Helping Latter-day Youth Transition to Adulthood | An Interview with Mark McConville

Dr. Mark McConville is a Clinical Psychologist licensed by the
State of Ohio with over 30 years of professional experience in
adult, adolescent, emerging adult, and family psychology. Mark
serves as a senior faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of
Cleveland (GIC), a world renowned post-graduate training source for
consulting and counseling professionals, and currently chairs GIC’s
Advanced Training Program for Working With Children and
Adolescents. Mark is the author of Failure to Launch: Why Your
Twentysomething Hasn't Grown Up...and What to Do About It, a guide
for parents of the 2.2 million young adults in America who are
struggling to find their way in the world. Highlights 02:30
Introduction to Mark and his background 09:15 The demands on youth
today as they enter into adulthood are much greater. Parents and
grandparents shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that it's as
easy as going out and getting a job. 11:20 Kurt and Mark discuss
young missionaries and if it’s a good idea to send them on missions
at such a young age. 16:45 Kids growing up right now have the most
supportive generation of parents in history. This is a huge plus
but also has it’s negative aspects. 21:30 Kurt asks Mark if there
are any ways that we can better prepare our missionaries. 25:00 The
presence or absence of community is one the the critical variables
in predicting success of starting a new phase in life. Such as,
moving and starting a new job or leaving on a mission. 26:45 Mark
talks about the developmental stages of being a parent and tips for
parents at each stage. He gives his 3 primary ways that parents
influence their children. Supervision Negotiating Consulting 34:40
How can we help youth reach out to other adults rather than their
parents? 47:30 Mark’s tips for setting goals with youth. He
suggests setting goals that are in the near future. 51:00 The
importance of giving your kids responsibility 59:50 The concept of
shame. Shame is one of the most toxic emotions. 1:03:00 The first
thing a leader should do is de-shame the situation. Neutralize the
shame and then go into how to fix the problem. 1:05:45 How parents
can deal with older children in their twenties that are living at
home and not progressing in life. 1:09:20 Mark’s final
encouragement to youth leaders Links Failure to Launch: Why Your
Twentysomething Hasn't Grown Up...and What to Do About It Read the
TRANSCRIPT of this podcast