The Prevention Leaders Podcast
Helping Teens Turn Anxiety Into Resilience with Laura Ollinger
56 min
Guest: Laura Ollinger
Listen on SpotifySummary
Laura Ollinger, a teen and parent wellbeing coach, joins the podcast to discuss how parents can help their teens navigate anxiety. She explains what everyday "living room" anxiety is, why it appears strongly in teens, and how parents can foster connection, emotional skills, and a positive identity. Laura shares practical strategies for parents to normalize emotions and support teens in working with anxiety, rather than avoiding it.
Key takeaways
- Understand that everyday anxiety is common for teens and does not have to define their experiences.
- Learn how parents can respond to teen anxiety to build stronger connections and emotional intelligence.
- Discover practical ways to help teens work through anxiety instead of avoiding it.
- Shift parenting approaches from "fixing" problems to truly connecting with teenagers.
- Recognize the importance of normalizing emotions for teens as a step towards resilience.
Show notes
Teen anxiety is everywhere right now, but it doesn’t have to define our kids’ stories. In this conversation, teen and parent wellbeing coach Laura Ollinger joins Dave to unpack what everyday “living room” anxiety really is, why it shows up so strongly for teens, and how parents can respond in ways that build connection, emotional skills, and a positive sense of identity.
Laura shares what she’s seeing in her coaching work and at home with her four teens, then walks through practical ways parents can normalize emotions, support teens in working with anxiety (instead of avoiding it), and shift from “fixing” to truly connecting. This one’s especially for prevention leaders who are also parents, and for anyone coaching parents in their communities.
About Laura:
Laura Ollinger is a teen and parent wellbeing coach based in Austin, Texas. She combines a master’s in health and wellness education, health and life coach training, and years of parenting four teenagers to help families navigate stress, anxiety, and relationship challenges. She also hosts the “Positively Healthy Mom” podcast.
Connect with Laura: https://www.positivelyhealthycoaching.com/
Listen to her daughter's podcast: Cavaliers and Conversations
Share this episode with a colleague, coalition partner, or fellow parent who’s walking alongside teens.
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