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As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), I see teens in my office every week struggling with depression, anxiety and stress. When we talk about what they can do to feel better, they instantly state the “what-no-to-dos”: Don’t do drugs, don’t drink, don’t have unprotected sex, don’t bully, don’t fight, don’t get bad grades and don’t make unhealthy choices.

But almost none can tell me what to do when their chest tightens during an exam they’ve been anxious about, when they can’t sleep because their thoughts won’t slow down, or when emotions feel overwhelming and unfamiliar, making it impossible to relax.

Yet when I talk with them, they want skills. They are desperate for relief, and most of the options they can think of revolv

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