If you’ve been wondering how to help your teen or young adult find their way in a world that feels increasingly overwhelming and uncertain, you’re not alone. Many parents are witnessing their teens struggle with motivation, confidence, and direction—and are searching for meaningful ways to guide them forward.
As someone who has spent years supporting teens and young adults through teaching, coaching, and rites of passage experiences as well as working closely with parents to help them build trust and communication with their tweens, and teens, I’ve seen firsthand the kinds of challenges our youth are up against. From anxiety and lack of purpose to fear of failure and social pressure, it’s a lot to navigate, but one thing I’ve learned again and again is that with the right tools and support, young people can grow into confident, purposeful, and resilient adults.
That’s why I’m passionate about providing tools that help young people build resilience and confidence while helping support parents on the journey as well.
In this post, I’ll walk you through five powerful ways you can learn how to help your teen or young adult find their way and develop a strong foundation for a meaningful life.
1. Help Them Cultivate a Positive and Solution-Focused Mindset
So many teens get stuck in negative thinking patterns, believing they’re not capable or that things will never change. But when we teach them to ask empowering questions like “What’s one small step I can take today?” or “What would this look like if it had a solution?”—we shift their mindset toward action and possibility. For example, let’s say your teen is stressed about failing a class. Instead of spiraling into “I’m never going to graduate,” you might ask, “What’s one thing you could do today to feel a little more on track?” That might lead to emailing a teacher, setting up a study group, or carving out time to review notes. These small, empowered choices can start to build their confidence and shift their mindset to possibility instead of pessimism.
In addition to becoming more solution focused, another simple yet super effective mindset practice they can engage with is gratitude. When young people take time to notice small wins, meaningful connections, or even just a beautiful sunset, they begin to rewire their brains for positivity. Whether it’s journaling three things they’re grateful for or sharing a positive moment from their day at dinner, this practice builds resilience and hope and gives them a stronger ability to manage the challenges that come their way because they’re no longer just noticing and talking about the hard things in their life. They’re also noticing the beauty, the joy, and the blessings, which makes facing hard moments when they do come so much easier.
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2. Teach Them to Focus on What They Can Control
Anxiety and stress often arise when teens feel powerless. One of the most impactful ways you can help is by teaching them to distinguish between what’s within their control and what’s not.
They may not be able to change the school system, the requirements for a class they’re in, or the negative opinions of a classmate, but they can influence their own habits, reactions, and choices.
Shifting their focus to their own thoughts, their own responses, and the things and people they allow into their life, will dramatically impact the way they feel about themselves and their experience. Instead of feeling like the victim of their circumstances, they’ll start to feel empowered and like they are the ones in control of their own reality, not outside forces beyond their control.
For instance, if your teen is worried about making the soccer team, instead of fixating on what the coach thinks, they can focus on showing up to practice, improving their skills, and getting good sleep the night before tryouts. These choices keep them grounded and empowered.
3. Help Them Understand the Power of Their Thoughts
Our thoughts shape our actions—and over time, our reality. When a teen believes they’re not smart enough, not good enough, or destined to fail, that belief influences every decision they make.
Helping them reframe negative thoughts into more empowering ones—like “I can do hard things” or “I know who I am, even if others don’t see it”—can transform their inner dialogue. Understanding the connection between beliefs and behavior is key in learning how to help teens and young adults find their way.
For example, a young adult might start a new job and immediately think, “I’m not cut out for this.” With support, they can learn to shift that to, “Everyone feels uncertain in a new job—I’ll learn as I go.” This change in thinking can help them stay engaged rather than quitting before they’ve even really started.
When young people start to build awareness around the thoughts they’re thinking, they can begin to catch the automatic, negative thoughts that aren’t serving them and reframe them to thoughts that will propel them forward and build their confidence.
4. Encourage Exploration of Passions and Interests
When teens and young adults engage in activities they love, it lights a spark. Whether it’s music, sports, art, volunteering, or something hands-on, passion often leads to purpose—and purpose gives them direction.
Encourage your teen to explore new interests without pressure to “figure it all out.” Instead, support their curiosity. Ask them what excites them, what feels fulfilling, or where they feel most like themselves. These questions open doors and help them begin to discover who they really are.
Maybe your teen has always been interested in video editing. You help them find a beginner’s course online, and soon they’re staying up late editing skate videos with friends. This doesn’t need to be a career path right now—but it’s lighting up a part of them that matters.
5. Connect Them to Rites of Passage Experiences
One essential but often missing component in our culture is a clear and intentional rite of passage into adulthood. Traditional societies had ceremonies and challenges that marked the transition from childhood to adulthood, and they were an integral component in helping young people take on and embody the new responsibilities and freedoms that came with their new role. These types of experiences foster confidence, resilience, and a deep internal shift that help them feel ready for the new phase of life they just entered.
This is a hugely missing piece in our modern day, western culture, and we see the repercussions of this play out time and time again. When young people don’t have a ceremonial marker of this transition, they will often find other, riskier ways to initiate themselves that don’t actually help them step into the emotional maturity, responsibility, or the sense of purpose that they’ll need in their new role as an adult.
I know the power of rites of passage experiences firsthand. When I was 19, I was going to college, partying, and working restaurant jobs, but deep down I felt completely lost and directionless. It wasn’t until I participated in a 10-day Rite of Passage wilderness trip that everything shifted. That time in nature with trusted guides and mentors, and during my own 4-day solo experience, gave me the space to ask the bigger questions and reconnect with myself. I came out of it with confidence, a deeper sense of purpose, and the belief that I could create a meaningful life. That experience was so transformative, it became the foundation for the work I’ve done over the last 16 years—supporting the next generation to find their own way.
If we really want to help teens and young adults find their way into a meaningful and inspired adulthood, a rite of passage experience can be a powerful catalyst. That’s why at Guided Passages, we’re offering our Young Adult Wilderness Quest for 18–24-year-olds, this July, 2025 in Northern California.
This immersive experience includes backpacking in nature, community support, solo reflection time, and space for your young person to explore essential questions like:
Who am I? What do I want and what matters most to me? Far from distractions, they’ll gain clarity, confidence, resilience, and a sense of personal purpose.
👉 Click here to learn more about the Wilderness Quest happening July 14–20, 2025
In Conclusion
Supporting your young person through this season of life can feel overwhelming at times, but you don’t have to figure it out alone—and neither do they. These five strategies are a powerful foundation for how to help your teen or young adult find their way, but having guidance and support along the journey makes a world of difference.
That’s exactly what I offer in Rise Up! my online coaching program for teens and young adults. It’s designed to help them build emotional regulation, confidence, motivation, and purpose—with personal coaching that helps them learn and integrate these tools into their own life.
👉 If you’re curious to see if this could be a good fit for your teen or young adult age (12-24) Click here to schedule a free call and see if Rise Up! is a good fit.
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Written by: Jasmyne Chandler Published on: 4/6/25
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About the Author:
Jasmyne Chandler is an International Coaching Federation Certified, Trauma Informed, Professional Life Coach for Teens, Young Adults, and Parents. Not only is she the Mom of two teens (age 14 and 17), but she has also spent over 16 years working with teens as a High School Teacher, GED Instructor and Advisor, and as a Life Coach, Council Facilitator, and Mentor.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and has been trained as a Council facilitator and Wilderness Rites of Passage Guide. She is the founder of Guided Passages, which offers Youth programs, Wilderness trips, and Life Coaching for teens, young adults, and parents in Southern Oregon and beyond.
Her main focus as a coach is to assist teens, young adults, and their parents who may need additional support, guidance, and mentorship in order to shift stuck energy, negative self-talk, and disconnection, so they can embrace and accept themselves for who they are, move towards positive change, and create the life and relationships that they truly desire.
