From Fear to Fun: How to support teenagers

This episode explores how to connect with teenagers — a group who are neither children nor adults, and who require a completely different approach in the consultation room. Their brains are rewiring, their emotions feel overwhelming, and their deepest need is to appear independent and in control.We cover:Why teenagers experience internal instability and protect themselves by acting “cool”How their craving for independence makes needing a doctor feel like an insultWhy suppressing emotions is their default coping strategyHow to break the ice using humour, honesty, and the “Just be Odd” greetingWhy undermining your own authority helps them relaxHow a painted facemask (or any playful oddness) can open the door to connectionHow to use the first smile — or the absence of one — to build rapportHow to apply the SCARF model (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness) specifically for teenagersWhy giving them the upper hand stabilises their self‑image and increases cooperationKey takeaway:Teenagers need connection, autonomy, and dignity. When we meet them with humour, honesty, and the SCARF approach, their defensiveness softens — and the consultation shifts from tension to trust, from fear to fun.