Inside Out 2 is Here to Help: Navigating Your Teen’s Emotions with Dr. Lisa Damour

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why parents of teenagers often feel isolated and what we can do about it
• Phrases and practice advice for having productive conversations with your teens
• The difference between healthy and unhealthy anxiety

Dr. Lisa Damour is a clinical psychologist and author who has been specializing in the development of teenage girls and young women for over 30 years. About 10 years ago, she realized most of the information available on teen development was about things going wrong, but there was a lack of literature addressing the typical development of adolescent girls and the normal anxieties they face. This prompted her to write the New York Times bestsellers Untangled and Under Pressure. Eventually, she started writing for The New York Times and was assigned to cover Inside Out, which was a perfect fit as her daughter was 11 at the time, the same age as Riley, the main character of the movie. Unsurprisingly, her work caught the attention of Pixar as they began development on Inside Out 2. Fast forward to 2020, and Dr. Damor got a call from Pixar to meet with Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve, the Inside Out 2 director and writer, respectively, and began her involvement with the upcoming film.

In this episode, Mathew and Dr. Damour discuss why parents of teenagers can often feel isolated and what makes Inside Out and Inside Out 2 such a great conversational jumping-off point. We know teens are designed for independence, so connecting with or advising them can more often than not lead to pushback and rebellion. Thankfully, Dr. Damor gives us some practice tips and phrases that can help make these conversations easier to navigate and normalize intense and negative emotions. With the rising fear of adolescent mental health crises and distress, she notes that it is important for us to remember that psychological distress and negative emotions teens experience are normal and are not the same as mental health concerns. She encourages parents to embrace the flow of emotions and help their teens explore the upsides and downsides of emotions we all feel, like joy, sadness, disgust, and anxiety.

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Resources:

• DrLisaDamour.com
• Movies.Disney.com/Inside-Out-2

Connect with Mathew Blades:

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Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson