Resilience and emotional regulation are two of the most critical life skills a young adult needs, but how do they develop and what role do parents play?

In this episode, I sit down with Miki Johnston, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of experience working with teens, young adults, and their families. Together, we explore why so many young adults today struggle with handling emotions, coping with setbacks, and bouncing back from life’s challenges and what parents can do to help.

We break down what emotional regulation and resilience are, how these skills are shaped in the home, why modeling matters more than lecturing, and how Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg’s 7 C’s of Resilience can guide your parenting approach.

If you want to raise a young adult who can manage stress, make healthy decisions, and thrive in the real world, this conversation will show you where to start.

How to contact my Guest.

Miki Johnston MSW, LCSW

Therapist, Speaker, Consultant

Email@mikijohnstontherapy.con

Website: MikiJohnstontherapy.com

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

Divorce is never easy but what you never expected was how it would impact your adult children.

In this episode, Divorce Coach, Therapist, Mediator, and Co-Parenting Expert Jill Barnett Kaufman joins me to talk about what parents need to know when navigating divorce. We touch on so many issues; the benefits of mediation, the importance of communication, managing the change in living arrangements, not getting in the middle, the guilt, the money and more.

Whether your divorce is high-conflict or amicable, the impact on your family is one of life's biggest upsets, but there is always a silver living - which we talk about, too.

If you’re worried about how your divorce will affect your adult kids or you’re already in the middle of it, this episode will give you practical advice, honest answers, and compassionate guidance to help you manage this transition and protect your relationships moving forward.

Remember to share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.

If you feel like leaving a comment, I would love to hear from you! 🫶

Here’s how to contact my Guest today:

Jill Barnett Kaufman, MSW, LCSW

DIVORCE COACH, THERAPIST & CO-PARENTING EXPERT

Contact: info@divorcecoachjill.com www.divorcecoachjill.com

IG: divorcecoachjill FB:divorceandcoparentingexpert

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

Sometimes the most powerful parenting lessons don’t come from experts or books, they come from the kids who have already lived through the consequences of what they didn’t get at home.

Decades ago, I read an article about a group of troubled youth who shared what they wish their parents had done differently and what they needed the most from them. Their words are just as relevant today as they were back then.

I want to share their suggestions with you as I believe they echo a truth we can’t afford to ignore and you'll understand why every parent needs to hear these 10 pieces of advice today.

Change starts with you.

Remember to hit the + button to follow. Not only does it tell me you like the podcast, but you'll get notified every time I drop an episode.

Big hugs today.

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

Have you ever heard terms like “boundaries,” “holding space,” or “emotional co-regulation,” and thought to yourself, “They keep throwing those words around but I really don’t know what they mean."

How can you ever practice something when no one really explains them?

I got you. In this episode, I break down 15 of the most common therapy terms that parents of adult children often hear but don't understand. These phrases are everywhere in parenting conversations and online advice, but without context, they can be confusing or even misused.

Whether you’re trying to improve communication, reconnect, or just better understand your adult child’s emotional world, this episode will help. You’ll learn what these popular psychology and self-help buzzwords actually mean, why they matter, and how they can be applied to your relationship in a real, meaningful way.

If you want to feel more confident in the way you speak, respond, and relate to your adult child, this episode is a must-listen.

Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode, and if you know someone who will appreciate it, please share.

Thanks for listening!

P.S. Podcasting is great, but it's also like talking into a cavernous cavern. (I went hiking and climbing through them the other day, so my reference is for real!)

My point is, I have no idea if anyone is listening, so if you want to reach me, tell me what you think, share some topics with me that you'd love to me to talk about - or find guests to talk about, I'd love to hear from you, love to hear from you, love to hear from you. (Get it? That's an echo.)

Shari@ParentingFX.com

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

If your adult child has a learning disability and feels stigmatized, unmotivated, and has a "life isn't fair" attitude, or perhaps your adult child simply makes excuses for their lacklustre life and spends a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves, you better believe this episode is for you.

Michelle Steiner’s story is exactly what every parent needs to hear if they feel bad for their young adult because they believe the narrative that was told to them when their child was first diagnosed.

Michelle could have believed what her teachers told her when she was younger, that she wouldn’t be able to go to college or get a good job because of her learning disability. But she nor her parents would accept that.

If you’ve been caught in the trap of believing your child "can’t", this conversation will make you think again.

Whether your adult child is struggling with failure to launch, or you’ve quietly stopped believing they can ever live independently, this episode will open your eyes to how far someone can go when the people who care about them stop making excuses and start believing in their ability to rise.

Michelle Steiner’s story isn’t just inspirational, it’s a mindset shift for every parent who’s been told their child won’t succeed. In this honest, motivational interview, Michelle shares what it was like growing up with a learning disability and how the support around her made all the difference.

If your adult child is stuck or caught in a cycle of self-pity, this conversation will challenge you to stop making excuses and start seeing what's truly possible.

Please share this episode with any parent who needs their faith restored in their adult child's ability to find something in their life that lights them up. Never give up, is the underlying them in this episode.

Remember to hit the follow button so you always get notified when a new episode is available.

Thanks for listening!

Watch this interview on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/6i5k1xsH5P4?si=LgFTtKZzT_ilm9R9

How to Reach Michelle Steiner:

https://www.michellesmission.com/

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

The link to The Living Together Agreement e-book is here - https://parentingfx.com/products/living-together-agreement

Living with your adult child is either difficult or it's driving you crazy, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You think you've tried everything, but you've only used your words and unfortunately, they don't carry any weight.

In this episode, I share the 5 essential pillars every parent needs to have in place to raise a respectful, responsible, and independent young adult while they’re still living under your roof. You’ll discover how these pillars create the foundation for mutual respect, shared responsibilities, and long-term independence.

Plus, I’ll introduce you to a powerful parenting resource that offers you the perfect solution that includes a step-by-step framework to help you set expectations and create a home environment where your young adult can grow, contribute, and become ready to live on their own one day.

Without this in place, your home might always be a battlefield of resentment, entitlement and complacency. This gives you the opportunity to change that and live in harmony with your adult child for as long as you both want.

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

What if I told you that bullying and gaslighting don’t just leave emotional wounds - they actually damage the brain? My guest today, Dr. Jennifer Fraser, is an educator, researcher, and author who has written 2 books about how these emotionally abusive experiences can rewire a child’s brain in ways that last into adulthood.

In The Bullied Brain (available now) and The Gaslit Brain (being released in November 2025), Jen explains how these forms of harm don’t just hurt feelings, they can actually alter the brain. However, because our brains are "neuroplastic" these wounds can be healed. This episode will tell you how.

Join me as Jen opens up about how bullying and gaslighting impacted both her son and herself, and what she did to move past it.

For parents wondering why their grown child still struggles with confidence, motivation, or trust, this conversation might answer your deepest concerns.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or simply curious about the power of the human brain to recover, you’ll find this conversation inspiring and full of hope.

This is one episode you won’t want to miss and you might want to share.

If you would like to watch this interview, it's available on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/fw57su28Zvs

Contact Info for Dr. Jen Fraser:

Email info@bulliedbrain.com

Website https://www.bulliedbrain.com/

Preorder The Gaslit Brain https://www.amazon.com/Gaslit-Brain-Gaslighting-Institutional-Complicity/dp/1493090925

Psychology Today series https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-bullied-brain

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx

I asked parents of struggling adult children to tell me what they think is really going on and they delivered. In this episode, I reveal the most common worries, frustrations and obstacles that parents are seeing in their adult kids, and what they believe is truly holding them back.

If what these parents are saying resonates with you, feel free to leave a comment. If you're ready for guidance, please reach out. If you're hoping for solutions, you're in the right place.

After you listen to the episode, if you're interested in the resource that I talk about, here's the link. You can read all about The LAUNCH Guide:

https://parentingfx.com/products/the-launch-guide

The Launch Guide is a 15 page, job search accountability booklet that offers tools and suggestions to help young adults manage the challenges of job hunting by keeping them focused, productive, and moving forward. There's even a job search tracking spreadsheet that is editable and printable, which you can participate in.

What makes it unique is its ability to build momentum, confidence, and responsibility, while they search for a job.

There isn't anything more damaging to a person's self confidence than sitting around feeling incompetent, unemployable, and lonely.

Don't let them hide away in their rooms, wasting their lives, when there is so much they can do with their time.

Please send this episode to a parent who needs to hear it, and mention The LAUNCH Guide link to them as well. Young adults should not be left alone in their rooms. Nothing positive will come from that.

💻 The Waitlist for my Parenting Course is open. “Journey to Independence: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Guiding and Launching Your Adult Child.”

For more information and where to sign up, visit: https://parentingfx.com/pages/the-parenting-course

🪺Early Bird Discounts will be Offered to Anyone on the Waitlist

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to know if your adult child is struggling with Failure to Launch? Grab the free Failure to Launch Checklist here: https://parentingfx.com/pages/ftl-checklist

Click here to receive Shari's Free LAUNCH Advice Newsletter

🗣️One-on-One Consultations are available. Email me to schedule a call.

Shari@ParentingFX.com

🎙️Remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you never miss an episode.

Shari can be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Search for: @sharijonaslifefx