Eps 558: Neuroscience of adolescent behavior with Patrick Ney

Eps 558: Neuroscience of adolescent behavior with Patrick Ney

Author: Casey O'Roarty March 24, 2025 Duration: 53:17
My guest today is Patrick Ney, here to explain the neuroscience behind some adolescent behaviors. Patrick shares about self-determination theory and our 3 universal psychological needs. We dig into the personal growth and rewriting the narratives we’ve told ourselves about the way we were parented.  Lastly, Patrick shares actionable steps & advice for helpful communication with your unregulated teen.  Takeaways from the show Wanting to parent differently than you were parented  Self-determination theory  3 psychological needs: relatedness, competence, & autonomy  People feel better & work better with others when those needs are met; we see more negative behavior when those needs are not met   Parenting is an invitation for personal growth  “There’s no getting around teen brain development”  Neuroscience of the teen brain The more you understand the connection between teen behavior, their needs, and brain development, the easier it becomes to stay grounded & helpful - most parents don’t know a lot of neuroscience, but it helps!   Teens are hypersensitive to the opinions of other teens You are the world’s best expert on your child  Getting curious instead of cutting off behavior immediately  Having a narrative understanding of who you are and where you came from can help you know where you’re going as a caregiver  Reflecting on your own behavior & actions as a teenager  “A teenage brain has higher highs and lower lows “ Steps for staying helpful & communicative with unregulated adolescents  For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parenting adolescents often feels like navigating a landscape without a reliable map, where the old rules no longer apply and connection can feel just out of reach. Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens, hosted by Casey O'Roarty, meets you right in that uncertainty. This podcast operates from a simple, powerful belief: the challenges of raising tweens and teens, while deeply personal, are also a shared human experience. Instead of offering quick fixes, conversations here focus on the foundational work of building and repairing relationships, fostering essential life skills in our kids, and perhaps most importantly, doing the internal work required of us as parents. You’ll hear honest discussions that blend practical strategies with compassionate insight, all aimed at transforming this demanding season from a battle of wills into an opportunity for mutual growth. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining a thoughtful, experienced friend who reminds you that courage isn't about being fearless, but about finding joy and resilience within the beautiful mess of family life. It’s a resource for anyone who wants to move beyond reaction and toward a more intentional, connected approach with the young adults in their home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens
Podcast Episodes
Eps 641: Well being is an inside job [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:25
I'm diving deep into what happens when we release others—including our teens—to their own journeys. As parents, we hang on so tight, resisting what scares us, but what we resist persists. I'm sharing my own messy middle…
Eps 640: Relationship Reset with your Teen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:12
Feeling like you're living with a wildfire instead of just putting out fires with your teen? In this solo episode, I explore why traditional discipline approaches fail when relationships are ruptured, and introduce the c…
Eps 639: Politics and Parenting with Alyson Schafer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:59
In this powerful conversation, I sit down with psychotherapist and Positive Discipline expert Alyson Schafer to explore how we can support our teens through today's turbulent political climate. We discuss Alfred Adler's…
Eps 637: Dr. Jared Horvath-EdTech Harms Learning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:13
I sat down with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist who's worked with over 1,000 schools globally, and what he shared about educational technology absolutely validates what so many of us have been feeling. After r…
Eps 636: Create, Don't Correct in 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:35
I'm starting 2026 at the heart of everything I teach: the shift from problem-focused to possibility-focused parenting. This solo episode dives deep into the work I've been doing with parents for nearly 20 years—understan…
Eps 635: Winter break with teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:06
In this solo episode, I'm getting real about navigating the holiday break with your teen. I'll walk you through the both/and of this season—how to hold hope and anxiety at the same time, including the grief that might be…
Eps 633: Revisiting Control vs Influence While Parenting Teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:22
During this week's solo show, I am digging back into one of the biggest parenting struggles: the illusion of control. As a parent educator with nearly 20 years of experience, I'm breaking down why trying to control our t…