223: Practical Optimism with Dr. Sue Varma

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting

Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

Kids & Family, Mental Health, Parenting, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 720 Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How do we help our tweens and teens thrive—even in tough times? Dr. Sue Varma joins Dr. Lisa & Reena to break down the science of optimism and the four key pillars of mental well-being. You’ll learn how to model emotional strength for your child, build resilience in the face of anxiety and setbacks, and adopt daily habits that boost happiness. The perfect episode for parents looking to reset and reenergize during summer! Find “Practical Optimism” here: https://www.doctorsuevarma.com/book/ Get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, at SELECTQUOTE.COM/asklisa Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ASKLISA at https://www.oneskin.co/ ________________ “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting” is the essential podcast for parents seeking expert guidance, tested strategies, and psychological insights on raising kids, especially tweens and teens. Join renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and former journalist and mom of two Reena Ninan as they explore real-life parenting challenges. Looking to learn more about how to boost kids’ resilience, build their confidence, or support their emotional well-being? Dr. Lisa and Reena have got you covered! Together they address listener questions about stress, anxiety, social media concerns, school pressures, and challenges in peer relationships. Each episode provides practical advice and science-backed solutions to help parents raise resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids. Tune in every week for the latest topics in parenting, child psychology, and family wellness. Get answers to your most pressing parenting questions. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Check out our Ask Lisa Podcast Playlists. Binge specific topics like Raising Sons, Staying Connected to Your Teen: https://www.youtube.com/@asklisapodcast/playlists ________________ Episode Keywords: parenting teens, mental health tools, positive psychology, resilience in teens, emotional well-being, coping skills for teens, optimism, family mental health Show Keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr lisa damour, reena ninan, psychology, parenting, podcast, teens, tweens, parenting teens, parenting tweens, teen parenting, tween parenting, parenting tips, parenting advice, positive parenting, parenting podcast, teen behavior, tween challenges, raising tweens, raising teens, parenting hacks, parenting help, family dynamics, kids podcast, mental health, teen mental health, attachment styles, emotional intelligence

Transcript

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0:00.0	Tell me a parenting issue everyone struggles with, with tweens and teens, but no one talks about.
0:06.9	Rina, I think a lot of people feel like they just don't know how to connect to their kid anymore.
0:12.3	I'm Rina Ninen and welcome to Ask Lisa, the Psychology of Parenting Podcast.
0:18.7	And I'm Dr. Lisa D'Amour.
0:20.3	We bring you science-back strategies for managing anxiety, discipline, intense emotions, and more.
0:26.6	We decode tough parenting challenges with tips that you can use right now.
0:32.0	So subscribe to Ask Lisa, the Psychology of Parenting Podcast, and join our YouTube community today.
0:37.8	We're here to help you untangle family life.
0:43.4	Episode 223, practical optimism with Dr. Sue Varma.
0:53.9	We all want our kids to feel hopeful, but not detached from reality.
0:59.0	This week, psychiatrist, Dr. Sue Varma, joins us to talk about practical optimism, a mindset that
1:05.6	helps kids face challenges with confidence while still acknowledging what's hard.
1:10.8	If your family needs a little reset after a tough school year or rocky last few weeks of school,
1:16.0	this episode will leave you feeling recharged.
1:19.2	Here's an encore episode of practical optimism with Dr. Sue Varma.
1:24.2	I just find it difficult in the dead of winter. February is a hard month, Lisa. It's so hard. Why?
1:31.9	Raina, try doing February in Cleveland. It's really not that fun. You always win. You always win that. It's really not that fun. We have our moments, but it is really, it's for true believers, really, you know, Cleveland has its really strong, strong
1:47.1	loyalty and this is how it shows. I love that. I love that. Well, I find it's February is sort of the
1:52.8	time of the school year where I feel like stuck in the mud or there's snow. It's kind of hard to
1:58.4	keep treading forward sometimes. And how do you stay true and find
2:03.0	optimism? Right? I just think it's hard. Yeah. No, I mean, it's a hard time. And it's interesting,
2:07.8	Rina, clinically I can tell you my caseload and my colleague's caseloads, they always build in February.
	...

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