Welcome to series 9 of the Teenage Kicks podcast, and a brand new set of brave conversations with people who had something difficult to go through in their teenage years. 

This episode features Jon Wilson Cooper, who - through his career choice as a counsellor - has explored his own relationship with his mental health at length, including how he feels about having grown up with a sibling with disabilities. 

We discuss everything from the embarrassment of being seen in public with his deaf brother, who had behavioural difficulties and a severe learning disability, the jealousy of the attention given to his brother, and the shame of feeling this way. 

Jon says there's a difference between shame and guilt, and the challenge for our teenagers  - and for us as their parents - is to reject the shame (which is paralysing) whilst managing the guilt effectively. 

Who is Jon Wilson Cooper?

Jon is a qualified psychotherapist, trainer, and organisational consultant with over 38 years’ experience of helping people with their mental health. He is the Founder and Director of The Albany Centre for personal and professional development, which is a counselling training institute and therapy. He also runs Mosaic Counselling Services CIC (a low-cost counselling service) in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He has worked in the UK, America, and India in a variety of settings with a wide range of clients, including those with addiction issues, mental health problems and histories of personal trauma. Jon has a special interest in helping individuals raise awareness of their blocks to emotional well-being and making positive life choices.

Jon is also a TEDx speaker whose talk on why people hate was chosen as one of the top TEDx talks of 2024. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su-0oL1QdHM

Jon welcomes connection - you can find him here: 

• Connect on LinkedIn
• The Albany Centre
• Facebook
• Follow the Albany Centre on Facebook

More teenage parenting from Helen Wills:

Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens.

Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk.

You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram @iamhelenwills.

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Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional.

Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.