When our kids struggle to make better choices, we often focus on offering consequences, creating a plan, and following through. It’s a natural instinct to try harder, create structure, and hold boundaries. But what often gets overlooked is the role that beliefs play in motivating behavior change, both our kids’ beliefs about themselves and our own beliefs as parents.
That’s what I explore in today’s episode with teen mentor and author Michael Corbett. Michael shares how a deep understanding of our internal world - our thoughts, beliefs, and emotional patterns - is essential not just for behavior change, but for long-term self-awareness and growth.
He’s been there himself, navigating a painful inner world as a kid while everything looked “fine” from the outside. Now, he uses that experience to help teens and young adults become more emotionally self-reliant and motivated from within, not just compliant on the outside.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated that your teen or young-adult child knows what to do but doesn’t follow through, or if you're wondering how to support your kid who’s shut down after treatment, this conversation will offer a refreshing and compassionate new lens.
In this episode on motivating behavior change in teens & young adults, we explore:

• Why lasting behavior change starts with shifting internal beliefs;
• How to help your teen or young adult clarify their values;
• What emotional self-reliance really looks like (and how to support it);
• How to talk with your teen about values without triggering resistance;
• Why your parenting mindset matters just as much as your strategy;
• How to support a teen who seems “done” with therapy after treatment;
• 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.
Have a question or need support? You can email me at [email protected]
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And remember parents, the change begins with us.