Dr. Willough Jenkins offers guidance on connecting with teenage girls

Dr. Willough Jenkins, a mental health expert, has provided guidance on understanding the behaviors of teenage girls to help parents and caregivers build stronger connections. She notes that many adults misinterpret typical adolescent behaviors—such as mood swings, silence, or withdrawal—as serious problems, when they are often signs of a normally functioning brain at that developmental stage.

Jenkins explains that teenage emotions are intense because the brain systems responsible for regulating them have not yet reached full maturity. She also highlights that when a teenager responds with a distant ‘everything is fine,’ it is often a test of whether they feel safe enough to share the truth.

Furthermore, Jenkins emphasizes that social pain, including peer rejection or exclusion, should not be dismissed as mere ‘drama.’ Citing research from the University of California, Los Angeles, she notes that social exclusion activates the same regions of the brain as physical pain, and high sensitivity to rejection can be a precursor to depressive symptoms.