Sophia Vale Galano, LCSW, is a licensed therapist and author of the forthcoming book Calming Teenage Anxiety (Hatherleigh Press; distributed by Penguin Random House) which provides practical strategies for parents, educators, and teens. Her insights are grounded in clinical experience and a deep understanding of the emotional landscape young people face today.
The need for expert voices like Sophia’s has never been greater:
• In 2023, over 40% of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
• Emergency room visits for self-harm and suicide ideation among youth aged 12–17 have nearly doubled over the past decade
• Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., with over 49,000 deaths in 2023—one every 11 minutes
I had a chance to interview her to learn more.
What inspired you to write Calming Teenage Anxiety, and what do you hope parents will take away from this book?
I was inspired to write Calming Teenage Anxiety after providing a parent education lecture on teenage anxiety. I was taken aback by the amount of parents seeking support and guidance for their teens. These parents were yearning for tools on how to help their teen; what to say, what not to say, what to do and what not to do. My hope is for the book to provide parents with practical and approachable skills they can begin using immediately.
Why do you think a resource like this is so critical for parents in today's world?
Life for a teenager today looks greatly different than the adolescence of many parents of today’s teens. Not only is there more academic and collegiate stress, but there is also technology and social media. It is essential for parents to understand how different life is for teenagers today, and thus how to better support teens navigating today’s world.
Why is it so important for parents to also focus on their own well-being and resilience when helping their anxious teens?
I’m so glad you included this question. Not only is it important for parents to take care of themselves for themselves, but also for their teen. This allows parents the time, space and patience to show up and support their teen. The parent can thus also, “lead by example” and model healthy practices for their teen. If the teen sees their parent practicing self-care and prioritizing their own well-being, the teen learns they can do the same. Additionally, this is a supportive and helpful way for parents to support an anxious teen without any collaboration or participation from the teen themself.
What special considerations might families with neurodivergent teens have when considering teenage anxiety?
Some special considerations can include being mindful, patient and understanding that support for a neurodivergent teen might appear different than expected. Support for a neurodivergent teen might include more than just traditional psychotherapy or once-a-week counseling. It is helpful for these parents to maintain openness and understanding if their teen benefits from additional support, or collaboration with more than one provider (i.e. an educational therapist and a psychotherapist).
From the Therapy Room to the Classroom: Why Teen Anxiety and Suicide Demand Our Immediate Attention
By Sophia Vale Galano, LCSW
Every September, Suicide Prevention Month reminds us of the lives lost and the lives still at risk. For those of us who sit across from teens in therapy rooms, this crisis isn’t seasonal—it’s daily, urgent, and heartbreakingly real.
In 2023, more than 40% of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Emergency rooms are seeing nearly double the number of visits for self-harm and suicide ideation among youth aged 12–17 compared to a decade ago. Suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death in our country, claiming a life every 11 minutes.
These are not just statistics. They are the stories I hear weekly from teens who feel overwhelmed, unseen, and unsure of how to cope. They are the parents who call me in tears, desperate to understand what’s happening inside their child’s mind. They are the educators who see the signs but feel unequipped to respond.
That’s why I wrote Calming Teenage Anxiety—to offer practical, compassionate strategies for families and schools navigating this emotional terrain. Anxiety and suicidal ideation are often deeply intertwined. When a teen feels chronically anxious, hopelessness can creep in. When they feel hopeless, the risk of suicidal thoughts can increase.
We need to stop treating these issues as isolated or inevitable. Anxiety is not a teenage rite of passage. It’s a signal. And suicide is not a mystery—it’s often the tragic result of untreated emotional pain.
So what can we do?
We can start by listening. Listen without judgment or quick fixes, but with presence. We can create environments—at home and in school—where teens feel safe expressing vulnerability. We can teach emotional regulation as intentionally as we teach algebra. We can model calm, even when we feel overwhelmed ourselves.
Moreover, we can seek help early. Therapy isn’t just for crisis—it’s for prevention, for skill-building, for connection.
Suicide Prevention Month is a powerful reminder. The real work happens in the quiet moments: the car rides, the dinner tables, the late-night check-ins. It happens when we choose to show up, again and again, for the teens in our lives.
These teens are not just our future. They’re our present. And they need us now.
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