When Worry Works

Dana Dorfman's When Worry Works nails the today's parenting zeitgeist perfectly! It is the perfect guide for parents of teens in these challenging times. Dorfman's humor and honesty about her own parenting pitfalls make this book relatable, comforting, and nonjudgmental. She also offers a clear roadmap for parents to understand their own anxieties so they can be solid, loving guides to their teens.--Lisa Spiegel, MA, LMHC, Director of Soho Parenting Center, Author of A Mother's Circle and Internal Family Systems with Children Out of all of the stages of childhood, the teen years are notoriously the most difficult for parents to navigate. Teens continue to need our guidance, support and involvement and yet are also working hard to separate from us, to develop their own set of beliefs and ideas and to make their own decisions. And so, there is a delicate balance parents need to strike during this tumultuous time. When Worry Works is a must read for any parent struggling with this complicated combination of opposing needs. Dorfman's wise, reassuring, and practical advice will automatically turn the heat down on these family struggles. She quickly identifies herself as a fellow worrier with teens and so approaches her topic from a place of kindness, knowledge, and identification. She advocates for our children while somehow never judging or criticizing parents. Using compelling vignettes from her own clients she identifies eight different brands of parental anxiety and then guides readers to recognize their own style and then understand the origins of the worry so that they can ward off unhelpful reactions. Hearing Dr. Dorfman gently yet expertly delve into and help parents sort out their worries will make the reader yearn to have Dorfman as you own family guru. Reading her book is second best to that.--Jean Kunhardt, Director of Soho Parenting