
94 | How to Help Girls Build a Strong Sense of Self with Cathy Adams
From Parenting Anxious Teens | Parenting Teens, Managing Teen Anxiety, Parenting Strategies by Monica Crnogorac - Teen Anxiety & Confidence Coach, Teen Anxiety Specialist
April 7, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 94
About this episode
Monica Crnogorac and Cathy Cassani Adams discuss how to help girls build a strong sense of self beyond just confidence.
Hi Parents! In this episode, I’m joined by Cathy Cassani Adams, LCSW - therapist, author, educator, and co-host of the Zen Pop podcast, for a powerful conversation about what it really means to help girls build a strong sense of self. So often, we focus on confidence and achievement, but confidence alone doesn’t protect our girls from anxiety, self-doubt, or people-pleasing. Today, Cathy and I talk about the difference between confidence and a true sense of self, and why so many girls struggle when they learn to look outside themselves for approval instead of trusting their inner voice. We explore the subtle, well-intentioned ways adults can unintentionally undermine a girl’s sense of self, how anxiety can show up when girls feel disconnected from who they are, and what it looks like to support girls without trying to fix or control their emotions. Cathy shares insights from her years of clinical work, teaching, and parenting, offering parents a compassionate and realistic lens for raising girls in today’s high-pressure world. This conversation is especially for parents who want to raise girls who feel grounded, emotionally safe, and secure in who they are - not just confident on…
People in this episode
Host: Monica Crnogorac
Guest: Cathy Cassani Adams
Topics covered
- building self-esteem
- parenting girls
- managing anxiety
- self-identity
- emotional safety
Keywords
- teen anxiety
- self-identity
- parenting strategies
- confidence
- emotional safety
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the World, Enneagram Personality Test
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