Teens today live at the intersection of real mental health risks and viral misused language like gaslighting, narcissism, and DID. On this episode of The Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy sat down with children’s therapist Stacy Schaffer to unpack how parents can support mental health without turning every rough patch into a diagnosis. Stacy shares the story behind her new book and the core idea that guides her work: integrate tough histories into practical, present-day tools so kids feel seen, safe, and capable.

We dig into the messy middle of modern childhood—where TikTok trends meet group-chat drama and where grooming, exclusion, and “subtle” cruelty often fly under the bullying radar. Stacy offers concrete steps for delaying social platforms, keeping an open pulse on online connections, and having frank, age-appropriate talks about consent, safety, and the law. We also explore why framing therapy as a gift changes everything, and how to invite teens into the process so they feel respected rather than “sent.”

A big theme is language. Words like trauma, gaslighting, narcissist, and DID carry weight and meaning; when they get stretched to cover discomfort or disagreement, everyone loses clarity. Stacy walks us through what those terms actually mean, when they apply, and how to teach kids a simple 1–10 scale that builds perspective without dismissing pain. We also clarify dissociation versus dissociative identity disorder and offer scripts that keep compassion high while holding responsibility steady: “You’re in charge of all your parts.”

Along the way, we talk about modeling healthy conflict at home, building emotion regulation, and helping kids collect “data” from hard moments they survived. If you’ve wondered how to respond when your teen throws out a buzzword, how to know when it’s time for counseling, or how to keep kids safer online, this conversation delivers calm, clear guidance you can use today.

About Stacy Schaffer
Stacy Schaffer is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over twenty years of experience helping children, teens, and young adults navigate emotional and behavioral challenges. Based in Arvada, Colorado, she is the founder and director of Stacy Schaffer Counseling and specializes in both grief therapy and Synergetic Play Therapy. Her extensive training includes a Master's Degree in Professional Counseling from Ottawa University, a Graduate Diploma in Christian Counseling from Phoenix Seminary, and certifications in Synergetic Play Therapy and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She is a proud member of both the National Association of Play Therapy and the Colorado Association for Play Therapy. She’s the author of the book, With Love from a Children's Therapist about lessons she’s learned from her practice.

About Us
The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist!

ABOUT US:
The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist!

CONNECT WITH US:
Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com
Email: BrainyMoms@gmail.com
Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms

Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

What if helping your kid find “the right career” starts with removing the pressure to choose one? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with counselor and career coach Dr. Tega Edwin to rethink how families approach work, college, and the messy middle in between. From fifth-grade classrooms to college advising offices, she’s seen how early biases about gender and prestige quietly close doors—and how simple exposure to real people in diverse roles opens them again.

We unpack a practical roadmap: start with exploration in childhood, not decisions; move into skill-building and option-finding in the teen years; and treat careers as fluid expressions of who we are, not final destinations. Dr. Tega shares classroom-tested ideas that make pathways tangible. For parents guiding older teens, we dig into smarter college strategy—sampling classes, staying undeclared when helpful, using career services early, and avoiding the debt spiral of constant major changes. You’ll also hear how to translate any degree into marketable skills, and why “What Can I Do With This Major?” belongs in every family’s toolbox.

Money worries fuel career fear, so we go straight at financial literacy: budgeting, saving, and investing as the bedrock of freedom to explore. We talk about leveraging your network for shadowing, coaching social skills for the workplace, and turning part-time jobs into lessons in EQ, advocacy, and professionalism. And when a dream is blocked—by health, academics, or reality—we talk about redirecting it without crushing it, honoring the spirit behind the goal. Along the way, we challenge parents to audit their own beliefs about work, because kids learn from what we model, not just what we say.

If you’re ready to replace anxiety with clarity and give your kids tools to pivot with purpose, hit play. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s stressing about career and majors, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so more families can find it.

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com
Email: BrainyMoms@gmail.com
Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms

Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

The temperature of public disagreement feels scorching—and that heat is seeping into our homes. We dig into what it means to hold strong convictions while still honoring people, then connect that idea to everyday parenting: how we talk with our kids, how we set boundaries without shaming, and how we handle it when we don't agree. From there, we pull back the curtain on the forces shaping our families—peer culture, dopamine-driven feeds, and convenience foods designed to hijack attention and appetite—and lay out a calmer path forward.

Joined by our favorite nutrition scientist (and new dad) Matty Lansdown, now rebranded as The Real Weight Loss Coach, we walk through why root-cause health beats quick fixes. Matty talks GLP-1 medications with clear eyes—acknowledging potential benefits while naming real side effects and the risk of unresolved binge cycles—and then outlines an alternative: nervous system safety first, sleep and stress dialed in, ingredients-first meals, strength training for muscle and metabolism, and low-risk natural experiments that respect bioindividuality. Matty’s core message is simple and radical: the body keeps the score, and lasting change begins when we feel safe enough to choose differently.

We also take on the tricky question of teens and weight. Instead of aesthetic pressure, we focus on health markers, modeling, and the quiet power of the “ingredients household.” Device-free dinners, predictable rituals, and parent-led example set the tone even when teens detour. And throughout, we return to one big takeaway: honor family values, do less, do it better. Presence lowers cortisol, steadies cravings, and makes healthy choices feel possible in real life.

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com
Email: BrainyMoms@gmail.com
Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms

Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com