Teen Whisperer | Understanding Teen Girl Mental Health
This is THE podcast for mums of girls.
Whether your daughter is a tween, teen or young woman, and you want to understand what the friggidy frigg is really going on beneath the tricky behaviour, the big emotions, and the screen she won't put down, this is the podcast for you.
Here's the truth nobody else is saying. Girls are not small boys. They run on a completely different biological operating system, a 28-day cycle instead of a 24-hour one. Different hormones, different stress responses, different energy, different needs, week by week, month by month. And almost every parenting tool, every expert strategy, every piece of advice you've ever been handed? Built on male biology. Handed to you as if it would work the same way for her.
It doesn't. And that is why nothing has worked.
Too often we're told it's "just" hormones, or she's too sensitive, or she needs to put the phone down. But what if I told you the phone isn't the problem, it's a message from a nervous system that isn't getting what it was designed to need? These are natural responses to an unnatural world. And when you understand them, you can stop reacting with frustration and start responding with insight.
Every week, Health Play Specialist and mum Rach Friedli brings you the biology, the tools, and the honest conversation that should have happened years ago. The nervous system science behind her behaviour. The truth about what tech is actually doing in her body. The Whole Body Reset tools that give her something better to reach for, because we can't talk it out of our girls. But we can give their nervous systems somewhere better to go.
Shocked. Inspired. Eyes wide open. That's what I want for you.
Because so much of what we've been told about parenting girls is wrong, wrapped up in control, pressure and guilt. The world isn't set up for our girls. But there is a different way. A way that starts with understanding her body, her cycle, and the world she's actually living in.
Let's make this a revolution, one episode at a time, so our girls grow up feeling seen, safe and capable. And we can stop parenting from fear and start parenting from insight
Teen Whisperer | Understanding Teen Girl Mental Health
Why Encouragement Backfires: Understanding Freeze Response in Girls' Mental Health
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If your daughter often shuts down when you offer encouragement, withdraws when things get difficult, or loses motivation under pressure, this episode is essential listening for you.
I explore the ins and outs of girls' mental health and the freeze response that can cause teenage behaviour to seem like defiance or laziness. Discover why the common phrase "You've got this" can sometimes deepen her shutdown and what the freeze response feels like within her body and mind.
I discuss how overwhelm affects her confidence and self-belief, why avoidance is often a form of protection rather than rebellion, and most importantly, how to rebuild her confidence through parenting support that emphasizes safety and patience.
This episode provides a nervous-system-led reframe designed to strengthen the mother-daughter relationship without pressure, helping you understand the behavioural messages your daughter is sending.
By tuning in, you'll learn how to support your girl's mental health and foster growth with empathy and insight, paving the way for a stronger, more connected relationship.
And listen, if you’re sitting there thinking “I need more than this podcast episode”, I’m running a live webinar tonight - 19th February at 7pm GMT.
It’s free. It’s 45 minutes. And I’m going to teach you exactly what freeze looks like, why we miss it, and what actually helps.
You’ll also get to connect with other mums who are in the exact same place.
So if you want in, grab your spot here.
Spaces are limited because I want to keep it interactive, so if you’re thinking about it, just register now.
If what you've heard today felt like something you needed to hear, I want to tell you about WTF - What's The Feeling. It's my membership for mums just like you. The physiology, the tools, the community of women who are in it too - all in one place.
The doors are open right now, but only until the end of June. Then they close until August. So if you've been thinking about it, now's the time. Check out the details here
Wish your daughter had her own podcast to help understand what’s going on? Send her to Girl You’ve Got This - available on all major platforms.
Don’t forget to subscribe so you’re the first to get new episodes, and leave a review - it helps other mums find the podcast too.
See you next time! 💛