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What if one simple question could help your teen break free from anxiety, self-doubt, and the negative stories they’ve been carrying all year?

In this powerful end-of-year episode, we revisit one of the most transformational tools I’ve ever used as a school counselor and teen anxiety coach: the story your teen is telling themselves — and how to help them rewrite it for 2026.

Teens are living with heavy narratives like:
“I’m the anxious one.”
“I’m always behind.”
“I mess everything up.”
“Everyone else has it together except me.”

These aren’t truths — they’re stories, often written by fear and anxiety.
And parents have more influence than they realize in helping teens choose a healthier, braver, more grounded identity.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ The #1 question every family should ask before the year ends
✨ How anxiety quietly rewrites your teen’s identity
✨ A 3-step reflection activity you can do together this week
✨ How school counselors and educators can use this in January
✨ How to help your teen name the story they WANT to live in 2026
✨ Why chapter-title exercises build confidence, clarity, and emotional resilience

This is a gentle, hopeful reset — for you and your teen — before the new year begins.

If you want to build connection, calm anxious patterns, and support your teen’s confidence in 2026, this episode will walk you step-by-step into the conversations that change everything.

If you want deeper support as you raise a teen who struggles with anxiety, join Parenting Through the Maze — my private parent community where I teach calm communication, confidence-building strategies, and practical tools to help your child grow into their strongest, healthiest self.
https://www.betterregulatethannever.com/parenting-through-the-maze

I also work 1:1 with young people to help them write a new story. If you would like me to be a story guide for your child, set up a time for us to talk about the details.
👉 Here is my calendar: https://calendly.com/ccoufal/yourfamilysnextstep

And if this episode helped you, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE it with another parent who could use a little encouragement today.

Your teen’s story isn’t finished — and neither is yours. Let’s write the next chapter together.

Find my podcast
Email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com
Text me: 785-380-2064
More information

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What if a single word could change the entire direction of your year?

In this episode, I share one of my favorite year-end rituals: choosing a Word of the Year — a simple, powerful practice that helps teens, parents, and school counselors move into 2026 with clarity, intention, and emotional grounding.

Instead of setting resolutions that fade by February, one word becomes a compass. A filter. A steady anchor you return to when life gets overwhelming.

You'll learn:

✨ Why choosing one word is more effective than traditional resolutions
✨ How parents and counselors can guide teens through a meaningful reflection process
✨ Easy activities to bring your word to life (vision boards, lock screens, micro-goals, and more)
✨ The questions that help kids identify what they truly need in the year ahead
✨ My personal word for 2026 — GUIDED — and the story behind why I chose it

This episode will help you and the young people in your life release the pressure of perfection, connect with inner wisdom, and step into the new year feeling calmer, clearer, and more empowered.

What’s YOUR word for 2026?
Send me a DM or email and share the word that will guide your year.

Perfect for:
Parents • Teens • School Counselors • Educators • Anyone craving a fresh start in 2026

Find my podcast
Email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com
Text me: 785-380-2064
More information

Send us a text

In this new episode, Cynthia unpacks why saying no feels like danger to your brain — and how tiny daily “Boundary Reps™” can completely change your confidence, your relationships, and your emotional energy.

You’ll learn:

⭐ Why your brain treats boundaries like a threat
⭐ The hidden lie behind people-pleasing (and why it’s really fear management)
⭐ A real story of a 19-year-old who couldn’t say no — and how 20 seconds of courage changed everything
⭐ The Boundary Reps Challenge — 10 tiny exercises that build boundary strength
⭐ The mindset shift: “I can handle 20 seconds of awkward”
⭐ The truth that will set every teen, parent, and adult free:

You are allowed to disappoint people.
And they are allowed to be disappointed.
And nothing is wrong.

✨ Get the Boundary Reps™ Challenge Worksheet
Download it here

Find my podcast
Email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com
Text me: 785-380-2064
More information