Teens in distress

In this episode, I’m talking with author and therapist Katie May about something so many parents are facing—and so few feel equipped to handle: what to do when your teen is engaging in self-destructive or self-harming behaviors. Because everything in us wants to stop it. Fix it. Control it. And yet, the strategies we’ve been taught—punishment, consequences, taking things away—often make things worse. Katie helps us understand what’s actually going on underneath these behaviors, why teens turn to them in the first place, and what they really need from us in those moments. We talk about how to stay connected even when you’re scared, how to create safety without control, and how to show up in a way that supports real healing—not just behavior change. If you’re parenting a teen who is struggling, this conversation will give you a different lens—and a place to start.

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ABOUT KATIE

Katie K. May, LPC, owner and executive director of Creative Healing, is a national speaker and trainer specializing in therapy for teens with depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. As one of only eleven Linehan board-certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) clinicians in Pennsylvania, she’s an expert in this gold-standard treatment for life-threatening behaviors. Katie is committed to helping teens feel accepted for who they are while teaching them skills to build a life they love. She graduated from Villanova University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania and resides in the Philadelphia area with her family and Boston terrier, Penny.