About this episode

This episode discusses how parents can support grieving teens while navigating their own grief, emphasizing the importance of emotional expression and resilience.

Grief in teenagers rarely looks the way parents expect, often masquerading as typical adolescent behavior—irritability, withdrawal, and emotional volatility. In this transformative conversation with grief expert and master certified life coach Krista St. Germain, parents learn that grief extends far beyond bereavement. It encompasses the loss of a parent, friend, or pet, plus developmental losses like the transition from childhood to adolescence that parents themselves experience. The outdated five-stage grief model has given way to the dual process model, which emphasizes healthy oscillation between confronting loss and finding restoration. This framework helps parents understand that healing happens through intentional balance, not linear progression toward ”acceptance.” Critically, grief affects the entire body—not just emotions. Brain fog, hormonal changes, immune system dips, and physical fatigue are normal neurological responses as the brain relearns where loved ones fit in our lives. Parents often inadvertently shut down their teens’ grief by attempting to fix it, offering false comfort (”everything happens for a reason”), or pressuring premature processing. Instead…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Cam

Guest: Krista St. Germain

Topics covered

• grief in teenagers
• parenting
• emotional expression
• loss
• resilience
• mental health

Keywords

• grief
• teenagers
• parenting
• emotional volatility
• loss
• mental health
• resilience

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• Talking With Teens About Sex (Without Making It Weird) · July 7, 2026 · 49 min
• How to Get Teens Off Their Phones and Reignite Curiosity · June 30, 2026 · 24 min
• Co-Parenting with a Narcissist: Expert Strategies to Protect Your Children and Your Sanity · June 30, 2026 · 33 min

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