Ever feel like you’re walking on eggshells with your teenager? You see them struggling, so you offer a perfectly reasonable solution—maybe a walk or some deep breathing—only to have them roll their eyes, snap at you, or retreat further into their room.

I recently sat down with Sophia Vail Galano, a licensed clinical social worker and author of Calming Teenage Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry. Sophia has spent over a decade working with adolescents and noticed a recurring theme: parents are deeply concerned about the rising tide of teen anxiety, but they are often stuck at the “what now?” phase.

Sophia’s inspiration for her work came from a standing-room-only talk she gave at a local high school, where she realized that while the dialogue around mental health is growing, parents are still searching for a practical “blueprint” to navigate these difficult years. In our conversation, she reveals why our most “helpful” instincts as parents are often the very things that cause our teens to shut down.

Why Your “Help” Might Be Making Things Worse

* The Mask of Hostility: Understand why your teen isn’t going to tell you they feel “anxious” and why their worry often manifests as moodiness, angsty behavior, or even hostility.

* The “Fixer’s” Trap: Discover how jumping straight into solutions can accidentally confirm your teen’s deepest fear—that they aren’t competent enough to handle their own life.

* Normal Worry vs. Concerning Anxiety: Sophia shares the specific “how often and to what extent” framework that helps you decide when to give them space and when it’s time to take a much closer look.

* The Power of the 2-Minute Window: Learn why a five-minute conversation that feels “too short” to you is actually a massive victory in the eyes of a teenager.

Stop Guessing and Start Connecting

The shift from being a “fixer” to a “collaborator” doesn’t happen overnight, and your teen likely won’t thank you for it right away. However, Sophia explains how this subtle change in your approach builds a critical foundation of trust that will eventually allow them to come to you with the “big” stuff—like relationships, sex, and substance use.

Ready to stop the power struggles and start building resilience in your teen?

Listen to the full conversation to hear Sophia’s specific “blueprint” for opening the door to communication when your teen wants to slam it shut.

To Connect with Sophia:

* Visit Sophia’s Website: www.sofiagalano.com

* Get the Resource: Sophia’s book is available on Amazon and major bookstores.

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