OCD doesn’t always look like excessive handwashing, checking locks or arranging things in a particular order. For some teenagers, much of what is happening is inside their head, which can make it incredibly difficult for parents to spot.

This week, clinical psychologist Dr Netali Levi joined us to look at some of the less obvious signs of OCD, intrusive thoughts and mental compulsions, and importantly, what parents can do at home without unintentionally feeding the OCD.

A teenager with ADHD can be completely absorbed in something one minute, unable to start something else the next, overwhelmed by what seems like a small request, or suddenly unable to cope with something they managed perfectly well last week. For parents, that inconsistency can be one of the hardest things to understand.

In our latest live session, Nurse and ADHD and Executive Function Coach Liz Ambler helped us look beneath some of the behaviours we see and understand a little more about what might actually be going on.

We’ve talked about ADHD several times over the past year, so rather than covering all the same ground again, here are some reminders, alongside some of the new ideas Liz shared tonight.

Teenagers can be sitting safely at home, while at the same time being exposed to a world online that we may know very little about.

This week we were honoured to be joined by Ellen Roome MBE, Jools’ mum and an international campaigner for children’s online safety.

Following the death of her 14 year old son Jools in 2022, Ellen began campaigning to understand more about what children are seeing and experiencing online, and for greater accountability from the technology companies responsible for the platforms they use.

Teenagers have always had a lot to deal with, but the pressures they face are changing, and for many young people, growing up today feels particularly tough.

It’s in the news this week, with Professor Peter Fonagy, who is leading an independent review into young people’s mental health, ADHD and autism. He tells the BBC that the rise in mental distress among young people is real. Around one in four 16 to 24 year olds are now struggling with their mental health.

The timing couldn't have been more relevant for our latest session with Dr Sheila Redfern, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and author of How to Hug a Cactus. Dr Redfern has previously worked with Professor Fonagy and absolutely agrees with what he says in his interview. “We do need to take what young people are telling us seriously, rather than dismissing them as a snowflake generation.”

With CAMHS services under enormous pressure, parents, carers and educators have a bigger role to play.

So what does our role as parents look like as our children become teenagers? They want more freedom, more privacy and, quite often, a lot less input from us. It can be tricky territory. We want them to become independent, but we're still responsible for keeping them safe. We want them to make their own decisions, but sometimes we can see trouble coming a mile off. And we want to stay close, even when they seem determined to push us away.

Dr Redfern said, there isn't an algorithm for getting it right, but there are ways we can adapt how we parent as our teenagers grow, without losing the connection they still very much need.

Here are some of the many brilliant snippets from her conversation with us, which we hope you watch on replay.

Parents often sense that something isn’t quite right long before anyone else does. Their teenager may struggle with organisation, friendships, sensory overwhelm or change, or they might look like they are flying at school, but then come home and everything falls apart. 

In our latest live session, Clinical Psychologist Dr Netali Levi talked about SEND, ADHD, autism and neurodiversity, what parents might notice, and how we can support teenagers, with or without a diagnosis. 

The transition back to school after the summer holidays can be challenging for teenagers. New routines, teachers, friendships, academic pressures and simply getting used to the demands of a school day again can all contribute to stress and anxiety.

In our first live session of the new academic year, we talked to our resident Clinical Psychologist, Dr Sarah-Jane Knight, about what back-to-school anxiety can look like, why even positive change can feel difficult, and what parents and carers can do to make those first few weeks a little easier.

The summer holidays often arrive with a mixture of excitement and relief. For many families, it's a chance to slow down, spend time together and enjoy a break from the routines of school. For others, it can feel a little daunting as structure disappears, friendship groups change, screen time increases and teenagers seem to have very different ideas about what makes a "good summer".

Over the past few summers, we've spoken to psychologists, therapists, parenting specialists and educators about everything from neurodiversity and school transitions to friendships, social anxiety and substance use. While every family is different, there are a few messages our experts come back to time and time again.

As the school year comes to an end, many families are looking ahead to the summer holidays with a mix of relief and uncertainty. For neurodivergent teenagers in particular, this period can bring both a welcome break and a set of new challenges.

In this week’s Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, we were joined by ADHD and Executive Function Coach Liz Ambler, who shared practical insights into how school holidays, changes in routine, and burnout can affect young people, and how parents can support them in a calm and manageable way.

This week, we were joined by Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, founder of the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation. After the tragic loss of her son, Fiona has devoted her life to improving drug education for young people. She joined us to talk about something many parents are concerned about, vaping, alcohol and substance use.

This week, we were joined by Jess Hawley, CEO of the RAP Foundation, to talk about something many parents are starting to notice, but aren’t always sure how to make sense of - teenage relationships.

Across both boys and girls, there’s a gap between what young people say they want; connection, respect, closeness and what they’re seeing, trying, and repeating.

We discussed how online culture is influencing this, from the pull of the manosphere to exposure to pornography, and how these external influences are changing expectations, attitudes and behaviour in ways that are quite shocking, and concerning for parents.

Supporting a teenager with Tics or Tourette Syndrome can bring plenty of questions. Tics can seem to appear out of nowhere, change over time, and often attract attention from other people, which can sometimes be harder for young people than the tics themselves.

In this Let's All Talk Mental Health session, Clinical Psychologist Dr Jane Gilmour shared insights into what Tics are, why they happen, and how parents can help teenagers feel understood and accepted.

Supporting a teenager with ADHD can feel unpredictable, particularly when emotions run high or behaviour seems to change quickly.

In this Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, ADHD and Executive Function Coach Liz Ambler explored how ADHD affects emotional regulation, decision-making and behaviour, and what can help parents respond in a way that supports both the moment and the longer term.

Family life can be a source of safety and stability for teenagers, but when stress, conflict or uncertainty are present, it can also feel emotionally heavy. Parents are often doing their best to protect their children, but young people can still pick up on tension, changes in dynamics, and unspoken worries.

In this Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist Ali Kosiner explored how family stress and difficult relationships can affect teenagers, how these experiences may show up, and what can help young people feel more contained and supported.

Talking about suicide can feel frightening for parents. Many worry about saying the wrong thing, making things worse, or not knowing what to do if their teenager is struggling.

In this Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, Dick Moore spoke with honesty and warmth about why these conversations matter, how parents can approach them, and what can help young people feel less alone when life feels overwhelming.

When gaming starts to take over, it can feel frustrating and hard to manage as a parent. What may have begun as something enjoyable can begin to affect sleep, school and family life.

For many families, it’s not just about “too much screen time”, but about something deeper that gaming is meeting.

In this Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, Family Psychotherapist Alison Smith explored why gaming can become so compelling, when it becomes a concern, and how parents can respond in a way that supports both boundaries and connection.

When a young person is struggling to attend school, it can feel confusing, distressing and, at times, impossible to know what to do next. For many families, it’s not about a child “not wanting” to go to school, it’s about something much deeper making attendance feel overwhelming.

In this Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, Child and Educational Psychologist Dr Mollie Higgins explored what sits underneath Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), why it can develop, and how parents and schools can work together to support a young person back into education.

For teens experiencing panic, it can feel completely overwhelming. It shows up in their thoughts, in physical sensations in their body, and in the things they do to try to make it stop, which can quickly become self-perpetuating.

Technology is a big part of teenage life, but for many parents it can feel difficult to know where to draw the line. In this week’s Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, host Laura Biggs spoke with Dr Fin Williams, Clinical Psychologist, about how technology is shaping teenage development and how parents can respond in a way that supports, rather than conflicts.

Trauma is a word we hear more often today, but what does it mean in relation to a young person we’re trying to support, who may be struggling.

In this week’s Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, host Tara Dolby was joined by Dr Russell Woodhead, Clinical Psychologist, who specialises in psychological therapy for teenagers and young adults, with a particular focus on trauma.

The term AuDHD is increasingly being used to describe young people who experience traits of both autism and ADHD, although it is not currently a formal clinical diagnosis

In this week’s Let’s All Talk Mental Health session, host Tara Dolby was joined by resident clinical psychologist Dr Sarah-Jane Knight to explore how autism and ADHD can overlap in teenagers, why adolescence can be a particularly challenging time for neurodivergent young people, and how parents can focus on practical and appropriate support, rather than getting too caught up in labels.