "good enough"
How to lean into what you actually enjoy during this busy season
Creative ways to let things slide temporarily and ask for help
🏠 Resources for Parents
For CT residents: Special wizard-themed courage workshops and mindfulness-based teen groups coming summer 2025 at Firefly Counseling and Wellness in Sandy Hook, CT
Available before mid-July 2025
💌 Let's Connect!
Website: yourzenfriend.com
Email: yourzenfriendpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @YourZenFriendPod
Join our private Facebook group: Your Zen Friend
💛 If you're finding this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend—it's the best way to help the podcast grow in order to offer more free support to parents of anxious tweens and teens!
Remember: Parenting a tween or teen with anxiety is challenging, so take some time today (and every day) to do something kind for yourself! 💕
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to be a replacement for diagnosis, mental health therapy or psychological treatment of any kind. Please consult with your doctor or mental health provider in order to care for your physical or mental health.

Send Lauren a text!
Are you and your tween or teen struggling with anxiety treatment and wondering why it doesn't seem to be "working" right away? In this episode, I'll share the #1 misconception about anxiety recovery and help you understand what real healing actually looks like.
✨ What's Bringing Me More Zen
Tune in till the end of the episode when I share how I incorporate Harry Potter themes into counseling and some upcoming themed events that could help your tween or teen experience how therapy can actually be fun!
📻 Key Episode Highlights
The big misconception about anxiety recovery: expecting to do feared things without feeling fear
Understanding "Signal vs. Noise" when it comes to anxiety responses
How to recognize real progress in anxiety treatment
Riding the Worry Hill framework for managing anxiety
Two practical tips for parents supporting anxious tweens and teens
🏠 Resources for Parents
For CT residents: Special Harry Potter themed events coming this spring/summer 2025 at Firefly Counseling and Wellness in Sandy Hook, CT: FireflyCounselingAndWellness
💌 Let's Connect!
Website: yourzenfriend.com
Email: yourzenfriendpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @YourZenFriendPod
Join our private Facebook group: Your Zen Friend
💛 If you're finding this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend—it's the best way to help the podcast grow in order to offer more free support to parents of anxious tweens and teens!
Remember: Parenting a tween or teen with anxiety is challenging, so take some time today (and every day) to do something kind for yourself! 💕
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to be a replacement for diagnosis, mental health therapy or psychological treatment of any kind. Please consult with your doctor or mental health provider in order to care for your physical or mental health.

Send Lauren a text!
Are you starting to notice signs of anxiety in your tween or teen and wondering if it might be time to get seek support? In this episode, I’ll share how to know when your child could benefit from working with a qualified therapist and help you feel more confident about what to do next.
✨ What's Bringing Me More Zen
Tune in till the end of the episode when I share how an old TV show that's now streaming is bringing me joy!
📻 Key Episode Highlights
Understanding and normalizing anxiety 
Recognizing when anxiety becomes overwhelming
Signs that indicate your tween or teen might need professional help
Brief overview of OCD symptoms. For more information on signs and symptoms of OCD check out Episode #123, Anxiety or Something More? A Parent's Guide to Recognizing OCD 
🏠 Resources for Parents
For CT residents check out my private practice which specializes in supporting children, teens and families dealing with anxiety and OCD: Firefly Counseling and Wellness
Directory for qualified therapists who treat OCD
💌 Let's Connect!
Website: YourZenFriend.com
Email: yourzenfriendpod@gmail.com 
Instagram: @YourZenFriendPod
Join our private Facebook group: Your Zen Friend
💛 If you're finding this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend—it's the best way to help the podcast grow in order to offer more free support to parents of anxious tweens and teens!
Remember: Parenting a tween or teen with anxiety is challenging, so take some time today (and every day) to do something kind for yourself! 💕

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to be a replacement for diagnosis, mental health therapy or psychological treatment of any kind. Please consult with your doctor or mental health provider in order to care for your physical or mental health.