Overpowering Emotions: Tools for Child & Teen Anxiety and Resilience
Practical, science-based strategies to help kids and teens manage anxiety, navigate big feelings, and build resilience. Overpowering Emotions is the #1 resource for adults who want to confidently support children and teens through emotional challenges. Children and teens today are struggling with more anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional intensity than ever before—and adults are desperate for tools that actually work. This podcast is here to change that. Dr. Caroline gives you the knowledge and tools you need to support children and teens through anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and everyday challenges. Whether you’re a parent, educator, clinician, or caregiver, you’ll learn exactly what to do (and what not to do) right away to help young people feel calmer, braver, and more capable. Each episode delivers: • Clear, practical steps you can use immediately • Expert interviews with leading psychologists and researchers • Real-life examples that make complex concepts easy to understand • Tools for emotional regulation, anxiety mastery, confidence-building, and resilience • Effective approaches for home, school, and clinical settings If you’ve ever wished for a trusted guide to help you navigate child and teen anxiety, emotional outbursts, and overwhelming emotions, you’ve just found it. Subscribe now and join the movement to help the next generation thrive. About Dr. Caroline Buzanko Dr. Caroline is a psychologist, researcher, speaker, and internationally recognized expert in child and teen anxiety. With more than 25 years of experience supporting children, teens, and families, she is known for her ability to translate cutting-edge research into practical, compassionate strategies that make a meaningful impact. In 2024, Dr. Caroline was honoured as Alberta’s Psychologist of the Year, a recognition that reflects her significant contributions to advancing child and youth mental health practices. Often called the “Yoda of anxiety,” she blends scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and real-world tools to help young people build confidence, emotional regulation, and lifelong resilience.
Show episodes
Kids say “I feel bad” all the time. But what does that actually mean for their brain and their behaviour? In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline breaks down how the brain builds emotions and why teaching kids to move from “I feel bad” to “I feel overwhelmed / uncertain / left out” is a game-changer fo
This week, Dr. Caroline unpacks one of the most misunderstood parts of emotion regulation: Why avoidance keeps anxiety alive and how real-world experience rewires the emotional brain. She explains how children’s brains constantly make predictions about safety, danger, and comfort and how avoidance traps them in cycle
How do kids learn to think about their emotions instead of being swept away by them? In this episode, Dr. Caroline breaks down strategic emotion management, helping children and teens build emotional metacognition, the ability to reflect on and make sense of what they feel. You’ll learn how to guide kids to pause, ques
What does mental wellness really mean, and how do we teach it to kids and teens when the adults around them are stretched thin? In this episode, Dr. Caroline sits down with licensed clinical social worker MJ Murray Vachon, who brings nearly 40 years of experience working with adolescents, families, and midlife adults.
Kids don’t just feel emotions—they also create stories about what those emotions mean. In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline focuses on cognitive appraisal and emotional metacognition. You’ll learn how children interpret events, how automatic “henchmen thoughts” fuel anxiety and meltdowns, and why teac
Kids don’t always slam doors or shout when emotions overwhelm them. Sometimes the signs are quieter—flat energy, withdrawal, or a heavy sadness that feels impossible to shift. In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline explores the “low-energy” emotions that often get misunderstood: loneliness, sadness, dis
