by Lauren Goodman | Jan 28, 2026 | Christian Counseling
How Faith Helps with Addiction Recovery When Addiction Makes Life Feel Pointless
Does faith really matter when it comes to addiction recovery? In my experience, yes—very much so. While some people do get sober without faith, it’s not very common. Most people who truly heal end up putting their hope in something bigger than themselves, something that gives their life meaning again. Often, that something is God. This is how faith helps with addiction recovery.
When addiction has taken over, life without a high can feel dull, empty, or just not worth it. Getting sober is uncomfortable and often miserable at first. Faith can be what helps someone keep going when everything in them wants to give up.
Why Purpose Is So Important in Recovery
People don’t usually get sober just because they’re told they should. They need a reason. Believing you were created on purpose, and that your life still matters, can be powerful motivation. This is one of the ways faith helps with addiction recovery. It gives hope that life on the other side of addiction is meaningful, even when it isn’t easy.
Addiction is often about chasing good feelings and avoiding pain. Faith shifts the focus away from doing what makes you feel good in the moment and toward purpose. Following God doesn’t promise a pain-free life, but it does offer fulfillment. For many people, that difference changes everything.
How Faith Helps With Addiction Recovery Day to Day
When people talk about getting sober “through faith,” they’re usually talking about value and hope. Faith helps them believe they are more than their addiction and more than their past mistakes. Instead of living for the next high, they start living for something that lasts.
A faith-based recovery can also help people tolerate discomfort. Recovery isn’t comfortable. There are cravings, emotional lows, and hard truths to face. Having faith gives people a reason to sit with that discomfort instead of escaping it.
Faith and the Painful Parts of Change
Breaking free from addiction is exhausting. Detox can be brutal. Letting go of old friends, routines, and coping strategies can feel like losing everything at once. This level of change usually requires a complete shift in how someone sees themselves and the world.
This is likely why programs like Alcoholics Anonymous emphasize turning things over to God, and why so many people find healing in faith-based programs like Celebrate Recovery. These are just a few of many great faith-centered recovery programs. Faith provides something steady to hold onto when life feels chaotic.
Hold Onto Hope
If you or your teenager is stuck in the cycle of addiction, don’t lose hope. Faith doesn’t promise instant happiness, but it does offer meaning, love, and purpose, which is far more rewarding in the end than instant gratification. Many people discover through faith that they still have value and still have something to offer the world—even after addiction.
Helping teens grow and families improve connection,
Lauren Goodman, MS, MFT
by Lauren Goodman | Jan 27, 2026 | Eating Disorder Therapy
Learning About Signs of Eating Disorders in Teens
Eating disorders are fairly common. You’ve likely heard of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Binge eating disorder is another lesser known diagnosis. It shares many symptoms with bulimia but does not include compensatory (i.e. purging) behaviors. If you worry your child might have an eating disorder, it’s important to learn the signs of eating disorders in teens.
Types of Eating Disorders
To understand the signs of eating disorders in teens, it helps to know what each eating disorder looks like and how they are different from each other.
The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. There are two other types of eating disorders too, but they mostly serve as general categories for cases that don’t fit neatly into the main three.
Anorexia Nervosa
To be diagnosed with anorexia, a teen must maintain a weight well below healthy levels. Anorexic teens also have an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted view of their body. Though past criteria for anorexia included loss of menstruation, that is no longer required. It is important to note that while anorexia is most common in girls, anorexia affects boys as well.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia, like anorexia, is marked by a fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. However, instead of being underweight, teens with bulimia are usually of normal weight or slightly above a healthy weight. They often binge eat when upset or hungry and then feel compelled to compensate through purging. Purging can include vomiting, laxatives, excessive exercise, or fasting.
Binge Eating Disorder
This disorder involves consuming large amounts of food in response to emotional triggers. Unlike bulimia, teens with binge eating disorder do not attempt to purge after overeating. However, like bulimia, teens with Binge Eating Disorder also have feelings of shame, guilt, and disgust after overeating.
Why Early Recognition of Signs of Eating Disorders in Teens Matters
Eating disorders are dangerous and need immediate attention. Anorexia can lead to life-threatening starvation, while bulimia can cause severe electrolyte imbalances and even death. Binge eating disorder can result in long-term health problems and emotional distress.
Getting Help for Your Teen
If you notice signs of eating disorders in your teen, take action quickly. Talk to your pediatrician and seek professional counseling. Your teen is still the same amazing person underneath it all, and with the right support, they can recover.
Helping teens grow and families improve connection,
Lauren Goodman, MS, MFT
by Lauren Goodman | Dec 31, 2025 | Depression Therapy for Teens
Understanding Teen Self-Harm
Parents often find self-injury very hard to understand. It can be confusing and scary to think about how physical pain could feel like relief from emotional pain. Still, understanding why teens self-harm is an important first step toward helping them.
Why Teens Self-Harm
There are usually two reasons why teens harm themselves. One is a cry for attention. The other is to feel more in control. Both are dangerous and need to be addressed.
1. They Want Their Pain to Be Noticed
One reason teens self-harm is to be noticed. These teens are hurting on the inside but don’t know how to explain their pain with words. Cutting can become a way to show how bad they feel.
These teens usually cut on visible areas, like their arms, and continue wearing short sleeves. They wait to see how long it takes for a parent to notice or say something. This is serious and needs professional support. This means the teen struggles to communicate emotions in healthy, safe ways.
2. They Want to Feel Like They Can Control Their Pain
Another reason why teens harm themselves has to do with control. Some teens feel overwhelmed by intense emotions that seem to come out of nowhere. Their emotional pain feels unmanageable.
When a teen self-harms, they control when it happens, how long it lasts, and how visible it is. For teens who feel powerless over their emotions, this sense of control can feel calming. These teens usually try to hide their wounds and may cut in areas that are harder to see. Self-harm becomes their main coping tool, and they may resist stopping because they don’t trust that anyone can help them through the pain. In these cases, professional help is essential.
Risks of Teen Self-Harm
If you suspect your teen is self-harming, it’s important to act quickly. This behavior is a clear sign that your child is in deep emotional distress. Trying to handle it alone or hoping it will stop on its own can be dangerous.
Self-harm carries real medical risks, including infection or accidental serious injury. If teens use unclean tools to cut with or don’t properly care for their wounds, the cuts may become infected. In addition to this, even when a teen is not trying to end their life, if they cut too deeply they may sever an artery. Even if this does not happen, self-harm tells us that your teen is hurting and doesn’t yet have safe ways to cope.
What to Do if Your Teen Self-Harms
Your teen needs your love, support, and compassion—but they also need guidance from a trained professional. This is not an issue to be taken lightly. If you think your teen has self-harmed, please reach out. Helping them learn healthier ways to manage pain can make a life-changing difference.
Helping teens grow and families improve connection,
Lauren Goodman, MS, MFT
by Lauren Goodman | Dec 31, 2025 | Parenting Techniques
Helping Your Teen Grow Responsibility Over Time
How do you teach a teenager to be responsible? In some ways, teens seem very grown up, and in other ways they still feel like kids. This in-between stage can be confusing and exhausting for parents. Still, these years matter. Teaching teens responsibility now helps set habits they will carry into adulthood.
Notice Your Teen’s Strengths
One of the best ways to begin teaching teens responsibility is to notice what your teen already does well. Maybe your teen always knows when they have practice, keeps track of plans with friends, or remembers important events. These are signs of responsible thinking.
Build on these strengths. For example, you might put your teen in charge of their sports schedule and ask them to give you 24 hours’ notice if they need a ride. If they forget, take them when it works for you instead of rushing. At the same time, if they give you the agreed-upon notice, make sure you get them there on time. This approach helps expectations feel clear and reasonable for everyone involved.
Teaching Teens Responsibility Through Earning Money
When it comes to money, teaching teens responsibility works best when teens earn what they receive. Giving an allowance just for existing does not teach much about effort or accountability. Instead, offer your teen opportunities to earn money by completing specific chores.
This mirrors real life. Adults earn paychecks by doing their jobs, and teens can learn the same connection between work and reward. Over time, your teen will also learn that working smarter and harder leads to better pay, which is an important life lesson.
Model Responsibility at Home
Another important part of teaching teens responsibility is what they see at home. When parents take care of their relationships, their home, and their belongings, teens learn by example. Keeping your home clean and organized shows responsibility in action.
Modeling follow-through, consistency, and self-discipline sends a powerful message. Teens learn responsibility not just from rules, but from watching how adults handle daily life.
Teaching Teens Responsibility With Balance and Love
Teaching teens responsibility takes effort from parents, too. It requires discipline paired with sensitivity and care. Avoid giving your teen everything, even if you can afford to. When teens work for what they earn, they often feel more confident and capable.
Every teen is different, so teaching teens responsibility is not one-size-fits-all. Some teens respond well to rewards for grades, while others do better with different motivators. You know your teen best, so adjust your approach to fit their personality.
Helping teens grow and families improve connection,
Lauren Goodman, MS, MFT
by Lauren Goodman | Dec 29, 2025 | Parenting Techniques
How Do You Get Along Better With Your Teen?
“How do I get along better with my teen?” As a therapist for teens, I hear parents ask this question all the time. Sometimes figuring out how to get along better with your teen feels impossible. However, while you will never get along perfectly, there are a few things you can do to improve your relationship with them.
Why Parents and Teens Struggle to Get Along
There are many reasons parents and teens argue. I hear explanations ranging from hormones to bad friends, and teens often believe the problem is their parents. The truth is, conflict usually comes from many factors working together.
Teens are sometimes rude or unreasonable, especially when they’re angry. However, it’s easier to fix your own behavior than theirs.
How Being Too Critical Hurts Connection
One common issue I see is criticism. Sometimes parents offer a compliment, but quickly follow it with a negative comment. For example, “You look nice today, even if that skirt is a little short.” Even small moments like this add up. Sometimes the criticism isn’t spoken—it’s shown through actions, like re-cleaning a kitchen right after your teen finishes and says they’re done.
Most parents who do this aren’t conscious of it. However, these small criticisms can make your teen defensive, leading to more fights. In addition to this, if your teen feels constantly criticized they may just shut down.
How to Get Along Better with Your Teen by Focusing on What Your Teen Does Right
Parents often focus on fixing what isn’t going well and forget to point out what is going well. Imagine your teen brings home a report card with all As and Bs and one C. It’s easy to focus on the C, but if you do, your teen will feel your disappointment. This can make them defensive, or leave them feeling hurt or disappointed in themselves. Recognizing their effort and success helps build trust and motivation.
Giving Loving Correction Without Damaging Trust
If you’ve noticed that you’re being too critical, the next step is figuring out how to correct your teen without tearing them down. A helpful question to ask yourself is: How would I want to hear this if I were in their place? Think about what would actually help you learn, instead of making you feel discouraged.
How to Get Along Better with Your Teen by Remembering the Bigger Picture
Remember that when you’re correcting your teen, the main goal is teaching them to function as an adult. Helping your teen learn responsibility and how to take correction is far more important than winning any single argument.
For example, many parents struggle with criticizing the way their teen plays sports. They feel like they need to push their teen to play better and practice more—they want their teen to be the best. However, the point of sports is to learn how to focus, give your best, keep a good attitude on the field, and respect authority. The point is not to create the next superstar athlete; those athletes have a passion for their sport that parents don’t need to force.
Serving Your Teen in Meaningful Ways
If you want to get along better with your teen, look for ways to serve them emotionally, not just practically. Parents already do a lot of practical service—driving, paying for activities, and managing schedules. Emotional service means noticing your teen’s needs and responding with care. One teen shared that she respected her mom because her mom paid attention to what mattered to her, like bringing a healthy snack after practice when she knew her daughter would be tired and hungry.
Simple Steps to Get Along Better With Your Teen
This week, try two things if you want to get along better with your teen. First, notice how often criticism slips into your words or actions and try to speak with more kindness. Second, look for small ways to serve your teen thoughtfully. These changes may feel small, but over time they can greatly improve your relationship.
Helping teens grow and families improve connection,
Lauren Goodman, MS, MFT
