All Episodes

September 17, 2025 37 mins

“Well, you have to talk to them different than maybe you did when they were 10, and you have to do it without the questions, and you have to be respectful. So, the sarcastic comments have to go because that's not real inviting.” Janet Edgette, PhD.

*This episode is for mental health professionals.*After today’s episode, head on over to @therapybookspodcast to learn about the latest giveaway.

*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. 

In this episode of What Your Therapist is Reading, Jessica Fowler discusses Therapeutic Conversations with Adolescents alongside Dr. Janet Edgette.  Dr. Edgette is an experienced psychologist and author. She shares insights from her new book 'Therapeutic Conversations with Adolescents: Helping Teens in Therapy Thrive in an Ultra-Competitive, Screen-Saturated World,' highlighting effective ways to engage with teens in therapy by being authentic, respectful, and avoiding a question-based approach. She emphasizes the importance of talking 'with' teens rather than 'at' them, addressing real issues, and fostering genuine communication. The episode also delves into how cultural expectations about adolescence often lead to misunderstandings and provides practical advice for therapists and parents on how to build stronger connections with teenagers.

Highlights

Therapeutic Conversations with Adolescents

Engaging Teens in Therapy

Addressing Disrespect in Therapy

Handling Noncompliance

Building Credibility with Teens

Respecting Client Autonomy

Challenging Teen Stereotypes

Effective Parent-Teen Communication

Modern Approach to Teen Therapy

Connect with the author:

Facebook

Instagram

About the author:

Janet Sasson Edgette, Psy.D., M.P.H. is a psychologist, author, workshop leader, and

speaker from the Philadelphia area, working with teenagers and consulting to their

parents for over thirty five years in her Philadelphia-based private practice. She is the

author of seven books, her most recent one being Therapeutic Conversations with

Adolescents: Helping Teens in Therapy Thrive in an Ultra-Competitive and Screen-

Saturated World. Others include Adolescent Therapy That Works: Helping Kids Who

Never Asked for Help in the First Place and Stop Negotiating With Your Teen:

Strategies for Parenting Your Angry, Manipulative, Moody or Depressed Adolescent.

 

For much of her career, Janet has focused on offering therapy services to young people

that they actually value and respect, and want to participate in, eliminating the

miserable and degrading tug of war and other power struggles many clinicians endure

when working with this population. She has been teaching her approach, Modern Teen

Therapy for more than three decades to audiences through the US and Canada as well

as to other teen therapists in her online coaching/mentorship program.

 

Janet received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA and a masters in public health from the University of Oklahoma. She is

a native New Yorker, the mother of three young men, an avid equestrian (show

jumping), and a lover of all dogs, especially pit bulls and Bullmastiffs.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills

The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills

As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.