A Toolkit for the Moments That Feel Hardest

When your teen shuts down, it can leave you feeling unsure of what to say or how to reconnect.

5 Scripts to Use When Your Teen Shuts Down is a warm, evidence-based communication toolkit that guides you through those challenging moments with empathy, clarity, and skill.

Created by Danah Williams, LMFT, this foundational toolkit blends clinical insight with real-world language to help you communicate in ways that lower defensiveness, strengthen trust, and open the door to meaningful conversation.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

✔ Five Therapeutic Scripts

Attachment- and DBT-informed prompts for the moments your teen needs emotional safety, validation, and gentle guidance.

✔ Psychoeducation: Why Teens Shut Down

Understand the emotional and neurological patterns behind withdrawal.

✔ Why These Scripts Work

A simple, accessible explanation of the therapeutic principles that make these tools effective.

✔ Timing & Nervous System Cues

Learn when to speak, when to pause, and how to match your approach to your teen’s emotional capacity.

✔ Reflection Pages for Parents

Guided prompts that deepen self-awareness, compassion, and communication clarity.

✔ Repair vs. Rehash Guide

How to reconnect after conflict without slipping into unproductive loops.

✔ Welcome Letter & Closing Note

Begin with intention. End feeling confident and supported.

WHO THIS TOOLKIT IS FOR

Parents who want to…

• Support teens who withdraw, shut down, or go quiet

• Communicate without pressure or escalation

• Strengthen emotional safety at home

• Understand what’s happening beneath the shutdown

• Build calmer, more connected conversations

This toolkit provides a structure for connection — even when words are hard to find.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danah Williams, M.A., LMFT

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

President & CEO, California Mental Health & Family Therapy Group

Danah brings over two decades of experience supporting teens and families through emotional shutdowns, anxiety, communication challenges, and relational ruptures. Her work is grounded in DBT, attachment science, nervous system education, and deep compassion.

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