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Send us Fan Mail When a conversation gets heated, it’s not just awkward, it’s biological. Your body gears up for threat, your thoughts get narrow, and suddenly you’re saying things you don’t mean or going quiet when you want to connect. Recording on location at a conference, I share a quick, practical framework I come back to again and again as a psychologist: CALM. CALM stands for Catch your breath, Adjust your face, Lean in, and Make it meaningful. We start with the fastest reset you can use anywhere: an intentional breath, including a simple box breathing pattern that helps your logical brain come back online. Then we talk about nonverbal communication and why “fix your face” isn’t a joke. Your expression can accidentally escalate a high conflict conversation, especially with anxious partners, kids, or teens who read your cues as anger even when you’re not mad. From there, we move into the part most people skip: tolerating discomfort. Leaning in doesn’t mean forcing a hard talk at the worst moment, it means staying curious and present when emotions are big and you’re tempted to avoid. Finally, we focus on what makes a hard moment meaningful: listening without interrupting, fixing, or rushing. If you want therapy-informed tools for emotional regulation, conflict de-escalation, and better communication skills, this is a strong place to start. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s navigating tough conversations, and leave a review so more people can find the show. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Grief can be loud, but it can also be quiet, practical, funny, angry, distracted, and all of it can still be real. I’m Dr. Beth Trammell, and I’m sharing a short, direct message for anyone trying to support a community after tragic loss. When people are hurting, especially after the death of a young person, the pressure to say the right thing and lead the right way can feel crushing. The truth is simpler and harder: our job isn’t to make grief go well, it’s to make room for it. We talk about what grief support actually looks like day to day, including why you shouldn’t confuse a lack of visible emotion with a lack of emotion. I spend time on teen grief and bereavement, and why boys and young men may show pain through joking, irritability, shutting down, or diving back into routines. We explore practical ways to help a grieving teen feel safe without forcing a talk, like inviting them for pizza, taking a drive, shooting hoops, or just being nearby. Healing occurs when safety is present, and predictability is one of the best ways adults can build that safety. We also get specific about what to say to someone who lost someone and what not to say. Cliches like “Everything happens for a reason” can wound more than comfort, while honest presence can steady someone for the long haul. If this resonates, share it with a parent, coach, teacher, or friend, and please subscribe and leave a review so more people can find support when grief hits. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis — whether it’s suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, abuse, or another urgent situation — 988 is a free, confidential, and 24/7 resource available nationwide. Call, text or chat. Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Your kid swears they didn’t take the sucker, even though you watched it happen, and suddenly you’re asking a much bigger question: how do I raise a person with integrity? We dig into integrity as a practical parenting value with my friends from CEV, defined simply as choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do, and we keep it grounded in real life rather than perfect-life slogans. We also share a powerful “long view” idea: success isn’t just getting kids through school, it’s who they become at 27, 47, and beyond. We talk honestly about honesty. Kids lie, adults bend rules, and families often send mixed messages without meaning to. Dr. Beth Trammell explains why truth telling looks different across child development, especially before abstract thinking fully kicks in, and how parents can set clear expectations without turning every moment into a debate. We connect honesty to trust and to becoming an askable, reachable adult, because kids tell the truth more when they believe they’ll be heard, not crushed. Then we zoom out to older kids and teens, where integrity becomes “who you are when no one is watching.” We cover unseen moments behind a keyboard, reputation and reliability with friends, and modern challenges like cheating and using AI for assignments. You’ll leave with simple conversation starters, a gut-check test for gray areas, and a clearer way to teach moral decision-making at every age. If this helped, subscribe for more monthly “word” conversations, share the episode with a parent friend, and leave a review so more families can find practical guidance on raising kids with integrity. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Your teenager doesn’t need you to be a mind reader, a private investigator, or a walking grade portal. They need you to be a safe place. I’m Dr. Beth Trammell, and I’m unpacking what a group of teens directly asked their parents to do differently, plus the small communication shifts that make a big difference in connection, trust, and long-term influence. We talk about the pressure teens carry today: identity, friendships, big emotions, body changes, social media, and rising academic expectations. Then we get practical about parent teen communication skills that lower defensiveness, including modeling feelings language, using tools like a feelings wheel, and validating without automatically agreeing. You’ll also hear what teens want around trust and repair, including why “I’m sorry” matters, why “I’m sorry, but…” is not an apology, and how your first reaction can either open the door or slam it shut. From there, I share three places parents can reorient: grades, risk, and respect. If your teen is generally doing fine, constant grade checking can create avoidable conflict and weaken trust. For risk, we move from controlling every variable to coaching better judgment with simple questions like “What could go wrong?” And when “attitude” shows up, we consider brain development and how to stay warm and firm while still requiring respectful speech. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with another parent of a teen, and leave a review so more families can find the show. What part of parenting a teenager feels hardest right now? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail “I don’t want to go to school” can sound like defiance, but it’s often a doorway into what your child cannot quite name yet. I’m Dr. Beth Trammell, and I walk through the most common versions of school refusal I hear from parents, from “I just want to stay home and play Minecraft” to morning tears that make drop-off feel unbearable. Instead of jumping straight to lectures, reassurance, or panic, we slow down and use curiosity to uncover what’s underneath the words. You’ll hear simple, real-world parenting scripts that validate emotions while keeping the boundary: you can understand the feeling without automatically removing the expectation. We talk about how not every uncomfortable feeling means something is wrong, and why rescuing a child from anxiety can bring short-term relief but reduce long-term confidence. I also share practical ideas for separation anxiety, including small comfort items, ways to check in with teachers, and how to tell the difference between missing you and something more serious. We dig into the hidden meaning behind “school is boring” and “school is too long,” and I offer questions that reveal whether the struggle is academic, social, sensory, or emotional. Finally, we cover the red flags that warrant extra support, and when it’s time to contact a pediatrician, therapist, or school counselor. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a parent who needs better words for hard mornings, and leave a review. What phrase does your child use when something deeper is going on? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Burnout doesn’t always show up as collapse. Sometimes it shows up as competence that never turns off, a brain that can’t tolerate quiet, and a calendar packed with “necessary” things that somehow never end. Marie Sloane, LPC, joins us to name what so many people are living right now: life moves fast, but recovery moves slower, and that mismatch is exhausting. We talk about why time can feel warped in a world of constant stimulation, and why boredom has become strangely hard for both kids and adults. From there, we get practical about self-care strategies that work in real life, not influencer life. We break down the guilt loop of “I should be doing something else,” the all-or-nothing trap that makes people quit, and a simple framework we love: small daily actions that remove a few “pebbles” from the heavy backpack you carry every day. We also go deeper into trauma-informed therapy insights, especially overfunctioning. We unpack how overfunctioning can start as a survival skill, then get rewarded by work culture and relationships until it becomes physically and emotionally unsustainable. If you’ve ever felt selfish for having needs, or you only feel safe when you’re producing, this conversation will land. We close with ways to plan for obstacles before motivation disappears, including accountability and community support that keeps self-care from becoming another broken promise. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with someone who’s running on fumes, and leave a review so more people can find these burnout recovery tools. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Friendship advice for kids is everywhere. The harder question is what our children learn from the friendships they see us live. In this CEV crossover episode, we dig into adult friendship as a parenting model: how we prioritize people, how we handle conflict or hurt, and how our everyday choices quietly teach kids what “healthy relationships” actually look like. We also get honest about a common reality: many kids rarely see their parents with friends, especially as schedules fill up and social time gets squeezed out. So we talk through practical, appropriate ways to give kids a lens into adult connection without oversharing, including how to share friendship stories, values, and lessons before a problem hits. Then we shift to the real-world challenge of making friends as an adult. When kids’ activities slow down, the easy pathways disappear, and “put yourself out there” can feel intimidating. We share doable steps: start with the people already near you, choose one small way to invest, say yes more often, and use community spaces like a public library, the YMCA, volunteering, or helping at a school. And if loneliness or anxiety is making connection feel out of reach, we name when it makes sense to talk with a therapist or your doctor, because social connection matters for mental health. Subscribe for more practical parenting conversations, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your best tip for building adult friendships. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail A child wakes up terrified, your nervous system snaps online, and suddenly everyone is exhausted. In this throwback episode from Kids These Days!, we sit down with Australian psychologist Krysten Taprell, known as The Therapist Parent, to share practical, evidence-based tools you can use right in your living room to help kids with nightmares, big feelings, and the daily stress that comes with being a family.  Krysten explains a surprisingly simple technique for child nightmares: rewrite the ending of the dream while your child is awake, so their brain rehearses safety and control instead of fear. We also talk about what to say in the middle of the night, why “don’t think about it” backfires, and how the same approach can help kids replay tough moments like playground conflicts and try a better ending. If you’ve been looking for realistic parenting support that does not require perfect timing or endless appointments, this is a strong place to start.  From there, we get into gratitude for kids as a true mental health skill, not a one-time question at dinner. Krysten shares why many children get stuck on the same answers and how prompts can help them notice memories, strengths, and challenges they’ve overcome. We also connect the dots between teaching skills instead of punishing behavior, and why mindfulness for kids helps both children and parents regulate emotions. Krysten breaks down the brain science in plain language, including the vagus nerve, relaxation, and how mindfulness supports the prefrontal cortex so we react less and think more clearly.  If you want more tools, Krysten shares where to find her resources, including her website, blogs, and her nightmare book available on Amazon. Subscribe, share this with a parent who needs sleep, and leave a review so more families can find these strategies. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail You ever hit the point where you’re ready to delete every social app, then somehow end up back on Instagram or TikTok a few days later? We get honest about that social media push pull, including the part that feels most frustrating: even when you understand what’s happening in your brain, you can still get pulled in.  We walk through how reinforcement works, why variable rewards keep us checking, and how quickly a simple post can turn into scrolling, comparison, and chasing numbers. Then we zoom out to the bigger question that doesn’t get enough airtime: what happens when being seen isn’t occasional, but part of how you make a living? When views affect opportunities, engagement affects income, and “authentic” becomes a brand expectation, the platform can start asking more of you than you meant to give.  The practical takeaway is a small shift we’re trying in real time: purpose from the pull. Before opening an app, we pause and ask why we’re going there, what we’re searching for, what our body is craving, and what we actually need. That gap between craving and need is where intentional social media use and digital wellbeing can start to grow, without falling into all-or-nothing thinking.  If this hits home, share it with a friend who’s stuck in the scroll, subscribe for more, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What pulls you back in most? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail The hardest part of teaching kids honesty is that we want truth and we also want peace, and those two don’t always arrive together. In this crossover episode with Core Essentials, we explore integrity, and we define it in the most practical way possible: being truthful in your words and in your actions. Leslie Bolser and psychologist Dr. Beth Trammell talk through what that looks like in real family life, from the tiny lies of early childhood to the higher-stakes half-truths that can show up in middle school and the teen years. We get honest about why kids lie in the first place. For young children, lying can be a simple survival strategy: it feels easier than facing trouble or discomfort. Rather than treating every lie like a character flaw, we focus on calm, consistent coaching that protects the parent-child connection while still holding the line on family values. The goal is to plant seeds of integrity that grow over time, not demand perfect truth-telling from a four-year-old who is still learning cause, effect, and consequences. Then we move into the real gut-check for many parents: when older kids lie and it actually hurts. Dr. Trammell explains why your first reaction when a child admits something hard can increase or decrease future honesty. We also talk about modeling integrity as adults, including those “blurry line” moments where we rationalize small dishonesties, and how repair can be one of the strongest integrity lessons you ever teach. You’ll leave with concrete language, a more empathetic lens, and a long-view mindset for building trust. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review so more families can find these tools. What’s one situation where you want to respond with more calm the next time truth shows up? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Two days before Mya leaves for college, the countdown gets real. We sit down as mom and daughter and try to say what’s actually true under all the logistics: stress, hope, anxiety, and that weird denial that shows up when you still haven’t packed. Using a feelings wheel sounds simple, but it changes the tone fast because you can’t problem-solve what you won’t name. Then we go practical with budgeting for college students. We talk meal plans, coffee runs, fast food stops, Target temptations, and the moment your budget collides with your social life. We role-play the “everyone’s going out” scenario and unpack the harder question behind it: how do you stay connected without spending like belonging has a price tag? We also wrestle with the savings-versus-stress tradeoff, and how to make a choice and actually enjoy it instead of replaying it all day. From there we shift into Clifton Strengths and a coaching conversation with a Gallup certified strengths coach. Mya’s top strength, Woo (winning others over), sparks a bigger hope for college: classmates aren’t strangers, they’re friends she hasn’t met yet. We connect Woo with Harmony, Consistency, Includer, and Communication, and talk about how strengths can help teens build community, handle conflict, and feel confident in a new season. Finally, we face the goodbye and share a few gifts, including a lighthouse reminder that home stays steady while you learn to sail. We also introduce a simple journal practice, “Growing Together, Apart,” built for short daily reflection instead of endless scrolling. If you’re navigating a college transition, a parent-child relationship shift, or just trying to do the next right thing with money and emotions, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a family who needs it, and leave a review with one thing that helped you feel ready-ish. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail College transition advice usually starts with boxes and bedding, but the bigger shift is emotional. Mya and I talk about what it really feels like to leave for college: the grief of changing high school friendships, the fear of disappointing people you love, and the guilt that can creep in when you start building new relationships on campus. If you’ve ever worried that moving forward means leaving someone behind, we name that pressure and offer a clearer truth to hold onto: growth is not betrayal. We also dig into the everyday moments where this gets complicated. What happens when your high school friends plan a weekend get-together and your new college friends do too? How do you choose when you can’t be present in every part of your old life and your new life? We talk about “your best yes” and why every yes requires a no, especially during freshman year when your time, energy, and attention are suddenly limited. Then we get practical with college preparation strategies that actually reduce stress: reading the syllabus before the first class, organizing notes and documents by class, planning exams and travel conflicts early, and using tools like Canvas and calendars to stay ahead. We share study techniques like handwriting notes, studying in smaller chunks over time, and the underrated skill of asking professors how they want you to prepare. We also break down how office hours work, what to do in big lecture classes, and how TAs can help you get unstuck before you feel overwhelmed. If you’re preparing for college or helping a student get ready, this one is a steadying listen. Subscribe for the next conversation, share this with a student who needs it, and leave a quick review if it helped you rethink what it takes to start well. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Homesickness can hit like a wave, but it rarely means only one thing. When we call every hard moment “I miss home,” we miss what’s really happening underneath: exhaustion that turns everything darker, insecurity that makes you doubt yourself, overwhelm from a packed schedule, or that sharp feeling of being the new person who doesn’t quite belong yet.  Beth talks with her daughter Mya as she prepares for college, and we get concrete about what helps when the emotions spike late at night. We walk through a practical process you can use anywhere: name the feeling, rate how intense it is, and ask the question most of us struggle to answer under stress, “What do I actually need right now?” We also use a feelings wheel to find better words than “fine” or “bad,” and we map common states to real needs like sleep, comfort, connection, reassurance, space, or simply time for the peak moment to pass.  We also make an important distinction between typical homesickness and situations where someone feels unsafe or in despair, because those require a different plan and clearer communication. And we talk about the family side of the transition too: why parents have feelings, how sharing sadness can build connection instead of burden, and how support can coexist with growing independence.  If you’re heading into a big change, listen, share this with a student or parent you care about, and subscribe for more practical therapy tools. If this helped, leave a review and tell us: what emotion shows up first when you feel “homesick”? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail Dorm life has a way of turning tiny things into huge feelings. One light left on, one late-night study session, one unexpected snore, and suddenly you’re exhausted, irritated, and wondering how you’re supposed to live with a stranger in a shoebox-sized room. Maya and I talk honestly about that reality as she gets ready for college, with a focus on the everyday roommate conflicts that hit hardest when sleep is off and stress is high. We dig into practical college roommate communication skills that actually hold up at 2 a.m.: how to name what you’re feeling without making it the other person’s fault, how to stop internalizing someone else’s bad mood, and how to build emotional intelligence by rating emotions instead of treating them as all-or-nothing. We also get specific about boundaries and “netiquette” for emailing professors, including the difference between helpful context and oversharing personal details. Then we land on two simple conflict resolution tools you can use right away: leaving a few unimportant things unsaid each day, and the rule that if something still bothers you after 24 hours, you talk about it within the next 72. If you’re navigating college transitions, dorm room life, or roommate tension, this one gives you language, options, and a way to protect the relationship without ignoring your needs. Subscribe for more, share this with a student or parent, and leave a review with your best roommate survival tip. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

Send us Fan Mail The college countdown can feel like one long shopping trip, but we know the real transition is way messier and far more meaningful. I sit down with my daughter, Mya, as she gets ready to leave for college and play volleyball, and we talk through the parts people don’t always say out loud: what it’s like to share a tiny dorm, how a roommate dynamic can shift from “teammate” to “cohabiting humans,” and why small irritations become big problems when nobody is willing to name them. We also get personal about homesickness, FOMO, and the strange emotional math of loving your hometown while still wanting something new. Maya describes that punch-in-the-stomach feeling of seeing friends together on social media while you’re away, and we talk about how to hold two truths at once: grief for what you’re leaving and excitement for what you’re building. For parents and students alike, we dig into communication expectations, staying connected without hovering, and why pushing through early discomfort can help freshman year feel less overwhelming. Then we shift into college academics and practical study skills: organization with a new schedule, note-taking strategies, why cramming doesn’t stick, and how small study blocks build real retention over time. I share professor-side advice you can use immediately, like reading the syllabus like a roadmap, showing up to class even when you think it “doesn’t matter,” going to office hours to build relationships, and learning netiquette so your emails sound professional when it counts. If you’re preparing for college, parenting a soon-to-be freshman, or just want a grounded guide to the emotional and academic realities of the transition, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a student or parent who needs it, and leave a review. What’s the one part of college you wish someone had prepared you for? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected] Support the show www.bethtrammell.com