Interview with Susan Caso

Plan P

Summary

In this episode of the Plan P podcast, hosts Quinn and Sarah welcome family therapist Susan Caso, who shares her insights on nurturing family relationships, particularly with teens. The conversation explores the importance of emotional connection, effective communication, and the challenges of parenting in the digital age. Susan emphasizes the need for parents to balance authority with vulnerability, acceptance, and the significance of being present in their children's lives. The discussion also touches on the impact of social media on youth and the necessity for parents to model healthy behaviors and self-care. In this conversation, Susan Caso discusses the complexities of parenting, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection, emotional transparency, and building trust with children. She shares her personal experiences with parental anxiety and the need to create a calm environment for children to thrive. The dialogue explores the significance of mistakes in learning, the necessity of open communication, and the balance between vulnerability and emotional safety in parent-child relationships. Susan offers practical advice for parents to navigate their roles and foster deeper connections with their children.

takeaways

• Listening takes time and is essential for building trust.
• Parents should focus on positive interactions with their children.
• Emotional closeness is crucial for healthy relationships.
• Apologizing to teens can strengthen respect and connection.
• Acceptance of children's individuality is vital in parenting.
• Openness and vulnerability foster better communication.
• Social media can impact mental health; awareness is key.
• Setting boundaries around social media use is important.
• Modeling behavior is crucial for effective parenting.
• Parents need to prioritize self-care to be effective caregivers. Self-reflection is crucial for parents to understand their own emotions.
• Parental anxiety can negatively impact children's experiences.
• It's important to model making mistakes to build resilience in children.
• Recognizing the difference between a 10 and a 1 can help manage parental reactions.
• Staying calm and connected with children is essential for open communication.
• Listening to understand is more important than jumping to problem-solving.
• Creating emotional safety allows children to share openly with parents.
• Vulnerability should lead to emotional transparency, not fear.
• Building trust takes time and consistent effort from parents.
• Practicing self-awareness in parenting roles can improve family dynamics.

titles

• Nurturing Family Bonds: Insights from a Therapist
• Building Stronger Connections with Teens
• The Art of Parenting: Balancing Authority and Vulnerability
• Understanding Your Teen: Communication Strategies
• Social Media and Its Impact on Family Dynamics

Sound Bites

• "Listening takes time."
• "Parents need to put the phone down."
• "You have time for 15 minutes."
• "Just stare out the window, daydream."
• "I was just an anxious parent."
• "I need to relax."
• "Everything's a 10 out of 10."
• "Everything's urgent."
• "Listening to understand, right?"
• "Vulnerability implies emotional risk."

Keywords

family therapy, parenting, teen relationships, social media, emotional connection, communication, acceptance, vulnerability, family dynamics, mental health, parenting, self-reflection, emotional transparency, parental anxiety, building trust, communication, mistakes, emotional safety, listening, vulnerability