Parenting Teens Together: A Support Group

At TASE Psychology Center, we understand the challenges of parenting teenagers in today’s fast-paced world. To provide support and guidance, we recently concluded a four-session Parent Support Group to equip parents with the tools they need to foster healthy relationships with their teens and build a community of self-compassion and encouragement. Throughout four sessions, we covered crucial topics designed to address different aspects of the parent-teen dynamic.

Key Themes Discussed

The Foundations of Parenting Teens In the first session, we laid the groundwork by focusing on the core principles of parenting teens. We explored the significant developmental changes teens experience and the evolving role of parents during this time, and parents were given the space to share their mutual struggles and provide an equal amount of support. This session not only underscored the importance of understanding and supporting teenagers but also stressed the need for parents to extend compassion and patience to themselves throughout the parenting journey.

Understanding Teenage Mental Health In the second session, the discussion shifted to teenage mental health, a critical concern for many parents. We explored the warning signs of anxiety, depression, and stress in adolescents, and parents were provided with practical tools on how they can best support their teenager’s well-being. This session was crucial in providing insights into the mental health challenges teenagers face and encouraged parents to practice empathy and patience.

Navigating Teenage Communication Communication is often one of the toughest challenges in parenting teenagers, which became the focal point of our third session. Through interactive role-playing exercises, we helped parents navigate common communication barriers and emphasized the power of active listening. Through this session, parents were able to leave with practical techniques to foster more open, productive, and meaningful conversations with their teens.

Practising Self-Compassion as Parents We concluded our support group with perhaps the most important yet frequently overlooked lesson—practising self-compassion. Parenting can be emotionally exhausting, often leaving parents feeling like they're never doing enough. It's common to question every decision and worry about making mistakes. But the truth is, parenting doesn’t come with a manual. What matters most isn’t perfection, but being a "good enough" parent—showing up with love, patience, and the willingness to learn along the way.

Parenting is rarely an easy journey, and at TASE Psychology Center, we are dedicated to providing a supportive space and valuable resources for parents who need it. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in our first Parent Support Group, and we look forward to hosting more sessions in the future.