Most of us know at least one young adult who's having trouble making that transition from dependent teenager to 20-year-old adult paying their own bills and pursuing their own goals.

This is Dr. Randy Paterson's area of expertise, and today he shares helpful insights.

Press play to learn:

• Why males seem to have a harder time leaving home or "launching" than females
• Whether the "failure to launch" phenomenon in young adults happens primarily in the U.S., or in cultures across the globe
• The strange dynamic that exists between the parents of young adults who fail to launch, and the therapist's role in navigating this dynamic
• How the idea of "following your passions" can actually be paralyzing for many young people

Dr. Paterson has been a psychotherapist for nearly 40 years, is the author of How to Be Miserable in Your Twenties, and currently serves as the director of Changeways Clinic.

Throughout his career, he's noticed a subset of his client population that struggles to achieve adult independence, even into their twenties. In the U.S., you might know this as a "failure to thrive," which generally means that the young adult is not employed (or grossly underemployed), not in school, and not even engaging in much of a social life.

Dr. Paterson sees this in young males far more than females, and he discusses why that might be. He also explains that the longer this failure to launch lasts, the more entrenched the young adult becomes in this state, and the harder they find it to gain independence.

Tune in to learn how Dr. Paterson helps young adults—and their families—make the critical transition into adulthood.

For more, visit https://randypaterson.com/ and the YouTube channel called "How To Be Miserable."

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C