ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Author and therapist, Nicole Runyon, LMSW, witnessed something that reshaped her entire career: loving, intact families were producing children with trauma-like symptoms typically identified in severe abuse survivors. As a therapist watching teen after teen struggle with paralyzing anxiety and digital-age depression, she recognized she was working too far downstream. The revelation was both sobering and hopeful—these weren't organic mental health crises, but environmental challenges that parents could actually address. 

Her decision to leave a thriving therapy practice (complete with a multi-year waitlist) to educate parents directly speaks to a profound truth: we have far more power than we think, especially when we understand that saying "no" is actually an act of love.

The statistics Nicole shares in this episode might make you squirm with recognition: mothers average just 120 minutes daily with their children while logging 4+ hours of screen time. But here's where her message becomes beautifully uncomfortable - through her own "I fell for it" moment rescuing her daughter from a forgetful incident, Nicole illuminates how our discomfort with our children's discomfort actually impedes their growth. 

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why "no" is the ultimate act of love
• How digital rejection can create personality-disorder-like traits in neurotypical teens, especially girls 
• The optimal three-to-nine year old window for connection (but it's never too late)
• “Asked and answered": Your new boundary mantra
• How to move from convenience to connection

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• “Free To Fly: Fostering Independence In The Next Generation” - Nicole’s book
• Parent Coaching with Nicole

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