Episode #77
Episode 77 - How to Become a Trusted Source for Your Child with Dr Russell Woodhead
What's just one thing you can do when you feel like you just can't get through to your child? Dr Russell Woodhead is a clinical psychologist whose therapeutic work is built around exactly this problem: how to reach young people who don't want to be reached. In this episode, he introduces the concept of epistemic trust, our built-in filter for deciding whose knowledge and guidance we're willing to take on board, and explains why this can be hardest to earn in the teenage years, though the same trust has to be built at every age. Russell walks through why rushing in to fix things or offer advice too soon can actually close a child off further, and what to do instead: getting curious about the facts of their world before their feelings, resisting the urge to jump to your own perspective, and showing your child that you genuinely understand how things look from where they're standing. It's an idea that many parents will recognise straightaway, with real, practical steps attached. You can find more from Dr Russell here: https://www.drrussellwoodhead.co.uk/
