I’ve been feeling a lot of anxiety lately. Our wilderness kid is doing really well, so you’d think, after all the heartache, pain, and anxiety of that journey, things would finally feel calm. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, doesn’t it?

But honestly, I’ve been judging my anxiety hard. What’s your problem? Why can’t you handle this? You used to be good at this! You’re a mess. It’s exhausting, and the more I try to push these thoughts away, the louder they get.

But then a good reminder brought me back on the path of unshaming and it started to shift my perspective.

I know many of you are navigating hard times too. The mistakes we make, the thoughts that feel overwhelming, they need unshaming. They need understanding. That’s where healing starts. And as I work through this, I’m learning to love myself through the experience.

If you’re in a season of anxiety or shame, I want you to know I’m here for you. Together, we can unlearn the judgment and begin to embrace understanding.

In this episode on unshaming anxiety, I reflect on:

• My recent struggles with anxiety and what they’ve taught me;
• How anxiety often masks deeper emotions, like sadness or fear;
• The transformative power of understanding and accepting anxiety;
• Unshaming past actions to regain control and self-compassion.

Please know, you are not alone.

Other episodes on this topic:
61. How to Unshame Your Parent Regrets With David Bedrick - Part 1
62. How to Unshame the Identified Patient in Your Home With David Bedrick - Part 2

Looking for support?
🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:
Leaving a review
Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

🌱 Small GROUP COACHING program starting February 3rd, 2025 🌱
Sign up or learn more over at www.bethhillmancoaching.com/groups
I hope to see you there!

It’s natural to want to steer our kids toward success and protect them from struggle. But what if trying to control the outcome does more harm than good? In this episode, I speak with Maggie, a mom of four (including one “wilderness kid”), who shares her deeply personal journey of learning to step back, trust her child’s path, and focus on her own growth.

“I leaned in on control-based, outcome-oriented parenting because I thought that was my job. I thought that’s what a good parent looked like” Maggie admits. Be she started noticing she was consistently crossing the line when her kids grew older, moving from reassuring them about her own choices to trying to make their choices for them. The result? Miscommunication, frustration, and strained family dynamics.

Maggie’s turning point came when she realized she’s not the main character in her child’s life.

“It is not my job to make my child succeed and it’s not my job to intervene when struggle is up ahead” - Maggie

By stepping out of the way and allowing her child to make their own decisions, whether these are the choices she would have made herself or not, she noticed an interesting shift: he started making healthier choices for himself.

Maggie’s story is so relatable for many parents out there with a struggling teen, so have a listen and enjoy.

In this episode on letting go of control and desired outcomes for our teens, we discuss:

• How to shift from controlling to supporting your child’s journey;
• Why prioritizing impact over intent is key in parent-child communication;
• The surprising ways letting go can improve your relationship with your struggling teen and family dynamics in general;
• How struggles shape kids into who they’re meant to be, and why parents shouldn’t stand in the way.
• And much more!

Looking for support?
🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!
🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

You can support the show by:
Leaving a review
Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

🌱 Small GROUP COACHING program starting February 3rd, 2025 🌱
Sign up or learn more over at www.bethhillmancoaching.com/groups
I hope to see you there!

What happens after your teen completes treatment? It’s a question many parents grapple with. In today’s episode, Beth talks to Michael, a former struggling teen who went to wilderness himself, about his journey through treatment and the challenges of returning home.

Michael reflects on his time in wilderness treatment as the ‘worst best time’ of his life. It wasn’t just the woods or the strict routines that made it tough - it was the emotional accountability he had never faced before. As he shares, “At home, I got away with everything and anything.”

But wilderness was only the beginning. Michael opens up about the highs and lows that followed, from the "honeymoon period" in which everything seemed to be going great, to the real work of sustaining change.

He also speaks about his parents’ role during this time: their support, their boundaries, and their commitment to not only doing their own work alongside him but supporting him in his work as well.

If you’ve ever wondered how to support your teen after treatment, or how to hold steady through the ups and downs, Michael’s story is one for you.

In this episode on messing up after treatment, we cover:

• How Michael abused the privileges he was given during wilderness;
• The importance of holding boundaries after treatment;
• How parents can support their teen’s ongoing growth;
• Michael’s experiences after treatment, from a 3-month ‘honeymoon’ period to a new ’storm’;
• The support his parents gave him after treatment and the boundaries they held up;
• The importance of doing your own work and also finding out what your kid is working on and supporting them in that work;
• Why having a mentor can be incredibly beneficial for your teen after treatment;
• And more!

Looking for support?
🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

More about Michael Wangsgard
Michael is a former struggling teen who went to wilderness turned mentor for struggling teens. You can connect with Michael via email at wangsgardm@gmail.com or give him a call at 8014308455.

You can support the show by:
Leaving a review
Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

🌱 Small GROUP COACHING program starting February 3rd, 2025 🌱
Sign up or learn more over at www.bethhillmancoaching.com/groups
I hope to see you there!