06/18/2026
Part 2 of the Nitty Gritty:
I’m anti-gatekeeping.
I’m building a table everyone can be at. Whether you’ve been working with teens for thirty years or are an intern, your voice, your perspective, your lens could be SO VALUABLE. I’m not counting anyone out—because everyone is in.
Last year while I was deeply contemplating all of this, a good friend and colleague of mine stopped me in my tracks when we were discussing our fears of being seen and being visible.
I told her I was scared my idea wouldn’t land or that someone else would steal it. And the rationale made sense in my head—but she immediately corrected me and said, “No one will do it like you.”
No one does therapy like me (or like you!)
No one does trainings like me (or like you!)
No one builds ecosystems or creates things or sees it just as you do—which is why being anti-gatekeeping is so important.
I want to be your biggest fan in practice, in teaching, in whatever you’re building. Wanna collab? I’m all ears.
You don’t have to be a big name, or have a big practice, or be known. If you are, that’s great! But if you’re not—there’s space for you here.
In chatting with Lane Balaban, I told her that we are only as strong as our weakest link. (Please tell me you remember the show IYKYK). And to me that just lights a fire deeper than anything else—if we are all well trained, teen focused, incorporating families, and doing the stuff because we love it—how much better of a foundation will all of those teens have?
If we are a united front, strong in skill and community—how much better will the next set of young adults be?
This also brought up standards of care and some other things like collaboration—but ultimately—you are here because you belong here and I’m overjoyed that you’re at the table.
It’s because of stuff like that idea that I’m creating MORE.
Launching October: Standards of Teen Care. More on this later.
Launching December: Vicariously Teen—When “you don’t work with teens means you vicariously do”. Focused on supporting people that have non-direct contact with a teen but are likely providing treatment to the mom, the teacher, the coach.
Because if we aren’t leading the cause, what are we doing?
