The Parent Pivot
What to Do When Your Young Adult Is in Psychological Distress
By Lynne Carroll, PhD, ABPP, Paula J. Gilroy, EdD, and Mikal Crawford, EdD
As a parent you have endured many ups and downs with your child as they make their way toward adulthood. You learned to adapt as the needs of your child changed. And you thought you were done! When they turn 18 your child legally moves to the driver’s seat of their own life leaving you in the passenger seat or maybe on the curb! The adult world they are entering is often characterized as chaotic and full of uncertainty. Psychologists agree that the years between 18 and 29, termed emerging adulthood, represent a period of vulnerability for many young adults. While some move through these years with relative ease, others do not. Many young adults experience varying degrees of psychological distress, and some develop more serious mental health issues. Unfortunately, a sizable number of today's young adults turn to unhealthy coping strategies including substance misuse, unhealthy eating, Internet misuse, and other risky and impulsive behaviors. As these young adults try to find solid ground, you as the parent are often overwhelmed. You find yourself searching for a path forward as you struggle to meet many new challenges.
In our book, The Parent Pivot, we help you find answers to some frequently asked questions: is this behavior typical of young adults? And when should I worry? We offer information and tools to guide you in recognizing warning signs and “red flags” which indicate your young adult may be sliding down a slippery slope. We discuss unhealthy coping strategies, and mental health issues and disorders common to this age group. We present options for professional help and treatment approaches. We also provide invaluable guidance for effective communication, setting healthy boundaries, managing family dysfunction, practicing your own self-care, mourning losses and developing compassion for yourself and for your young adult. The book describes the complex emotional relationship between young adults and their parents and provides hope for struggling families.
The Parent Pivot offers essential information and practical advice to assist you with your own emotional distress as you navigate the difficult challenges with your young adult. We offer a new model of parenting that focuses on teaching you to pivot between 4 roles as your young adult confronts the tasks of adulthood. Using a “parenting pivot wheel” we show how you can shift between the various roles and move in a new direction as the circumstances change.
Where to get your copy
Amazon Review - Dr. T5 of 5 stars Excellent tool for parents
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2025. amazon.com
Verified Purchase
I have my doctorate in school psychology and wish the Parent Pivot book was around when I was working in the schools. Numerous times I recall parents telling me about their young adult who is struggling with a mental health problem. Actually, we all know a parent who has a young adult hampered with depression, anxiety, and/or some other mental health concern(s). This book is a excellent resource for those parents and I will not hesitate to pass it along. These psychologists and experts in the field have tackled a difficult situation and provided parents with an excellent tool on how to navigate through these situations in a healthy way. Well done Ladies, thank you for such a rich resource.
NetGalley ReviewThis book came to me at the perfect time. My son is a month away from turning 18, and things are happening in our house—a lot! This book has given me tips to help with the challenges we face every day and the extra mental health issues we face. The book is a great guide for this pivotal point in parenting a new adult. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Lynne Carroll, PhD, ABPP
I am a retired professor, researcher and licensed psychologist. I was born in New England and attended graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh. During a career spanning over 30 years, I taught and mentored undergraduate and graduate students in counseling psychology at universities in Florida, Maryland, Illinois and Pennsylvania. I published widely in professional journals and presented my research at countless national and international conferences on such topics as the effect of pathological narcissism on social interaction and the impact of multifaceted identities on mental health. In 2010, I authored a counseling textbook, published by Pearson. As a licensed and board-certified counseling psychologist, I specialized in the treatment of depression and anxiety in young adults in a variety of settings including university counseling centers, community mental health agencies and in private practice. I now live in St. Petersburg, Florida with my partner and rescue dog, Lily. I enjoy retired life by continuing my pursuit of life-long learning, boating, painting and hiking trails in the mountains of North Carolina.
Paula J. Gilroy, EdD
I am a licensed psychologist retired from 30+ years of clinical practice at the University of Northern Iowa Counseling Center. I worked intensively with young adults who sought treatment for mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, family issues, LGBTQ questions/concerns, grief, and loss. As the Assistant Director for Training, I provided individual and group supervision for graduate students as well as faculty seeking licensure. I offered consultation services to parents concerned about their young adults. I co-authored a wide range of scholarly articles with particular interest in the impact of mood disorders on mental health providers and on their clinical work. I presented the research findings at national conferences. My hobbies include reading, music, caring for animals, and photography. I am the proud parent of an emerging adult and I live in Iowa with my husband and our menagerie of three dogs, five cats, and one rabbit.
Mikal Crawford, EdD
I am a licensed psychologist retired from more than 30 years of clinical work and teaching in graduate programs in counseling and psychology in Maryland and Maine. In addition, I co-authored several scholarly articles and made numerous presentations at regional, national and international conferences on many facets of self-care. While my clinical work primarily focused on young adults in university counseling centers, I also worked with their parents in summer orientation programs as they learned to pivot from the caretaker role when their young adults enter college. As the mother of two adult daughters, I understand firsthand many of the challenges and pivots facing parents of young adults. In retirement, I volunteer as part of a therapy dog team visiting schools, senior living facilities and memory care units with my rescue dog, Riley. I enjoy reading, writing, sailing, and traveling with my husband and Riley from our home base in mid-coast Maine. My favorite title by far these days is "grandma".
