Episode Description
If your teenage daughter says, “I have anxiety,” “my ADHD was out of control today,” or calls a friend “toxic,” it can feel both strangely sophisticated and oddly shallow at the same time. She has language. She has labels. But somehow, you’re still not sure what’s really going on inside her.
In this episode with psychiatrist Dr Suzanne Garfinkel-Crowell, author of Girlhood Translated: Understanding Girls in the Age of Therapy Speak and Self-Diagnosis, we pulled back the curtain on what this language is doing for girls — and what it’s doing to them.
I particularly loved Suzanne’s tip for us parents:
‘The biggest problem with therapy speak is when it’s a conversation stopper, because really, these words should be conversation starters.’
In the discussion she gives us parents ideas on how to move beyond the language our kids are using, and help them understand what’s really going on.
This isn’t an “anti-diagnosis” conversation. It’s about understanding how the language of mental health, the DSM, and social media are shaping girlhood, and how we as parents can respond in a way that brings us closer instead of shutting our daughters down.
If you'd like written notes to remind you about the points in this episode, or you'd like to think more about it, come to my Substack
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Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack:
My email teenagersuntangled@gmail.com
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