Introducing Rick Zapf, MS

Rick Zapf is an author, speaker, father, family therapist, and Teen Communication Consultant in Boerne, Texas. Rick has worked with teenagers and their families over the past decade helping parents and teenagers effectively navigate the teenage years. In 2009, Rick released “How to Get Your Teen to Listen: A Guidebook to Effective Communication and Parenting” and “How 2 Talk 2 Teens: A Workbook to Successful Communication” (2nd edition) to help parents better understand and communicate with their teenagers. Rick’s diverse background, use of technology, unique humor, and love of social networking gives him the chance to connect with teenagers on their level. Rick presents himself in an open and honest way that teenagers respond and truly listen to.

Teenagers need the continued support of parents and adults to help them during this awkward stage. Rick has encouraged parents to step-up to parenting their teenager. “When your teenager was an infant, you had to carry around a diaper bag to be ready for their needs. As they grew you thought they needed you less – THEY NEED MORE! Parenting a teen doesn’t have to be difficult!”. Instantly, I knew Rick was the right guy to cover this topic for StopStressingNow.Com.  So it’s with great pleasure that I introduce to you our newest guest blogger… Mr. Rick Zapf, MS.

What is it that you do Rick?

When I used to meet people in social settings almost ten years ago, people asked, “So, what do you do for a living?” Now of course I could have been humorous, but instead I looked them in the eyes and said, “I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist.” People responded the same, “Oh, I bet that is interesting.” But by the end of the night, I’d just be talking to my wife as I was avoided by the group. Was I really psychoanalyzing everybody I met? Could I know their secrets? It would have been a lot easier and less painful to say, “I’m in security and I can’t talk about it.”

Now, after a decade of working with families with teenagers, I have a quite different response and reaction from those I meet and talk with each day. Now, when someone asks, “So what do you do for a living?” I usually follow the question up with a newer question from me. “Would you relive your teenage years today?”

The resounding response is NO followed by a questioning look. “I’m a Teen Communication Consultant and author that helps parents and teenagers effectively navigate the teenage years with improved communication and parenting skills.” Most people smirk and now respond with “You must be busy.”

But over the last decade, I have been finding what makes teens tick and why parents are so afraid of these teenage years. I have had them in my office, via text, email, social media, and even video chat. I have used counseling techniques, worksheets, games, education, and much more to help both sides in these family wars. All because adolescence is thought to be difficult.
I’ve helped parents understand the facts of their teenagers and dispel the myths that were thought were truths. I’ve helped teens understand themselves, their friends, and their family better. All in an effort to decrease hostility, disagreements, fights, arguments, issues, problems, or whatever you want to call it.

The truth is both parents and teenagers need help! Over the last five years I have been developing resources for parents and teenagers. Just a few months ago, I released my book, “How to Get Your Teen to Listen: A Guidebook to Effective Communication and Parenting.”The early reviews have been astounding. I even developed a companion workbook, “How 2 Talk 2 Teens: A Workbook to Successful Communication” now in its 2nd edition. I’ve asked fathers especially to use the page “Teen Favorites” from the workbook to give fathers easier opportunities to communicate with their teenage daughters and sons. I have a bi-weekly blog and will be guest blogging here at StopStressingNow.com over the next year. I’ve also been writing articles for other media resources, talking on radio shows, and doing whatever I can to help parents and teenagers today. So what are your questions you might have? I would love to hear back from the many readers to help answer your questions on parenting teens.

Parenting a teenager doesn’t have to be difficult — tiresome yes, troublesome at time, but not difficult. If you change and use the resources available to you – parenting a teenager doesn’t have to be difficult.

Rick Zapf, MS
Author, Family Therapist & Teen Communication Consultantsm
www.Z1Publications.com