How to Talk to Your Teen About Unhealthy Friendships Without Them Shutting Down
Wed Feb 04 2026
Is your teenager choosing friends or dating partners who treat them poorly? It is one of the most painful experiences for a mother to witness, yet traditional parenting often leads to the one thing we fear most: our child pulling away.
In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, host Laura Ollinger sits down with pediatrician and parenting expert Kristen Cook, MD, to provide a roadmap for navigating toxic teen relationships. Whether you are dealing with a "mean girl" friendship dynamic or a red-flag romantic relationship, this conversation offers the neurological and tactical tools you need to maintain connection.
In this episode, Laura Ollinger and Dr. Kristen Cook discuss: The Neuroscience of Social Rewards: Understand why the teen brain is biologically wired to prioritize peer approval over parental logic. Dr. Cook explains the role of the nucleus accumbens (an area of the brain that is connected to motivation and action) and why "bad" relationships often feel rewarding to a developing brain. From Criticism to Curiosity: Learn the tactical "how-to" of intervening in unhealthy relationships. We discuss the power of the family meeting from a lens of prevention and how to ask open-ended questions that allow your teen to discover the truth for themselves without feeling controlled. The Mirror Effect & Parental Self-Worth: We explore the deep connection between a mother's self-confidence and her child’s relationship choices. Discover why working on your own inner self-worth is often the most effective way to help your teen build their own. Identifying Serious Red Flags: Dr. Cook outlines the physical and psychological signs of domestic abuse in teens and provides clear steps for when a parent needs to escalate the situation for safety.Connect with our guest: Visit Kristen Cook, MD, at kristencookmd.com to find her book, Parenting Redefined, and listen to her podcast, Mom Doc Talk. Or follow her on Instagram at @momdoctalk_kcmd
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Is your teenager choosing friends or dating partners who treat them poorly? It is one of the most painful experiences for a mother to witness, yet traditional parenting often leads to the one thing we fear most: our child pulling away. In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, host Laura Ollinger sits down with pediatrician and parenting expert Kristen Cook, MD, to provide a roadmap for navigating toxic teen relationships. Whether you are dealing with a "mean girl" friendship dynamic or a red-flag romantic relationship, this conversation offers the neurological and tactical tools you need to maintain connection. In this episode, Laura Ollinger and Dr. Kristen Cook discuss: The Neuroscience of Social Rewards: Understand why the teen brain is biologically wired to prioritize peer approval over parental logic. Dr. Cook explains the role of the nucleus accumbens (an area of the brain that is connected to motivation and action) and why "bad" relationships often feel rewarding to a developing brain. From Criticism to Curiosity: Learn the tactical "how-to" of intervening in unhealthy relationships. We discuss the power of the family meeting from a lens of prevention and how to ask open-ended questions that allow your teen to discover the truth for themselves without feeling controlled. The Mirror Effect & Parental Self-Worth: We explore the deep connection between a mother's self-confidence and her child’s relationship choices. Discover why working on your own inner self-worth is often the most effective way to help your teen build their own. Identifying Serious Red Flags: Dr. Cook outlines the physical and psychological signs of domestic abuse in teens and provides clear steps for when a parent needs to escalate the situation for safety.Connect with our guest: Visit Kristen Cook, MD, at kristencookmd.com to find her book, Parenting Redefined, and listen to her podcast, Mom Doc Talk. Or follow her on Instagram at @momdoctalk_kcmd