Does Your Teen Need Counseling?

Does Your Teen Need Counseling?

Author: Mark Gregston May 18, 2026 Duration: 28:06

What if counseling could become one of the greatest gifts you give your teen? In this episode, Mark, Wayne and Heartlight Counselor Courtney LaFleur discuss why counseling isn’t just for teens in crisis. Sometimes, a trusted voice outside the family can help teens process pain, understand their behavior and find hope in ways parents alone cannot. You’ll also hear Jack’s story of healing, vulnerability and restored family relationships. Because when struggles stay hidden, they often get acted out — but healing begins when someone finally feels heard.

Find out 10 characteristics of a teen who needs intervention at bit.ly/intervention-before-its-too-late

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.


Raising a teenager can feel like navigating uncharted territory every single day. Parenting Today's Teens is here to walk that path with you, offering a steady voice amid the chaos. Mark Gregston brings more than four decades of direct experience working with families to each conversation, translating complex adolescent behaviors into understandable insights. You’ll hear honest discussions about defiance, screen time, emotional withdrawal, and the search for identity, all framed with a perspective that is both pragmatic and hopeful. This isn’t about quick fixes or perfect formulas; it’s about building a lasting, authentic connection with your teen even when it’s difficult. Mark’s approach is grounded in real-world application, offering strategies you can consider and adapt the very same day. The podcast draws from a well of wisdom that respects the spiritual and personal growth of the entire family, recognizing that parenting a teen often means revisiting your own beliefs and reactions. Tune in for a resource that feels like a thoughtful conversation with a trusted guide, one that acknowledges the struggles while consistently pointing toward practical solutions and renewed understanding for the modern parent.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Parenting Today's Teens
Podcast Episodes
Giving Grace When Teens Make Mistakes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
In today's episode, Mark Gregston and Wayne Shepherd discuss how parents will inevitably feel hurt or disappointed by their teen’s mistakes, but those moments are opportunities to show grace rather than withdraw. Grace m…
Wisdom Over Knowledge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:02
Listen in as Mark Gregston shares a devotional from the book of Proverbs, challenging parents to deepen their relationship with their teens. Mark reminds us that in a world where information is multiplying at an overwhel…
Teen Stories: Searching for Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:07
For many families, the journey through the teen years is marked by trust that’s been damaged — and the hope for restoration. Today, Mark sits down with two young men at Heartlight who share candid stories about their str…
Grandparents Are a Gift [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:57
Today, Mark Gregston, Wayne Shepherd and Courtney Lafleur discuss the irreplaceable role grandparents play in the lives of their teenage grandchildren. Mark reminds grandparents that staying connected requires intentiona…
I Mustache Mark a Question: Discipline, Divorce and the Digital Age [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:40
In today's episode, Mark tackles some more challenging questions parents are facing with their teenagers today. From motivating a checked-out high school senior to navigating differences in parenting styles, he shares pr…
Types of Parenting That Will Push Teens Away [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:47
Parents often unintentionally push their teens away by demanding perfection, forcing authority or coming across as judgmental. In this episode, Mark Gregston and Wayne Shepherd explain that while parents still hold autho…
When a Once-Close Relationship Feels Distant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:06
Today, Mark Gregston shares a personal devotional from Romans 16:17. Listen as he discusses what to do when a once-close relationship with your child becomes distant during the teen years. Mark encourages parents not to…
Teen Stories: Learning to Cope Without Drugs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:16
What happens when teens turn to drugs to cope with struggles that feel too heavy to bear? Many young people use substances as a way to escape feelings of hurt, isolation or confusion. In today’s episode, Mark Gregston ta…
Dating and Your Teen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:52
Today, Mark Gregston and Wayne Shepherd encourage parents to view teen dating as a training ground, not just something to restrict or fear. Mark emphasizes that healthy, age-appropriate dating — guided by clear expectati…