{"podcast":{"title":"Parenting Today's Teens","slug":"parenting-today-s-teens-297702","podcast_index_feed_id":297702,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/parenting-todays-teen/","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/parenting-todays-teens","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/a2b9a8ef-f577-42da-bd93-cc427e5d9ed7/0b31c0dd-1f06-4e8c-8e05-7e652a94d0bb-cd-cbba198d-c2c7-4f5e-bc43.jpg","author":"Mark Gregston","episode_count":1578,"summary":"The Parenting Today's Teens Podcast is a daily resource for parents raising teenagers. Hosted by Mark Gregston, a renowned parenting expert with over 45 years of experience, this podcast provides practical, expert advice for navigating the challenges of parenting teens. Whether you're struggling with defiance, emotional issues, or just want to understand your teen better, Mark’s guidance is raw, real, and always hopeful. Some episodes are co-hosted by Courtney LaFleur, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and on-staff counselor at Heartlight, adding professional counseling insights to the conversation. Together, Mark and Courtney provide expert tips and real-life solutions to help you build stronger relationships with your teen and navigate the complexities of today’s adolescent culture. If you’re looking for guidance on how to connect with your teen, improve family dynamics, and raise a confident, well-adjusted teen, this podcast is for you. For more parenting tools and expert advice, visit www.ParentingTodaysTeens.org.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-07T16:20:49.575574+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parenting-today-s-teens-297702"},"episode":{"title":"Teen Stories: Vulnerability Isn't Weakness","slug":"teen-stories-vulnerability-isn-t-weakness","published_at":"2026-07-07T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parenting-today-s-teens-297702/teen-stories-vulnerability-isn-t-weakness","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parenting-today-s-teens-297702","url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/parenting-todays-teens","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e87ffe4a-4894-47a5-9482-f7a4be6cfde8.mp3","summary":"When teens struggle to connect, their worlds can feel small and lonely, leading to outbursts or unhealthy coping mechanisms just to get by. In this episode, Mark sits down with two Heartlight students, including Sam, who opens up about years of feeling left out and the walls she built to protect herself. Both guests reveal how learning to trust, compromise and value themselves has paved the way for new, healthier relationships. Tune in to hear how honesty, vulnerability and a supportive environment are helping these teens move from isolation to genuine connection. Is your teen struggling? Learn more about Heartlight today at heartlightministries.org Mentioned in this episode: FICC Online PreRoll Stephen Curtis Chapman","meta_description":"When teens struggle to connect, their worlds can feel small and lonely, leading to outbursts or unhealthy coping mechanisms just to get by. In this episod…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1309,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/parenting-today-s-teens-297702/episodes/teen-stories-vulnerability-isn-t-weakness/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parenting-today-s-teens-297702/teen-stories-vulnerability-isn-t-weakness.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}