“Availability is being fully present, literally and figuratively, to some moments with your kids every day. You’re aware of your own buttons and issues, and can move them aside. You’ll enjoy your relationships, and manage the tough times much more easily. You’ll be a much better parent.

That, you can do.”

Dr. John Duffy

Praise For #1 Best Seller The Available Parent

“Duffy’s advice for parenting adolescents springs from radical optimism, a form of practical spirituality that recommends being open and available to the possibility of change, essentially exchanging fear and the need to control for hope and positive results. Duffy challenges parents to stop micromanaging and judging their kids and instead acknowledge and accept them the way they are, respect their boundaries and abilities, and let them know they have the power to master their own world. Only then can parents truly be available to provide discipline, direction, understanding, and love in an environment that fosters competence and resilience.

Publisher’s Weekly

“Raising a teenager can be just as much of an emotional roller coaster as being a teenager, but clinical psychologist, certified life coach and parenting expert Duffy assures parents that it doesn’t have to be such a turbulent ride for either party. Blending self-reflective exercises for parents with words of wisdom from teens and parents whom Duffy has counseled throughout his career, the author raises valid points about the benefits of being an available parent and offers valuable insight into the unique psyche of a teenager.”

Kirkus Reviews

“This book is written in a clear, no-nonsense style using observations and examples from Dr. Duffy’s work with youth and their families. More than anything else, it is obvious that he understands the teenage “mind” and the psychological and social factors involved in changing children into adults. I highly recommend this book to parents and practitioners alike.”

PsychLinks

“I recently read a great book about parenting teens and tweens called The Available Parent by Dr. John Duffy, and I’d like to share some insights from the book with you. Even if you are not currently parenting a teen or tween, I think you will find these insights helpful because they contain advice on how to improve any important relationship in our lives.

Living Compass

“The Available Parent is a valuable and thought-provoking resource that’s filled with many precious lessons and gives parents a unique perspective on cultivating a healthy relationship with their kids.”

Psych Central

“A parent needs to be unafraid of making some mistakes, and this book shows what the more common mistakes to avoid are, as well as excellent tips on how to take advantage of what tools you have. Better yet, it approaches that matter in a friendly, helpful manner. For parents that are worried about the job they are doing, this is an excellent book.”

Portland Book Review

“Dr. Duffy provides a clear, straightforward, doable answer for parents: Stay in touch! Research clearly shows that an open, friendly parent-teen relationship is a major factor in protecting kids from harm. The age-old question for parents of teens has always been: ‘How do I relate to these new kids of mine—how should I manage them?’ The Available Parent provides a clear blueprint for a practical and effective response: Manage the problems you have to, but above all else, stay in touch!”

Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, best-selling author of 1-2-3 Magic and Surviving Your Adolescents

“Every parent of a child or teen will benefit from keeping this wise book on their nightstand. It’s likely they will want it handy to read over and over again.”

Judy Ford, author of Every Day Love

“When John asked me to read his manuscript, I thought I’d breeze through it, get a rough idea of how much work it needed, and relay the bad news. I was wrong. About everything. The writing was superb. I couldn’t put the book down because I found my inner voice kept saying “Yeah, that’s right!” or ‘Oh, dang, I wish I had known that when my girls were teens.’ When I finished reading, I called my two daughters, now in their twenties, and asked them if my husband and I were Available Parents. They both reassured me that we were–and still are.

John’s a brilliant writer with keen intuition into how kids think and how parents can, sometimes unknowingly, sabotage their relationship. John has used his vast experience to provide parents with the inside dope into how kids view their lives, and what they really need from their parents to make the leap into becoming mentally healthy young adults. Best of all, John relays their amazing stories of growth in smooth, witty, and helpful prose. Any parent with a child–no matter what the age–should read and learn from this book.

Eileen Norris, Contributing writer and editor of the best-selling You: The Smart Patient by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, and the upcoming Are You a Smart Parent? by Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, author of Good Kids, Bad Habits

“Dr. John Duffy’s fresh new concept of Availability in parenting is an idea that meets the moment. With the pace of society constantly accelerating, we need Availability now more than ever! Dr. John’s writing is smart, approachable and right on the mark. His blend of practical ideas and colorful examples delivers great insights. Most importantly, I am a better parent thanks to this book.”

Eric Langshur, Founder of CarePages, Inc.

Co-author of We Carry Each Other

“Every parent who wants to give it their best shot in working with, and not in opposition to, their teen, needs to check in with Dr. John Duffy, and apply his “Available Parent” strategy. As a professional journalist, author, and mom of three teens who writes about parenting, I was so glad to have found Dr. Duffy in time to give me the tools to quickly understand what it means to be an available parent. To my surprise and delight, as I intentionally make myself more available as a mom, my teens are now purposefully reaching out to engage with me!

Dr. Duffy is a trusted guide and cool guy. He truly cares and is all about helping parents and their children find the bright light in each other. He helped to open a whole new channel of communication for me with my teens, and allowed me to appreciate their uniqueness and focus on that, instead of the moments that challenge.”

Mary Beth Sammons, author of Living Life as a Thank You