Teenagers Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/teenagers/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:27:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://heatherhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-HH_logo-32x32.png Teenagers Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/teenagers/ 32 32 Realistic Expectations in an Unrealistic World https://heatherhayes.com/realistic-expectations-in-an-unrealistic-world/ Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7268 How do families, schools, and young people keep their footing amid filters, fame, and AI? If you scroll for sixty seconds, you’ll see poreless faces, bodies trimmed by software, bedrooms staged by design apps, and perfect routines packaged for purchase. The mirror has moved from the bathroom to the feed, where it talks back in […]

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]]> TikTok Bans #SkinnyTok: A Step Toward Protecting Mental Health or Just a Patch? https://heatherhayes.com/tiktok-bans-skinnytok-a-step-toward-protecting-mental-health-or-just-a-patch/ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:46:37 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7169 In a move lauded by public health experts and mental health advocates alike, TikTok recently banned the hashtag #SkinnyTok, along with related content promoting extreme thinness and disordered eating. While this step reflects growing platform accountability, specialists warn it may not be enough to curb the deeper social and algorithmic drivers of eating disorders among […]

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]]> Understanding the Polyvagal Theory in Adolescence: A Foundation for Trauma-Responsive Adolescent Transport https://heatherhayes.com/understanding-the-polyvagal-theory-in-adolescence-a-foundation-for-trauma-responsive-adolescent-transport/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7130 In recent years, Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized our understanding of the nervous system, particularly in the context of trauma and adolescent development. The theory provides a crucial framework for professionals working with adolescents, especially those involved in therapeutic transport.  One of the most compassionate and trauma-informed approaches to adolescent transport comes from Heather […]

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]]> Women, Substance Use, and Mental Health: A Historical and Relational Perspective https://heatherhayes.com/women-substance-use-and-mental-health-a-historical-and-relational-perspective/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7112 The experience of women who are in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment has long been shaped by cultural norms, historical stigma, and systemic barriers. From the marketing of “women’s tonics” in the 19th Century to modern critiques of treatment models designed primarily for men, women’s struggles and triumphs in recovery reflect […]

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]]> Building Family Connection and Secure Attachment: Foundations, Disruptions, and Tools for Healing https://heatherhayes.com/building-family-connection-and-secure-attachment-foundations-disruptions-and-tools-for-healing/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:00:53 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7100 Healthy families are built on two fundamental pillars: connection and attachment. When these are strong, family members feel safe, seen, and valued, which fosters emotional resilience, trust, and overall well-being. When disrupted, however, individuals can struggle with lifelong emotional regulation, relational difficulties, and mental health challenges. Below, we explore the foundations of family connection and […]

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]]> The Importance of Safety in Healing Family Dynamics: Insights from Judith Herman and Steven Porges https://heatherhayes.com/the-importance-of-safety-in-healing-family-dynamics-insights-from-judith-herman-and-steven-porges/ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:00:33 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7091 Safety is a fundamental prerequisite for healing within any family system, particularly for members who have experienced emotional abuse. The pioneering work of Judith Herman and Steven Porges highlights the critical role of safety in the recovery process. Their essay explores the importance of safety, drawing on Herman’s work on trauma and recovery and Porges’ […]

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]]> The Power of Expectation: Bowlby’s Theory, Coping Patterns, and the Family System https://heatherhayes.com/the-power-of-expectation-bowlbys-theory-coping-patterns-and-the-family-system/ Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:00:28 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7065 “What cannot be communicated to the [parent] cannot be communicated to the self.” — John Bowlby, Attachment and Loss (1980) British psychoanalyst John Bowlby, best known for founding attachment theory, proposed that the expectations children form about themselves and others are deeply shaped by early relational experiences. Often overlooked within his broader framework is his […]

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]]> Family Systemic Therapy and the Role of Family Involvement in Adolescent Treatment https://heatherhayes.com/family-systemic-therapy-and-the-role-of-family-involvement-in-adolescent-treatment/ Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:00:30 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7059 Family Systemic Therapy is a therapeutic approach that views the family as a system in which each member affects the others. This framework, largely developed by pioneers in the field such as Salvador Minuchin, Carl Whitaker, and Jay Haley, emphasises the importance of involving family members in therapeutic interventions, especially when treating adolescents.  Adolescents often […]

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]]> Incongruence in Family Systems: Exploring Covert Contracts and Adolescent Development https://heatherhayes.com/incongruence-in-family-systems-exploring-covert-contracts-and-adolescent-development/ Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:00:18 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7035 Family systems theory, a cornerstone of systemic family therapy, emphasizes the interconnectedness of family members and the impact of these relationships on individual behavior and development. Pioneers like Jay Haley and Salvador Minuchin have profoundly influenced our understanding of these dynamics, particularly how unspoken rules, or covert family contracts, shape interactions within families. One critical […]

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]]> Reins of Integrity: A Different Kind of Strong https://heatherhayes.com/reins-of-integrity-a-different-kind-of-strong/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:00:25 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7025 The fact that I am here today, addressing you as a leader, is something I will never quite internalize. I come from a family full of what most people would consider leaders. My grandfather was a United States Senator. My uncle, a well-known author and Latin American correspondent for the Huntley-Brinkley Report, once landed in […]

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]]> Understanding the Reality of Autism in Teens https://heatherhayes.com/understanding-the-reality-of-autism-in-teens/ Wed, 02 Jul 2025 07:00:13 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=6831 Understanding autism necessitates a nuanced comprehension of this complex and diverse condition. Considering the real experiences of real individuals enhances our ability to create an inclusive and accepting world where autistic people are supported, understood, and empowered. Teenagers are at a special time in their lives, at once navigating an exit from childhood and an […]

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]]> The Hidden Architecture of Dysfunction: Robert Subby’s Family Rules Explained https://heatherhayes.com/the-hidden-architecture-of-dysfunction-robert-subbys-family-rules-explained/ Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:22:03 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=6926 In families impacted by mental health issues, substance use disorders (SUDs), or unresolved trauma, patterns of communication and behavior often develop in an attempt to maintain stability. Robert Subby, a leader in the field of addiction recovery and family systems theory, identified a set of family rules that often govern these families. While intended to […]

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