In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, we sit down with Katie May, a licensed therapist, author, speaker, and the founder of Creative Healing—a multi-location teen support center in the Philadelphia area to discuss strategies for parenting teens with self-destructive behaviors.

This episode is a must-listen for moms of deeply feeling, highly sensitive teenagers who experience extreme emotional dysregulation and high-risk behaviors, offering practical strategies to move your household from a state of constant crisis into a place of calm and connection.

• Understanding why some teenagers are genetically hardwired to experience the world with raw, intense emotions, and why traditional parenting advice fails them.
  
• A clear breakdown of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), how it differs from traditional CBT, and why it is the gold standard for treating severe emotional reactivity and self-harm in teenagers.
  
• How a teen's emotional baseline can get trapped in an ongoing cycle of stress, and how parents can use environmental changes to help them "zero out" and calm down.
  
• Concrete advice on how parents can navigate the emotional grief of letting go of the parenting journey they expected so they can show up for the teen they have.
  

Highly sensitive teens often experience an accumulation of nervous system stress that never fully returns to baseline. Because they are easily triggered, they get re-activated before they can fully calm down, making minor incidents feel like major crises.

Katie May is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), author, speaker, and group practice owner who founded Creative Healing, a specialized center dedicated to supporting teenagers and their families. She specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and is passionate about giving parents the practical toolkits they need to understand their teen's intense inner world and foster long-term resilience.Connect With Katie May

• Katiekmay.com
• @katiekmay on IG
• Purchase Katie’s Book - You’re On Fire, It’s Fine

Resources From Your Host, Laura Ollinger

• Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
• Emotional College Prep for Teen Girls on July 14th, 2026: Register for Positively Healthy University
• Support the Show: Rate the Positively Healthy Mom podcast here!

In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, we are breaking down the ultimate guide to college transition prep. We sit down with Lara Becker, founder of The Dorm Guide and author of The Dorm Room Guide, to cut through the consumer noise and focus on what your rising college freshman actually needs for a happy, healthy, realistic and budget-friendly move-in day.

Lara shares her expert, practical advice on navigating the emotional "senior summer" rollercoaster, stepping back to let your teen take the lead, and avoiding the over-shopping trap fueled by viral TikTok and Instagram dorm reveals.

• Why you should throw out standard retail packing lists and what the true essentials are.
• How to avoid the "Ritz-Carlton" dorm trend and style a functional, comfortable space without overspending.
• Understanding your teen's complex emotions and back-and-forth behavior before they leave.
• Practical ways to give your rising college student real responsibility before move-in day.
• Why a simple measuring tape is your best friend during college visits.

Whether you are feeling the emotional weight of letting go or just trying to figure out how to fit your life into an extra-long twin bed setup, this episode is the perfect antidote to back-to-school anxiety. Tune in for an honest, grounded conversation that balances the logistics of packing with the heart of parenting.

• Positively Healthy University - Right now she can handle her schedule, her grades, her responsibilities. What she's still building is the emotional toolkit she'll need when she's on her own. Enroll her in Positively Healthy University today!
• Connect On Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
• Let’s Work Together To Make Your Connection With Your Teen or Young Adult Joyful!
• Rate this podcast!

How do mirror neurons and parent co-regulation help de-escalate emotional outbursts and stress in teenagers?

In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, we dive deep into the science of nervous system regulation, exploring how parents can use their own energetic presence to calm a dysregulated teen, while also providing practical mind-body tools to support competitive teen athletes through injury prevention and intense physical stress.

It is a must-listen for moms navigating high-stress seasons with their teenagers, academic or performance pressures, and the daily chaotic bursts of teen hormones.

Listen in as we sit down with Lisa Danahy, an MS in Yoga Therapy, BA in Psychology, and founder of the non-profit Create Calm, who specializes in evidence-based behavioral and emotional regulation.

• Why telling an upset teenager to "just calm down" backfires, and how to help them access actual nervous system resources instead.
• Understanding the neuroscience behind why emotions are contagious and how an adult's steady presence serves as a physical reflection for a teen's emotional reset.
• A breakdown of a 30-second somatic tool involving movement, body-shaking, and breathwork to instantly exit the primitive stress response.
• How teaching "intense sensation" practices builds physical endurance, prevents joint/bone wear-and-tear, and fosters deep peer communication in competitive sports.

Question: Why do big conversations with my teenager always seem to turn into explosive arguments when we are in the car?

Answer: When parents and teens pile into a car, they are bringing all the bottled-up stress of their respective days into a highly contained space. Because you are physically confined and unable to move or discharge that physical energy, trying to navigate heavy topics relies entirely on words and breath to force the stress out, making the environment literal kindling for an explosive interaction. It is much better to use the car as a low-stakes space for rambling, and save big topics for after you have physically moved and reset.

Lisa Danahy (C-IAYT, YACEP, MS) is a powerful educator, entrepreneur, and Hay House featured author. With an MS in Yoga Therapy, a BA in Psychology, and over 30 years as a school administrator and social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum developer, she is highly skilled at creating accessible, evidence-based training for emotional regulation and resilience. Her non-profit, Create Calm, has facilitated deep healing and mindful programming for thousands of students, teachers, and families across the country since 2016.

• Website: createcalm.org
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisadanahy
• Facebook: Create Calm Page
• Instagram: @create_calm_yoga & @yogalinilisa

Resources From Your Host, Laura Ollinger

• Emotional College Prep Session For Girls: Positively Healthy University
• Book A Coaching Call: Let’s Work It Out!
• Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching