Find your way back to your teen
You don't have time for another strategy that doesn't work.
You just want your kid back.
I help parents understand that most of the advice they've been given (be stricter, set firmer boundaries, just communicate better) misses the point.
What if the advice you're been given doesn't work because no one knows your child as well as you do?
What if you could trust that your teen is going to be okay, instead of lying awake, worried that it's too late?
This doesn't require hours of your time or complicated strategies.
What it requires is a shift in understanding. Let me show you how.
Hi, I'm Erin
I'm Erin McMenamin, LCSW: a therapist who's spent three decades working with teens in crisis and the parents who love them.
I've worked with military families navigating deployment, reintegration, and death of a parent. I've supported teens through trauma, loss, addiction, and mental health struggles. I've sat across from parents who were certain they'd already lost their kids and helped them rebuild connection from the ground up.
After all these years, I still love working with teenagers. Their complexity. Their potential. Their raw, messy honesty.
And I love helping parents remember that connection is always possible, even when it feels like there's no way back to each other.
Over 30 years sitting with struggling teens and their terrified parents: I've worked in schools, camps, non-profits, and private practice, and I've seen these families recover
Trauma therapist who specializes in what happens when teens shut down: I know what creates disconnection and, more importantly, what repairs it
Mom of three: I've done this work professionally and personally, which means I know how it feels when your own kid won't talk to you
Trusted advisor to parents who've tried everything: When the books don't work and the techniques fail, families find their way to me
I'm not here to sell you a parenting system or convince you everything will be fine if you just follow my 5-step formula.
I'm here to tell you the truth: this is hard, you're not failing, and there's a way forward.
Real talk. Real strategies. No shame.
THE SIGNATURE
OFFERINGS
Struggling to reconnect with your teen? You don't have to figure this out alone. Whether you're facing an urgent situation, preparing for a challenging family event, or ready for deeper work to repair your relationship, there's a path forward. Choose the support that meets you where you are.
01. Free Guide: 5 Ways You're Accidentally Pushing Away Your Teen
(And What to Do Instead)
You're not a bad parent. You're just doing what you thought would help. But some of the most common approaches (the ones that feel like "good parenting")actually push struggling teens further away. Download this free guide to discover what's backfiring and how to shift your approach so your teen starts leaning in instead of shutting down.
02. Surviving the Holidays When Your Teen Has Shut Down
Your once easy-going kid has become a stranger. And now you're facing family gatherings. This practical guide helps you navigate intrusive questions, manage your own triggers, and protect your relationship, without forcing your teen to perform or losing yourself in the process.
03. 1:1 Strategy Session with Erin
You're exhausted from walking on eggshells with your teen. In our sessions, we cut through the noise and get to what actually matters: rebuilding connection without losing yourself. No scripts to memorize. No cookie-cutter advice. Just honest, practical guidance tailored to your family and what you're facing right now.
Free Guide: 5 Ways You're Accidentally Pushing Your Teen Away
(And What to Do Instead)
Your teen won't talk to you. They avoid you. They shut down every time you try to connect. What if you're accidentally making it worse? This free guide shows you the 5 well-intentioned mistakes that push teens away, and the simple shifts that rebuild connection. Download it now.
Surviving the Holidays When Your Teen Has Shut Down
Dreading the holidays because your teen has pulled away? You're not alone. This guide gives you the scripts, strategies, and sanity-saving tools you need to get through family gatherings without making things worse. Learn how to handle nosy relatives, stay steady when triggered, and hold boundaries with compassion, all while protecting the connection with your struggling teen. No tricks to "fix" them. Just real help for the next few weeks.
1:1 Strategy Sessions
Connection before correction isn't just a philosophy, it's the way back to your teen. In our 1:1 work, I'll help you understand what's really happening beneath their withdrawal, teach you how to stay regulated when they're stressed, and give you the tools to rebuild trust. Thirty years working with teens (and raising 3 of my own) has taught me one crucial truth: repair is always possible. Let me show you how.
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you're not alone
You've never raised this teen before, and you didn't know it could be this hard.
HEAR IT FROM SATISFIED CLIENTS
SOME kind WORDS
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"Erin served as a clinician multiple times for Camp Legacy., hosted by the Navy SEAL Foundation for teens of the Naval Special Warfare families. For each week-long session, up to 40 teens along with staff spend six days together participating in outdoor activities (such as rock-climbing and whitewater rafting) while also focusing on leadership and character development. While at camp, Erin is "all in," from participating in the activities to getting to know the teens on a personal level. She quickly and seamlessly cultivates trust with them, while at the same time is always a consummate professional. When presented with challenging situations, she has always handled each with experience and competence, as only with someone with her level of experience could..."
— Rodney Villela & amy bartoletti: owners krell adventures,
"Having worked with Erin in a high school setting, I had the opportunity to see her understanding, passion and compassion for today's teens and helping them navigate the world they live in. As a high school counselor, Erin helped teens and their parents find a way through these formative teenage years. I have seen firsthand Erin's warmth, patience and care for today's youth, as well as her guidance toward a happier, healthier tomorrow."
— sondra bashara,
the hague school.
A GIFT FOR YOU
AMAZING
free RESOURCE
usually $27... yours free!
5 Ways You're Accidentally Pushing Your Teen Away (And What to Do Instead)
Identify How Trying to Connect With Your Teen is Backfiring
You think you're helping. You're actually pushing them away. These aren't the obvious mistakes, they're the things "good parents" do that accidentally destroy connection with struggling teens.
Some Things Not to Say to Your Teen That Might Surprise You
After three decades working with teens and their families, I've seen the same patterns repeat: loving, well-intentioned parents accidentally pushing their teens further away without realizing it. This free guide reveals the 5 most common mistakes and what to do instead. If your teen has shut you out, this is where you start.
Learn How Small Shifts Create Big Change
You're walking on eggshells. Everything you say seems wrong. They shut down, slam doors, or disappear. This guide explains what's really happening, and the 5 specific things you're doing (without realizing it) that make them pull away even more. Plus: what actually works.
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