CANR
WORK TITLE: The Parent-Teen Connection
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://susancaso.com/
CITY: Boulder
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Children: three.
EDUCATION:University of Kansas, B.S. (psychology and human development); University of Colorado, M.S. (counseling psychology and counselor education); intern at Excelsior Youth Center in Aurora, Colorado. Trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Therapist, lecturer, writer. The Liv Project, Board Member and Mental Health Director; Boulder Family Counseling, founder, 2008.
MEMBER:The Live Project; Rise Against Suicide.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
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Susan Caso, MA, LPC, is a therapist and counselor, specializing in adolescent issues, relationship issues, family conflict, anxiety, depression, suicidology, and bipolar disorder. As Mental Health Director and a board member of The LIV Project, she is a consultant and community leader in the area of suicide prevention. She also founded Boulder Family Counseling in Colorado in 2008.
Caso draws on her 20 years of experience as a counselor for her debut 2024 book The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships ,which helps parents and other caregivers learn to communicate effectively with their teenagers, find comfort in times of distress, and relieve anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Parents learn to support and build trust with their teenager by creating a safe environment where kids can be open and transparent. Teens learn to connect and share feelings so they don’t feel so alone, and learn how to build a meaningful relationship with their parents.
The book uses cases that show parents and teens how to use tools to explore creating attachments and identifying areas of anger or mistrust. Caso covers topics like LGBTQ+ issues, communication styles, barriers to feelings of belonging, and how to break cycles of negative interaction. Caso also uses anecdotes and illustrative stories from her practice working with clients and from her own experience as the mother of three. She also stresses the importance of self-care for adults.
In a Booklist review, a writer remarked: “Perhaps most helpful is the myriad of real-life examples Caso provides, arming parents with a wealth of information to build a foundational level of trust in their parent/teen relationships.” The reviewer added that Caso offers refreshing advice on creating meaningful connections. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed: “Readers will be encouraged by the insightful questions that close each chapter, which are designed to help readers implement the lessons.” The contributor also noted that bullets or boxes would have helped to break up the long pages of text.
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
BookLife, September 16, 2024, review of The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships.
Kirkus Reviews, September 3, 2024, review of The Parent-Teen Connection.
ONLINE
Motherly, https://www.mother.ly/ (March 1, 2025), Susan Caso.
Susan Caso homepage, https://susancaso.com/ (March 1, 2025).
Susan Caso, MA, LPC
Susan Caso, MA, LPC, helps people find the feeling of connectedness that creates heartfelt interactions. She is the author of, The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build LifeLong Family Relationships, (release date October 22nd) endorsed by Children's Hospital Colorado and Crisis Text Line. She is a therapist and speaker with over twenty years in clinical practice. Susan helps parents, teens, couples, and families create emotional safety to build stronger relationships. As a mom of three amazing humans, she knows it’s all about being connected. Susan dedicates herself to eliminating stigma around mental health. She is a Board Member and the Mental Health Director of The Liv Project. Susan consulted as Technical and Strategic Advisor on the film My Sister Liv, created by a Grammy-Award- winning director and producer team. Susan contributed as a Board Member of Rise Against Suicide for over three years. Susan imagines new tools, models, and resources to help people engage in open-hearted conversations. Susan’s work has been featured in media outlets such as Mother.ly, Wait Until 8th, and The Hollywood Reporter. Before opening Boulder Family Counseling in 2008, Susan counseled at-risk teens and adults at Catholic Charities Home-Based and Outpatient Counseling Departments. Susan interned at Excelsior Youth Center in Aurora, Colorado, counseling adolescent girls in crisis intervention and stabilization programs. Susan holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Human Development from the University of Kansas. She studied Dr. Bruce Perry’s PhD. Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Dr. Sue Johnson and Les Greenber. Susan specializes in adolescent issues, relationship issues (including communication and family conflict), anxiety, depression, suicidology, and bipolar disorder. Susan helps people create more meaningful connections in an often disconnected world. Learn more at SusanCaso.com.
MEET SUSAN CASO, MA, LPC
When I was fourteen, my parents and I found ourselves at odds. We were trapped in a power struggle with no one winning, headed for disaster. My parents’ attempt to gain control blew up in our faces, creating more pain and frustration. As the rules and boundaries increased, so did my rebellion — making life miserable for all of us.
Thankfully, my mom had the insight to contact a family counselor and seek help. At first, I was skeptical and even rebellious. But once we met the therapist, I was pleasantly surprised. I remember thinking, “Wow, this could really work.” For the first time I felt someone heard me, understood my feelings, and let me have a voice.
This experience changed my life. It helped to resolve the power struggles with my parents, helped me through my teenage years and gave me life skills to become who I am today.
It was such a powerful experience for me that I knew this was my life’s work – providing a safe space where others could be vulnerable and heard in working through difficult times. My personal experience, education and training has helped me become a counselor who values relationships. I now see how the connections between family members and other significant people in our lives contributes to our functioning, day to day.
About Me
I have two passions in life, my family and my work. Both bring me great joy. For me, life is all about connecting with others. My work allows me to interact in a compassionate and caring way with individuals, couples, and families in need of support. And, in my family, connection is number one. I treasure the relationships that connect us as a whole unit and individually.
To find a balance between the two, I have created a “formula” that allows me to be mom, wife, friend, counselor, and Susan in the midst of the day – no matter the stress or frustration. My formula includes time for work, family, physical activity and continued learning.
This helps me be the best me. Because of the balance and success I have personally experienced from my “formula,” I include this in my work with clients. I help them create their “formula” for a balanced life.
BIO
Susan Caso, MA, LPC, serves as a consultant and community leader in the area of suicide prevention. Susan imagines new tools, models, and resources to create open-hearted conversations. She works with individuals, families, and teams to eliminate the stigma of mental health issues and address the often taboo topic of suicide.
As a Strategic and Technical Advisor for MY SISTER LIV, Susan helped shape a safe, supportive narrative in the film. She also helped facilitate hundreds of panel discussions at film screenings. As a Consultant for THE GAME THAT GOES THERE, she advised on psychological safety during game development.
Susan has provided psychotherapy to adolescents, college students, adults and families for nearly two decades. She’s been a clinician in private practice in Colorado for 20 years. She counsels clients with acute and chronic mental illnesses, earning a reputation for success in helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and unresolved issues affecting day-to-day lives.
Before opening Boulder Family Counseling in 2008, Susan provided family and individual counseling through Catholic Charities Outpatient Counseling Department, counseling at-risk teens and adults.
Susan earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado. She holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Human Development from the University of Kansas. Susan studied the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics working with Dr. Bruce Perry, Ph.D. and Brainspotting, Phase I and II, with Dr. David Grand, Ph.D. She trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based model for couples developed by Dr. Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg. A lifelong learner, Susan continues to study mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, adolescent issues, crisis management (ASSIST certified), suicidology, personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Susan is Mental Health Director and a Board Member of The LIV Project (TPL), a creative collective aimed at turning the tide of youth suicide. She is a former Board Member and provider for Rise Against Suicide.
Susan is dedicated to creating awareness on the topic of mental health and educating families to create an environment that fosters emotional connection.
Caso, Susan THE PARENT-TEEN CONNECTION Radius Book Group (NonFiction Nonfiction) $28.99 10, 22 ISBN: 9781635769364
Raising teens can be tough, but counselor Caso's practical guide aims to help.
The author, a family counselor with 20 years of experience, offers a helpful manual to help parents, stepparents, and other caregivers forge stronger bonds with teenage kids. She draws on illustrative stories from her practice and from her own life as a parent to explore the changes that emerge in adolescence: "Many teens who come to my office tell me, 'We don't talk about how we feel at home. I would like to feel closer to both of my parents,'" she reveals. The book also addresses LGBTQ+ issues, communication styles, common barriers to a feeling of belonging, and how to break cycles of negative interaction: "Often parents come into family therapy to discuss rules and what a teen isn't doing well," Caso writes. "Teens come to therapy wanting to discuss the relationship. I see this dichotomy over and over again in sessions." If caregivers work to listen without judgment and empathize, this book asserts, they can foster closeness, trust, and transparency. Ideally, teens will feel safe sharing their emotions and learn lessons they can carry into future relationships. Caso notes that it's up to adults to lead the way with conscious, continual effort, but that it's well worth it. The book packs a lot of material into fewer than 200 pages; as a result, it can feel disjointed at times, with some passages, such as the one addressing gender expression, only skimming the surface of its topic. That said, the guide provides readers with concrete steps to take, backed by solid, cited research, and it does so in a conversational manner that's consistently positive and uplifting. Readers will be encouraged by the insightful questions that close each chapter, which are designed to help readers implement the lessons. However, the author might have considered using boxes and bullet points to break up the text, as solid, unbroken walls of words can be intimidating in a self-help format.
A wide-ranging guide to understanding and cultivating better relationships with teenagers.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Caso, Susan: THE PARENT-TEEN CONNECTION." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A813883562/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3d41a1a5. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships, Radius Book Group, Caso, Susan, 28.99 (240p), 1635769361
Genre: Nonfiction/Health, Diet, Parenting, Home, Crafts & Gardening
Therapist Caso debuts with this refreshing guide on helping parents build healthy connections with their teenage children, drawn from her experiences with former clients alongside proven research. Embracing the art of communication throughout, a skill that she considers crucial to avoid teenagers "sitting in tough feelings alone, which can be hard, confusing, and sometimes scary," she outlines several easy-to-follow strategies to help parents create a safe, comforting environment where being open, transparent, and vulnerable is key. "Teens are looking for a meaningful relationship with their parents," Caso encourages, entreating families to routinely touch base on "how connection is feeling," rather than waiting until a disagreement arises to share their feelings.
Caso starts by exploring the role attachment styles play in the way parents interact with their teens, urging adult readers to self-reflect unsparingly to understand how the past may be influencing the present. From identifying anger and what lies beneath it to creating family traditions that build trust, Caso outlines actionable steps parents, and their teens, will welcome--such as giving each other the benefit of the doubt, paying attention to bodily sensations that accompany emotions, and interrupting negative thought patterns. Caso also addresses the fraught nature of today's world for teenagers, where advancements in technology and social media expose them to more bullying and peer pressure than ever before, highlighting the need for teens to feel both comfortable and confident in coming to their parents for help.
Perhaps most helpful is the myriad of real-life examples Caso provides, arming parents with a wealth of information to build a foundational level of trust in their parent/teen relationships. "Mistakes will happen," she reassures readers, but "by making small efforts to evolve and change, you will… facilitate your relationship to evolve with your teen's changing needs." She closes with a nod to self-care, reminding parents that striking a balance between solitude and connection is key.
Takeaway: Refreshing advice on creating meaningful connections, for parents of teenagers.
Comparable Titles: Mark Wolynn's It Didn't Start With You, Frances E. Jensen's The Teenage Brain.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships." BookLife Reviews, vol. 8, no. 35, 16 Sept. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808483362/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0fbba9de. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Caso, Susan THE PARENT-TEEN CONNECTION Radius Book Group (NonFiction Nonfiction) $28.99 10, 22 ISBN: 9781635769364
Raising teens can be tough, but counselor Caso's practical guide aims to help.
The author, a family counselor with 20 years of experience, offers a helpful manual to help parents, stepparents, and other caregivers forge stronger bonds with teenage kids. She draws on illustrative stories from her practice and from her own life as a parent to explore the changes that emerge in adolescence: "Many teens who come to my office tell me, 'We don't talk about how we feel at home. I would like to feel closer to both of my parents,'" she reveals. The book also addresses LGBTQ+ issues, communication styles, common barriers to a feeling of belonging, and how to break cycles of negative interaction: "Often parents come into family therapy to discuss rules and what a teen isn't doing well," Caso writes. "Teens come to therapy wanting to discuss the relationship. I see this dichotomy over and over again in sessions." If caregivers work to listen without judgment and empathize, this book asserts, they can foster closeness, trust, and transparency. Ideally, teens will feel safe sharing their emotions and learn lessons they can carry into future relationships. Caso notes that it's up to adults to lead the way with conscious, continual effort, but that it's well worth it. The book packs a lot of material into fewer than 200 pages; as a result, it can feel disjointed at times, with some passages, such as the one addressing gender expression, only skimming the surface of its topic. That said, the guide provides readers with concrete steps to take, backed by solid, cited research, and it does so in a conversational manner that's consistently positive and uplifting. Readers will be encouraged by the insightful questions that close each chapter, which are designed to help readers implement the lessons. However, the author might have considered using boxes and bullet points to break up the text, as solid, unbroken walls of words can be intimidating in a self-help format.
A wide-ranging guide to understanding and cultivating better relationships with teenagers.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Caso, Susan: THE PARENT-TEEN CONNECTION." Kirkus Reviews, 3 Sept. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808343829/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f6fd6ca3. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.