Why Are All the Young People So Insecure?

Why Are All the Young People So Insecure?

From Raising Good Humans by Aliza Pressman

June 5, 2026 · 45 min · Episode 146

About this episode

This episode discusses how to raise secure kids by teaching them to build the right relationships, featuring insights from Dr. Amir Levine.

What if raising secure kids has less to do with what you do wrong as a parent — and more to do with teaching them to build the right relationships from the start? My guest this week is Dr. Amir Levine, molecular neuroscientist, child psychiatrist, and associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University. His new book, Secure: The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life, offers a unified theory of relationships with surprisingly concrete tools for building security at any age. This episode shares specific, teachable tools for helping kids of all ages — including neurodivergent kids — move through the world with greater security. What you'll learn: Why less than 10% of adult attachment style can be explained by parenting and why that's good news if you've been worrying you've already "done something wrong" What CARP means (Consistent, Available, Responsive, Reliable, Predictable) and why teaching kids to look for CARP friends can shape their relationship patterns for life Why our brains chase drama and ignore the secure people already around us and how to redirect toward a "secure village" How small, everyday micro-interactions create structural changes in the…

People in this episode

Host: Aliza Pressman

Guest: Dr. Amir Levine

Topics covered

  • insecurity
  • attachment styles
  • relationships
  • parenting
  • neurodiversity
  • mental health

Keywords

  • insecurity
  • attachment theory
  • parenting
  • relationships
  • neurodivergent
  • mental health
  • secure village

Sponsors

BetterHelp, Uresta

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Columbia University

Products: BetterHelp, Uresta

Books & works: Secure: The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life

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