Failure to Launch: How to Help Your Young Adult Move Forward, with Colin and Hayley from Not Therapy

Send us a message Episode 234: Failure to Launch: How to Help Your Young Adult Move Forward, with Colin and Hayley from Not Therapy If your adult child is living at home, struggling to find motivation, avoiding work or school, or seems stuck while everyone around them is moving forward, you may be wondering what to do next. Do you push harder? Set firmer boundaries? Stop helping? Are you supporting your young adult, or are you accidentally enabling them? In this episode, I talk with Colin MacDonald and Hayley Caddes from Not Therapy about what may be happening inside the mind of a young adult who is struggling with “failure to launch,” and what parents can do to help without taking over. Colin and Hayley both bring lived experience to this conversation, and their work focuses on helping teens and young adults build confidence, motivation, structure, executive functioning skills, and independence. We also talk about the important role parents play in the family system and why changing the way you respond can sometimes create movement even before your adult child is ready to change. You’ll learn: Why “failure to launch” may be better understood as delayed independence, and why your young adult may be making progress even if they are still living at home. What may be happening emotionally when an adult child appears lazy, unmotivated, withdrawn, defensive, or resistant to help. How to tell the difference between supporting your adult child and enabling them, especially when it comes to money, housing, transportation, chores, and daily responsibilities. Why small wins, structure, discipline, and follow-through can help a young adult build self-confidence and move toward independence. How ADHD, autism, executive functioning challenges, and other forms of neurodivergence can affect a young adult’s path to adulthood, and why that path may look different from the one you expected. We also talk about why pressure can sometimes make a struggling young adult shut down, why parents may need to reduce the things they are doing for their adult child, and how to set boundaries you are actually prepared to follow through on. Most importantly, this conversation offers parents a different way to think about a young adult who seems stuck. The goal is not to force your adult child into adulthood on your timeline. It is to help create the conditions where they can begin taking responsibility, building confidence, and moving toward a life that feels like their own. Contact Hayley and Colin:  Website: nottherapy.me Email: [email protected] ; [email protected]  Instagram: @nottherapycoaching  Free Parent Facebook Group: Not Therapy for Parents Click Here to download the free guide: 5 Steps to Take Before Trying to Repair the Relationship with Your Adult Child  Tina Gosney is a Family Conflict Coach and parent educator. She works with parents of adult children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. If your emotions are running the show and you need help stopping the spiral so that you can think clearly, calm your body, and respond from a steadier place, consider joining Reset to Connection. To see if this is a good fit for you: CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE 2. If you're ready to dive deeper and want community support along with private coaching, join Bridge to Connection. Set up a Connection Clarity Call with Tina to see if this is a good fit for you: CLICK HERE TO SET UP A CALL 3. To explore your private coaching options, let's talk: CLICK HERE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Tina is certified in family relationships and a trauma-informed coach.  Visit tinagosney.com for more information on coaching services.