Teen Mental Health, Parenting, and Family Support | Turning Winds Podcast

Turning Winds
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The Turning Winds Podcast explores teen mental health, parenting, and family growth. Join us for expert advice and real stories on topics like anxiety, depression, communication, and building resilience. Discover tools and insights to help teens and parents navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and create lasting positive change.

  1. What a Relationship Model Really Means and Why It Changes Outcomes at Turning Winds

    1D AGO

    What a Relationship Model Really Means and Why It Changes Outcomes at Turning Winds

    Send us a text What does it really mean to be a relationship-based treatment program and why does that distinction matter so much? In this episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, host Kevin Zundl sits down with Jared Sartell, LCSW, Director of Clinical Programming, to unpack the relationship model at the core of Turning Winds and how it fundamentally changes treatment outcomes for teens. Jared explains why decades of research point to one truth above all others: lasting change is driven less by technique and more by the quality of the relationship and the shared belief that things can improve. From peer dynamics and staff engagement to structure, accountability, and long-term alumni connection, every element of the Turning Winds program is intentionally built around trust, hope, and human connection. You will hear how relationships are not treated as a soft concept, but as a measurable benchmark for fit, progress, and long-term success. Jared also shares why students continue reaching out years after graduation, attending weddings, staying connected, and viewing Turning Winds staff as lifelong anchors rather than temporary authority figures. If you are a parent trying to understand what separates meaningful treatment from surface-level compliance, or a professional curious about what truly drives adolescent change, this conversation offers clarity and depth. Recommended Podcasts Trusting the Process in Teen Treatment Why progress does not follow a straight line and how patience, belief, and individualized timelines lead to real change. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2136513 What Happens When Teens Feel Truly Seen How empathy, curiosity, and relationship-first care transform resistance into engagement. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2136513 The Identified Patient and Family Systems Work Understanding how teen behavior often reflects deeper family dynamics and why healing must involve the whole system. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2136513 Recommended Reading A Healing Philosophy An overview of the values and relational principles that guide clinical, academic, and family work at Turning Winds. https://www.turningwinds.com/a-healing-philosophy/ The Turning Winds Difference How a relationship-driven model creates outcomes that extend far beyond graduation. https://www.turningwinds.com/the-turning-winds-difference/ Working With Children in a Therapeutic Environment Why consistency, trust, and authentic relationships are essential to adolescent growth. https://www.turningwinds.com/working-with-children-in-a-therapeutic-environment/ For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    10 min
  2. Why Experiential Teen Therapy Builds Trust Faster Than Talk Alone

    DEC 12

    Why Experiential Teen Therapy Builds Trust Faster Than Talk Alone

    Send us a text Host Kevin Zundl sits down with Program Director Enoch Stump and Clinical Manager Sean Carlin, MS, PCLC to explore how experiential therapy strengthens connection, trust, and emotional growth in ways traditional treatment settings often cannot. They reflect on a recent multi-day backpacking trek near the Canadian border and unpack the clinical intention behind taking a small group of students out of their daily routine and into nature. Far from being an escape, these trips are carefully structured to reinforce goal setting, independence, emotional regulation, and healthy reliance on support systems. You will hear how morning check-ins, shared challenges, and nightly processing around the campfire create powerful moments of vulnerability for both staff and students. By stepping into discomfort together, relationships deepen, trust accelerates, and therapeutic momentum carries back onto campus. This conversation also highlights why relationship is the foundation of effective clinical work and how shared experience allows teens to internalize skills they can later carry forward with less external support. If you are curious how Turning Winds integrates structure, flexibility, and experiential learning into treatment, this episode offers a clear and grounded look into what makes that work stick.   Recommended Podcasts Recreation and Therapy: The Maiden Voyage of Our New Boat · How shared experiences deepen engagement and therapeutic connection. Looking Back on Morocco: A Therapeutic Service Trip to Remember · Exploring how structured travel supports emotional growth and maturity. Trust the Process: What Long-Term Change Really Looks Like · Why progress often unfolds through consistency, patience, and relationship. Recommended Reading At Turning Winds, Therapy Goes Deeper · How clinical work is intentionally layered into daily life and experience. Working with Children in a Therapeutic Environment · Why trust and structure must coexist for real change to occur. Leadership Training at Turning Winds · How responsibility and mentorship are developed through experience. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    14 min
  3. The Moment Everything Changed for Our Family at Turning Winds

    NOV 11

    The Moment Everything Changed for Our Family at Turning Winds

    Send us a text Sometimes the hardest part of helping a teen is realizing that love alone is not enough. For one family, the decision to seek outside help came only after years of trying everything they could on their own. They worked with specialists, made school adjustments, and tried every plan that promised progress. But nothing seemed to bring peace or consistency. When both their pediatrician and their son’s school administrators said, “You’ve done everything you can. It’s time to let someone else help,” the family finally listened. What followed was a long drive across several states filled with uncertainty and quiet prayers for direction. Their first two visits were discouraging. One program felt impersonal, the next chaotic. Then, as they pulled into Turning Winds, something shifted. The atmosphere was calm. The staff listened without judgment. For the first time, these parents felt understood and hopeful. They describe walking out after several hours and looking at each other with a sense of certainty they hadn’t felt in years. “This is it,” they said. “This is where he can heal.” The Moment Connection Replaced Control When they shared the plan with their son, they expected anger or rebellion. Instead, they saw relief. It was the first sign that the path ahead might look different than they feared. He began to rediscover his strengths. He started completing his schoolwork, found joy in outdoor activities, and eventually took on a leadership role within the program. More than academics, he developed confidence and maturity that reached far beyond campus life. The Lessons That Last Their story is one of courage, faith, and the power of letting go. It reminds parents that progress rarely happens on our timeline and that structure, consistency, and connection can rebuild what once felt lost. If you’re navigating uncertainty or wondering when to take the next step, you’re not alone. Turning Winds has helped hundreds of families find clarity, restore trust, and begin again. Recommended Podcasts Healing from Trauma as a Teen in Residential Treatment · How emotional growth begins when safety and trust are restored. From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a shift in approach helps families reconnect through empathy and understanding. Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Supporting teens in building insight and self-regulation that lasts beyond treatment. Recommended Reading Give Them Enough Time · Why patience and consistency are key to long-term change. How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning difficult moments into opportunities for growth. The Turning Winds Difference · A closer look at the structure, philosophy, and environment that make progress possible. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    14 min
  4. World-Renowned Dr. Foster Cline, Pioneer of Love and Logic, on Raising Responsible Teens

    OCT 2

    World-Renowned Dr. Foster Cline, Pioneer of Love and Logic, on Raising Responsible Teens

    Send us a text Welcome to the Turning Winds Podcast, where we highlight the voices and ideas that help families navigate teen challenges. This episode features Dr. Foster Cline, one of the most influential voices in modern parenting and child psychology. Dr. Cline is the co-founder of the world-renowned Love and Logic Institute, a bestselling author, and a sought-after speaker who has spent decades shaping how parents, educators, and clinicians connect with children. His work has guided millions of families across the globe and continues to stand as a trusted resource for raising resilient, responsible kids. At Turning Winds, we have seen how Dr. Cline’s philosophy transforms family dynamics. Parents arrive expecting to solve problems with stricter rules or tighter boundaries, but they quickly learn that real progress begins with curiosity and compassion. Dr. Cline explains why asking thoughtful questions like, “What’s your plan?” does more to build responsibility than lectures or commands. He shows how language matters and replacing “advice” with “observations” keeps conversations open rather than defensive. Listeners will hear Dr. Cline describe why teens rebel less against parents who show genuine interest in their lives and how creating systems of natural consequences, not punishments, allows kids to learn without feeling controlled. These approaches are not just theory. They are practical tools families can start using right away to reduce conflict, strengthen trust, and encourage growth. This conversation is also a reminder that seeking care is not a sign of failure but of strength. Turning Winds provides the environment where these ideas come to life every day... a place filled with structure, consistency, and love. Many teens who once resisted guidance later return to mentor or work alongside us, a reflection of the impact that both Turning Winds and Dr. Cline’s work continue to have. Join us for an episode with Dr. Foster Cline, a pioneer in child psychology and one of the most respected parenting experts in the world. His insights will leave you with a renewed sense of how curiosity, connection, and love can change everything for families. Recommended Podcasts From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a mindset of curiosity reduces conflict and builds responsibility. Balancing Natural and Imposed Consequences in Parenting · Using thoughtful consequences to teach without lectures or power struggles. Helping Teens Become Goal Setters: Let’s Start the Year Right · Practical ways to help teens take ownership and follow through on commitments. Recommended Reading Curious Parenting to Support Your Kids · Why questions like “What’s your plan?” foster accountability and trust. How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning mistakes into learning moments while keeping conversations open. Give Them Enough Time · How time, structure, and consistent relationships create lasting change. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    16 min
  5. Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ - Awareness, Regulation, and Self-Confidence

    SEP 11

    Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ - Awareness, Regulation, and Self-Confidence

    Send us a text What if your teen could stop being “managed by the world” and start managing themselves?  Carl pulls back the curtain on what emotional intelligence really is and why it matters more than grades, discipline, or even motivation. For many teens, powerful emotions arrive like tidal waves. They react, they lash out, they shut down, and the cycle repeats. What they do not realize is that their lack of emotional awareness is running the show. At Turning Winds, the goal is not to fix broken kids, but to help them see and repair the broken processes that hold them back. In this conversation, you will hear how emotional IQ training transforms reactivity into regulation and shame into curiosity. Carl explains why curiosity is the secret weapon. Instead of beating themselves up, teens learn to get curious about their own patterns. That curiosity builds confidence, because when they can map cause and effect in their own emotional lives, they realize they have control. With control comes real self-worth. Parents will recognize the power of this shift. Think about the difference between a teen who shouts, “You make me so mad!” and one who pauses to ask, “Why did that hit me so hard?” That is emotional intelligence in action, and it is exactly what Turning Winds staff teach in the moment every single day. Carl also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the stages of change most students go through. In the beginning, they need constant management and structure. Three months in, they start owning their language, behaviors, and coping skills. By six months, many are managing half their challenges on their own. By the time they are ready to transition home, the goal is clear: a self-managing young person who knows when they are off track and has the tools to intervene before things spiral. Emotional IQ is a skill set that changes everything from anger to self-confidence, from impulsivity to resilience. As Carl reminds us, it is not just about teens. It is something every parent can practice too. Subscribe to the podcast for more powerful insights on helping teens grow, thrive, and find their way. Recommended Podcasts From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a mindset of curiosity reduces conflict and builds responsibility. Balancing Natural and Imposed Consequences in Parenting · Using thoughtful consequences to teach without lectures or power struggles. The Moment Everything Changed for Our Family at Turning Winds · A family reflects on finding clarity, connection and hope in treatment. Recommended Reading Curious Parenting to Support Your Kids · Why questions like “What’s your plan?” foster accountability and trust. How Grind Culture Harms Our Kids · Exploring how high-pressure environments impact teen emotional regulation. How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · How structure, relationships and real-world purpose help teens regain strength and direction. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    16 min
  6. Executive Functioning and the Adolescent Brain

    SEP 4

    Executive Functioning and the Adolescent Brain

    Send us a text Executive functioning is one of the most important yet often misunderstood areas of adolescent brain development. These skills shape how teens plan, organize, remember, prioritize, and follow through on tasks. When executive functioning develops unevenly, it can show up as missed assignments, self-sabotage, conflict at home, or difficulty with accountability. For many parents, teachers, and clinicians, the challenge lies in knowing whether a teen’s struggles come from lack of motivation or simply from a brain that is still building the skills it needs to succeed. Kevin Zundl speaks with clinical expert Jared Sartell, LCSW about how executive functioning unfolds during adolescence and why this stage of life requires both patience and intentional support. Jared explains the 15 executive functioning skills that every adult relies on, including working memory, impulse control, initiation, and organization. Learn why these skills do not fully mature until the mid-twenties and why middle school is often the point where academic and behavioral challenges become more visible. Parents may suddenly feel their child “should” be able to handle responsibilities, when in reality the brain is not yet fully equipped to manage them. By assessing executive function deficits, providing direct coaching, and creating structured opportunities for growth, clinicians can help teens develop healthy compensations and strategies that reduce risky behavior and improve academic performance. Jared shares examples of how executive functioning deficits can affect everything from turning in homework to managing emotions, and why targeted interventions make such a difference in treatment. Parents, educators, and professionals will gain practical insights into questions such as: Why do some teens appear capable one day and unmotivated the next?How do hormones, social identity, and cognitive maturity interact with executive functioning?What strategies can parents use to maintain accountability without sliding into conflict?How can treatment programs provide concentrated, daily support that accelerates growth in executive functioning skills?Recommended Podcasts Healing from Trauma as a Teen in Residential Treatment · How emotional growth begins when safety and trust are restored. From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a shift in approach helps families reconnect through empathy and understanding. Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Supporting teens in building insight and self-regulation that lasts beyond treatment. Recommended Reading Give Them Enough Time · Why patience and consistency are key to long-term change. How to Guide Your Children When They Make Mistakes · Turning difficult moments into opportunities for growth. The Turning Winds Difference · A closer look at the structure, philosophy, and environment that make progress possible. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    15 min
  7. When Teens Become Leaders Through Real Growth

    JUL 28

    When Teens Become Leaders Through Real Growth

    Send us a text What if leadership isn’t something you’re born with but something you build? In this episode of the Turning Wind Podcast, Kevin Zundl speaks with Enoch and Carl about how teens evolve into authentic leaders during their time at Turning Winds. They break down how the program creates space for students to shift from self-focus to service, from insecurity to confidence. You’ll hear about real kids who found their voice, earned respect, and built lasting relationships by showing up for others. Topics include: How leadership begins during treatmentWhat makes the Summit level so rare and meaningfulWhy quiet teens often lead by exampleHow validation from peers transforms motivationThe role of service, consistency, and connection in building identityIf you're a parent wondering whether this kind of growth is possible, this conversation is filled with reasons to believe it is. Recommended Podcasts From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How families move from conflict toward connection and shared purpose. Trust, Leadership and Life After Turning Winds · Why alumni carry leadership habits formed in treatment into lasting success. Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Practical insights into how emotional awareness fuels leadership and resilience. Recommended Reading Leadership Training at Turning Winds · How structured growth, service and mentoring shape leadership in teens. How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Exploring the environment and mindset that support lasting transformation. The Children We Heal · A deeper look at how the treatment model fosters growth, connection and meaningful change. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    14 min
  8. Healing from trauma as a teen in residential treatment

    JUL 7

    Healing from trauma as a teen in residential treatment

    Send us a text What does real healing from trauma look like for a teen? In this episode of the Turning Winds podcast, you'll hear directly from an alumna who shares her personal journey from arriving guarded and disconnected to discovering trust, community, and a stronger sense of self. She opens up about the challenges of treatment, the emotional growth she experienced, and how staff support, peer connection, and consistent therapeutic care helped her learn to process trauma and build lasting resilience. Whether you're a parent exploring residential treatment for your teen, a clinician supporting youth with trauma, or someone seeking stories of hope, this conversation offers insight into what real change can look like. Topics covered: Teen trauma and trust issuesEmotional regulation in adolescentsHow residential treatment builds resilienceWhat real leadership development looks like for teensLong-term outcomes for teens in therapeutic programsRecommended Podcasts From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How a mindset of curiosity replaces control and builds stronger connections. When Teens Become Leaders Through Real Growth · How structure, trust and mentorship help teens transform into leaders. Helping Teens Build Emotional IQ: Awareness, Regulation and Self-Confidence · Real tools for emotional awareness and self-management in teens. Recommended Reading The Children We Heal · A detailed look at how community and connection support teen recovery at Turning Winds. How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Exploring the internal culture that fosters growth, not just change. Treating Reactive Attachment Disorder · Understanding how trauma-based attachments impact teens and how treatment addresses them. For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.

    15 min
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The Turning Winds Podcast explores teen mental health, parenting, and family growth. Join us for expert advice and real stories on topics like anxiety, depression, communication, and building resilience. Discover tools and insights to help teens and parents navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and create lasting positive change.

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