Caring Well with Dr. Michael Middleton From Suppression to Expression: Supporting Boys' Emotional Health – Featuring David Thomas, LMSW
Dec 4, 2025
David Thomas, LMSW, a licensed clinical social worker and author, joins to discuss boys' emotional health. He examines the rising anxiety among boys, attributing it to societal trends like overcorrection and reduced free play. Thomas introduces his "three Rs" framework: Recognize, Regulate, and Repair, which parents can use to help boys express emotions. He emphasizes the importance of healthy masculinity and shares practical tools like feelings charts to build emotional vocabulary. Hopeful cultural shifts in discussing mental health are also highlighted.
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Anxiety Is A Miscalibrated Estimate
- Anxiety often shows as overestimating external danger and underestimating personal ability.
- David Thomas warns this drives kids to shrink their worlds and avoid healthy risk.
Overcorrection Of Parental Attunement
- Many parenting corrections became overcorrections toward hyper-attunement.
- That well-meaning over-attunement can reduce children’s exposure to healthy discomfort and risk.
Use The Three R's Framework
- Teach the three R's: recognize bodily signals, regulate with calming tools, and repair relationship harm when needed.
- Practice R1 and R2 often so the need for R3 decreases over time.
