Why Your Teen Triggers You (and How to Break the Cycle) | Eli Harwood

About this episode

Eli Harwood discusses how parents can improve their relationships with their teens by addressing their own emotional wounds and trauma.

Why does your teen trigger you so fast? One eye roll, one tone, and suddenly you’re reacting in ways you swore you never would. It’s easy to focus on changing your teen’s behavior. But many of us carry wounds from our own childhood that shape how we respond to conflict, criticism, and connection with our teens. In this episode, I sit down with Eli Harwood, a licensed therapist, attachment expert, and bestselling author known as Attachment Nerd. We talk about how generational trauma repeats itself in families, why secure attachment doesn’t require perfect parenting, and how balancing softness with sturdiness helps teens grow into confident, independent adults.

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Cam

Guest: Eli Harwood

Topics covered

• parenting
• emotional regulation
• generational trauma
• teen relationships
• communication

Keywords

• defiant teens
• emotional validation
• secure attachment
• parent-child relationship
• trauma

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• How to Rebuild Trust With Your Teen and Stop Overparenting · July 21, 2026 · 44 min
• How to Tell If Your Teen Has Real Anxiety or Normal Nervousness · July 14, 2026 · 38 min