For an untold number of reasons we’ve lost the role of elder in our modern societies. This means children, especially adolescents and young adults, are often left to their own devices to figure out what life is all about. This process driven by trial and error often leads to significant and serious errors that are unnecessary because they don’t have a trusted advisor to turn to before crisis hits. Many of them won’t turn to parents precisely because their way to prove their autonomy is to prove they can handle things without needing the advice of the exact people they are establishing their autonomy from – namely their parents.
I’ve built my career around building the critically important relationship with them that they need during this stage of life… holding that space where these teens and young adults can find the answers they seek … not in conversation, but by example and the direct advice that can only come from experience and expertise.