what a time: getting you across campus (and beyond) one pep talk at a time

With all the joy that the holidays bring, they can also come with lots of imbalance for students. As a teen mentor, I want to share themes that I see regularly this time of year, so parents can know how to support their kids. I cover tips for going back to school in Jan, navigating college kids back home & what to look out for with mental health challenges, handling hype holidays like feeling pressure to have NYE plans, and working with middle school kids to move through any big feelings before heading back to school! Group Mentorship for Momswebsite  

Although I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, I do tend to encourage a little reflection at the end of December. Something I've noticed a lot is that a bridge year can get overlooked for all its accomplishments because they typically involve discomfort! In this pep talk, we chat what a bridge year is, how to know if you're in one, and why you should celebrate it! 

After many years of mentoring, I'm sharing what I think is the mentorship sweet spot! Connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

Did you have moments over Thanksgiving break where you felt like your family operated fully without you? Maybe like the didn't need you or that you didn't fit in? You are not alone! In this pep talk, I chat through what the root of feeling like you don't fit in with your family really is and how you can shift out of it! Connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

Friendship (especially shifts in them) is a huge topic that comes up in my private practice and in this pep talk, we're chatting about going from being friends with someone to being acquaintances because it can be uncomfortable. Listen for my mentor tip around this and trust me when I say you're not alone! Connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

I always give my students the opportunity to text me in between sessions so they can fill me in on what's going on or get any kind of support if they need it, but I noticed that there was sometimes hesitancy in reaching out. In today's pep talk, I'm sharing a reframe for asking for help that's been really helpful/ make reaching out easier! podcast mentioned: how to know whose advice to takeconnect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

Today I'm sharing what I call: The Father of the Bride effect and how it will change your perspective on your teen's behavior. I always share this during my parent talks or parent sessions because it has a huge opportunity for an AHA! moment and to also bring relief to you as a parent. This episode is for you if you feel you're being met with resistance and not being listened to by your teen! Connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com 

Been recently ditched? If you said, yes, I'm not surprised. September is a HUGE month for friendship shifts. In this episode, I share why back to school getting left out is common, why it's really big for college freshman, and what you can do about it. connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

Have you ever asked a bunch of people what you should do about something then ended up confused OR maybe people just give you unsolicited advice which ends up making you feel unclear. If any of these sound familiar, then this episode is for you. Today, I share a tool for what I use to gage if I should take someone's advice or not. It's helped me out so much and I hope it works for you as well!connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

You get the call from your daughter at college that she's upset and you immediately want to swoop in and come up with 10 solutions for whatever issue she's brought up. It's amazing to have ideas for support, but your student might actually need something different. In this pep talk, we chat about the shift from doer to supporter parenting, walk you through a real life example of how this plays out, and why you new role as advisor is so incredibly important. connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

If you have a college student leaving for school soon and have been hearing yourself say, "This is our last week (or weekend) as a family," I'm issuing a gentle PSA: the last week as a family is a crazy time! It's okay to just let it be a chaotic, messy, full weekend. Let's deescalate this together and take the pressure off of ourselvesconnect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

Do you worry? I do! If you're someone who tends to fear fantasize, this tool is for you. My mentor Erin taught me this and I've been using it with my students ever since. Hope this serves you as much as it's served me. connect with Erin Rosenblatt Erin Resilience Healingconnect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

A few weeks ago, I went to the Mayernik Kitchen, a modern day apothecary, in North NJ and left asking herbalist Shannon to be on the podcast! She's so kind and knowledgeable, I wanted her to share her insight on common wellness ailments I hear from my mentees. We talk about what the best plants and herbs are for helping with sleep, anxiety, pms, mood and more. She goes over how to figure out what plant medicine is right for you, what flower essences are, and gives us the details on her morning & evening routines. I also share my favorite herbs and how I use them and we even chat how to clear the energy in a new dorm or apartment. Thank you Shannon for sharing yourself with us!! 5:20 Shannon's journey to herbalism and plant medicine9:59 how the plants grow in the seasons they're needed13:38 plant medicine stories16:03 Shannon's favorite plant medicine18:59 what is plant medicine20:10 different ways you can use plant medicines23:00 what are flower essences?26:19 plants & herbs for sleep30:55 plants & herbs for anxiety35:22 plants & herbs for pms/mood38:36 Shannon's morning and night routine41:05 Maggie's favorite herbs41:10 clearing the space in a dorm or apartment43:30 the green witchiest plant45:10 how to choose what plant/herb to work withconnect with Shannon!Mayernik KitchenShannon's IGconnect with Maggie grounding meditation mentor membershipmaggiedipasquqale.com

Do you need to give yourself permission? If you're a people pleaser, this episode could be really helpful for you. In this pep talk, I share my personal relationship with permission right now, walk you through an exercise I'm doing with my students, and chat about what giving ourselves permission really opens up. mentioned episodes how to love your body with Meagan Fitzgerald people pleaser podcast episode Erin Resilience Healingconnect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

We spend a lot of time figuring out what we need for our dorm rooms and our classes, but we totally overlook the mind, body, soul part of the transition and what items support that! In this pep talk, I share my top four items you need if you're going away to college to help with emotional health.mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

In today's parent pep talk, we chat a question I get a lot: what should I look out for in terms of warning signs around my college student's mental health. This can be a tricky place because college naturally shifts a lot for students and transition can be dysregulating no matter what. I share my biggest tip around knowing when something is wrong and lend support because this topic is hard! mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

When body image kept coming up in my private practice this spring, I knew I wanted to bring in an expert and there's no better person than life coach and fitness instructor Meagan Fitzgerald. Let me tell you, Meagan is fun, she keeps things real, and there's no BS as we cover all things body. We chat what our body stories are, shifting out of body struggle, and what Meagan calls the 5 pound swing. She explains what food and body drama are, accepting body change, and the connection between a mom's relationship to her body the impact it has on her daughter. Today's episode will give you many mindset tools to relate to your body more positively. We loved having Meagan on! Connect with Meagan: The SETResting Bliss Face IG TikTokConnect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com

Got summer goals? I do. In today's pep talk, I share my 10 minute habit hack that you can apply to any area of your life so that you ACTUALLY see progress. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Got a soon-to-be college freshman? This is THE pep talk for you. I'm sharing what I think every student should do for solid mental wellness support before going away to school. We chat foundational wellness in terms of nervous system regulation, the parent transition to college, and why mentorship becomes *even* more important the summer before freshman year. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

I've had a lot of parent chats in the last couple of weeks and I don't know if it's the end of the school year or college kids coming home from school, but communication has been wonky! In today's pep talk, I'm sharing communication tips including what question to avoid, reframing for more peaceful conversations, and how to reinforce confidence in your kid's ability to make decisions for themselves. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching 

The transition from college back to living at home for the summer is HUGE for both parents and students. If you're finding it bumpy that's totally normal. In this pep talk, we chat about parent/student summer expectations, what I feel parents should keep in mind, and a tip for bringing up tough topics with your young adult child. mentor links: mentor membershipmy favorite parenting quotes www.maggiedipasquale.comparenting coaching

I know that everyone is tired of talking about the pandemic, but I feel like we're only now starting to process what went down… and it was TRAUMATIC. In this pep talk, I explain my "the pandemic made you more of who you already were" theory, the grades I felt had their social emotional health impacted the most, and an exercise for parents to consider when thinking about the wellbeing of your teens. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Do you know what your trauma response is? That sounds heavy, but what I'm really asking is: do you know when you're dysregulated? aka what brings us in and out of emotional wellbeing. In this pep talk, we chat how understanding the nervous system supports mental wellness for college students, the mind/body connection, where drugs and alcohol fit in, and what I'm seeing on college campuses in terms of what's dysregulating students. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Prior the pandemic college campuses had a mental health crisis and in this mini parent pep-talk, I'm chatting one reason college has always been an interesting time for mental health and what self-care for students really means. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Did you know that the 'time is running out' feeling might just be an anxiety response? Typically when you're wrestling with the idea of time you're feeling OOC (the mentor way to saying: Out of Control). In today's pep talk we talk about being out of control, how to move through the feeling of being OOC, and tips for staying present when you feel like time is moving too fast. mentioned pep talk: grounding meditation mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Have you ever assumed the worst about something or someone and then been proven absolutely wrong? I have and so have my friends and students that's why this is a pep talk today. We are chatting about what assuming the worst is really about, how it totally sucks when someone does this to us, a technique to help all of this, and why text messages are a breeding ground for misunderstanding.  mentioned pep talk: are you angry or resentful?mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Something new I've seen over the last few years is the freshman year hunt for the roommate. Instead of getting assigned randomly, students are connecting and finding roommates online, which although has definitive positives, it's also causing stress. In today's pep talk, I'm sharing some tips for handling a roommate search no matter if you're a freshman or post grad!mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

I LOVE an origin story. I deeply appreciate hearing about how someone got to where they're at. I'm always searching for podcasts featuring someone's backstory and in today's pep talk, I share my own mini mentor story. I also give you some homework (not the hard kind) to help you think about your own origin story. Enjoy! mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Are you mad or are you actually RESENTFUL? This is a question, I've asked my students lately. Resentment is not a word typically brought up by mentees, but it's definitely present! In today's pep talk, we chat about what resentment really is (mind blown), Brene Brown's definition of the emotion, and a trick to knowing when you're resentful and how to move through it. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Stack stress is a term I've made up to describe what happens when you have a lot going on at once, put caring yourself allll the way at the bottom of your list, then one tiiiiny thing tips everything over. Sound familiar? I bet it does for many! If you've ever cried over feeling overwhelmed this is the episode for you. In today's pep talk, I share 3 things you can do when you feel the pressure of stack stress.mentioned links: an easy exercise for shifting stressall the stressmentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparenting coaching

Many of my students have high expectations and end up being  super hard on themselves. I recently asked a mentee, "Do you feel like you deserve rest?" and she said, "Only if I've earned it." That resonated big time. In this pep talk, I share the two areas I feel like we need to give ourselves breaks in, thoughts around what brings you energy and what takes it away, and a journal exercise to help you figure out what you need break from. connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringonline membership

Is there something wrong me? Is this normal? What is going on here? If you're a human on the planet, I bet these have crossed your mind at one point or another and I know it can feel like a scary place to be. In today's pep talk, I answer if I think there's something wrong with you, what I feel coping mechanisms are, and how being sensitive in a harsh world can show up in our lives.connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringonline membership

My private practice has been the most heavy I ever seen it and with what's going on in the world right now, I wanted to share a technique I've been using in my 1:1 sessions. It takes only 12 minutes and can really transform negative energy. Sending everyone extra love right now. connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingmentor membership

During the pandemic, I noticed that in the absence of transitions (like a commute or grabbing lunch or going to a workout class) how important they are to our mental wellbeing. In today's pep talk, I'm chatting why having a transition from one activity to the next is necessary and how to more mindfully incorporate them into your day. connect with Maggie: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching  

Feel like your teens aren't taking your advice? I got you. In today's pep talk, I share the unlock when it comes to getting your teenagers to heed your guidance, why pulling back from parents is an important part adolescent development, and what you can do to help your kids hear you. connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Want more from your relationships? This topic comes up in my private practice a lot. What I hear is that students are **not** cultivating the kind of romantic relationships they really want. Why is this? In this episode we talk about hooking up, what's at the core when we get intimate with someone, and how to shift to make your relationships more fulfilling.connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Do you find it hard to make decisions? Stay in or go out? What to eat for dinner? What to major in? What sorority to join? Maybe you're making a big decision like what college to go to. Inspired by life coach Martha Beck, I share a tip to help guide you during any decision big or small. This is an especially important listen for any of the people pleasers out there!connect with Maggie: people pleasing pep talkwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Last week I felt so blue and if you're from the Northeast, then you know that the winter's can be tough on our mood. I wanted to share the two big things you can do help shift yourself out of feeling down and how to get the **right** support. connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Every labor day weekend I get the same call from parents of college freshmen and what they share inspired my favorite mantra for parents: support not solve! In this pep talk, we chat examples of how to implement the mantra, what I feel the role of a parent is, and how all of this relates to doer versus supporter parenting.connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Feel anxious about Mondays? Get a pit in your stomach about the week ahead? Sunday Scaries are a real thing. Today I'm sharing what I do on Sundays to help make Mondays easier (while also including one thing that I absolutely do not do). connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Feeling unmotivated lately? This has been a YES for my students so I wanted to talk about it here. Motivation is a super layered topic. In this episode we cover the reasons we can feel unmotivated, why your "why" matters, and practical steps to shift a motivation rut. connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

Thinking about making a big change in your life? Transferring schools? Leaving your job? Changing your relationship status? Those decisions can feel huge and usually start as a whisper almost as if what's in your heart starts to float to your head. In this pep talk, I share what the main thing is to consider when you're making a big move and the number one thing to keep in mind when you're in fear of change. connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership

What kind of mom or dad do you want to be? Parent Coach, Mary Van Geffen joins us to share her amazing Thanksgiving Exercise to help you get clear on the kind of family culture you want to create. We also chat about how the exercise uncovers the north star for family decisions, the importance of sharing the results with your teens, and the impact on parents personally as well. connect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coachingonline membership for college freshmen connect with Mary: instagramHttp://cyclical-parenting.teachable.com/p/the-compassionate-response-meditation-workshopHttps://maryvangeffen.teachable.com/p/calm-in-chaos 

If your hope for your children is to be whole hearted, confident adults this is the pep talk for you. One of the biggest topics I chat with parents about is the transition from doer parenting to supporter parenting. In this episode we chat about the difference between doer and supporter parenting is, why in adolescence we need to shift to supporter, and I share examples of how I sometimes see this play out as a mentor.mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching

I need to be "good" today because I was "bad" yesterday. Ever say that to yourself in terms of eating? In this pep talk, I chat about the impact of labeling things as good/bad, what restriction really ends up doing, and a mentor reframe for letting go of labels.mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching

Sometimes I feel it's easier for students to chat with me, a mentor, versus their parents because of how I receive their stories. The key to having someone open up to you is that they feel safe and unfortunately at times we inadvertently do the opposite to the people we love. In this pep talk, I chat what it means to not match people's energy, how to get someone to open up to you, and what emotional safety can look like in connection. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching

Do you live in a safe house... like an emotionally safe one? This pep talk is all about creating an emotionally safe household and why it's a big part of helping our kids regulate their nervous systems. It all starts with trust. In this episode we cover a Brene Brown approved definition of what trust is and why it's important in safety. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching

"Why didn't they tell me that before?" If that question has crossed your mind, this is a pep talk for you. Inspired by (and shared with permission) a student who had a friend lie by omission, I explain why people lie especially by withholding, share a quote from psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy that really illuminates lying motivation, and give a suggestion around what to do if you've been lied to. mentor links: mentor membershipwww.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching

Parent coach, Mary Van Geffen joins us to explain the distinction between being in charge versus in control and why it's so important when it comes to parenting teens. In this pep talk we chat over-responsibility in parenting, redefining success, and what your teens really need from you. Mary even gives us an example of how this plays out in her own home so you can directly implement in your own life. connect with Mary instagramcompassionate response meditation workshopcalm in chaos connect with Maggie mentor membership 1:1 mentoringparent coaching

Your child comes home from middle/high school upset. Your kid calls you overwhelmed at college. If you're a parent, there's a good chance you've been in these situations at some point and it's painful! You know it's something your kids have to figure out on their own, but you also want to swoop in... then they seem to move on and you're still in all the stress. In this pep talk, I'm sharing what it really means when we get stuck in our kids' stuff, what you can do to help yourself and your kids, and what a regulation ritual looks like. mentor membershipconnect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching

Can past events be pulled into the present? Sometimes it's from undealt with feelings. In this episode, I share what the difference between "little t" trauma and "big T" trauma is, how the past shows up in the present, and where unfelt feelings pop up! mentor membershipconnect with Maggie: www.maggiedipasquale.com1:1 mentoringparent coaching