
The Happy Home Podcast with Arlene Pellicane
Arlene PellicaneA Mother-Son Guide to Overcoming Teen Anxiety - Amber and Ollie Lia
January 12, 2026 ● 34 minShare this episode
Host Arlene Pellicane welcomes back bestselling author Amber Lia alongside her teenage son Ollie for an inspiring conversation about their new devotional, You Are Seen: 90 Devotions to Encourage Stressed Teens.
Ollie opens up about his freshman-year battles with depression, anxiety, and perfectionism after a major life transition, offering a real-life view of what your kids may be going through. Together with Amber, they reveal faith-centered strategies—like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, box breathing, scripture memorization, and surrendering to God's plan—that helped him find peace and purpose. From miraculous physical healing (Ollie's torn rotator cuff) to building family support systems involving dads and siblings, this duo offers hope and actionable advice for parents and teens navigating mental health struggles --all in this episode.
05:09 | Ollie's Story: Freshman-Year Struggles with Anxiety, Depression, and Transition
07:58 | Amber's View: Spotting Anxiety in Teens and Starting Empathetic Conversations
10:42 | The Turning Point: Counseling, Spilling It All, and Building Trust
12:10 | Practical Tool: The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique to Stop the Anxiety Spiral
15:08 | Solo Strategies for School: Box Breathing, Prayer, and Sensory Grounding
19:45 | Real-Life Wins: Texting Mom for Support and Mapping the Day
20:16 | Tackling Perfectionism: Why Teens Compare and How Faith Shifts the Mindset
24:37 | Testimony of Healing: Ollie's Miraculous Rotator Cuff Recovery
27:46 | Dad's Role: Building Bonds, Mentoring, and Asking "What's Going On?"
30:43 | Sibling Support and Navigating Quality Time for All Kids
Connect with Ollie on Instagram @walkin.with.ollie.
Connect with Amber on Instagram @therealamberlia and on amberlia.com.
Pick up a copy of their new devotional, You Are Seen.
More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:
SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get access to 12 free resources to help you as a parent.
Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.
Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel
Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook
How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com
Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE).
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for God to Strengthen Mothers Who Feel Worn Out - Your Daily Prayer - May 9
In troubling times, we can draw near to God and find comfort in His arms. Our heavenly Father is compassionate and understands sorrow, grief, anguish, and even regret when it comes to loving and caring deeply.
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