David Thomas

David Thomas, a children and family therapist focused on boys and resilience, and Sissy Goff, a therapist experienced with adolescent anxiety and suicidality, discuss rising youth mental health struggles. They explore social media harms, overprotective parenting, TikTok-driven diagnoses, tech rules like delayed phone use, and practical ways to build kids' capability and independence.

Sissy Goff and David Thomas, Nashville therapists, bestselling authors, and co-hosts of Raising Boys and Girls, explore the back-to-school friendship season. They discuss turning “find a friend” into “be a friend,” using back-pocket questions, handling awkward first attempts, and navigating middle school’s social turbulence. They also introduce “balcony friends” and “pacesetters” to help children recognize supportive, reciprocal relationships.

Sissy Goff, longtime family therapist focused on resilience, and David Thomas, therapist and co-leader at Daystar Counseling, discuss why letting kids face discomfort builds capability. They explore rising anxiety, when to step back, small risks that teach confidence, and practical, age-based ways to help children practice doing hard things.

Sissy Goff and David Thomas, experts in child psychology and co-authors focusing on emotionally healthy kids, share their insights on resilience in children. They introduce the Daystar Dogs book series, emphasizing the importance of bravery and coping with challenges. The duo tackles modern parenting dilemmas like over-attention and the necessity of allowing kids to 'sit in the struggle.' With humor and personal anecdotes, they explore how parents can balance support while fostering independence in their children.

Sissy Goff, MEd, LPC-MHSP, child counselor and resilience coach; David Thomas, LMSW, seasoned adolescent therapist. They explore rising youth anxiety, how parental rescuing and tech shape avoidance, and why lost practice (post-COVID, fewer real-world risks) erodes capability. They discuss scaffolding courage, pushing for milestones like driving and sleepovers, and restoring calm authority to build competence.

David Thomas discusses raising emotionally strong boys, including why anger can become the outlet for other feelings and how blame, avoidance, and denial can shape their responses. The conversation also explores helping girls navigate emotions, recognize and regulate big feelings, and build resilience, empathy, and confidence.

Tatum Green, sister of Annie F. Downs, shares her heart-wrenching journey of grief after losing her infant son, TJ. Joined by David Thomas, a counselor from Daystar Counseling, they delve into the complexities of navigating loss, joy, and hope. They discuss their new book 'Where Did TJ Go?', designed to help families talk about grief, especially with children. The duo emphasizes the importance of support systems, emotional presence, and open conversations, making sense of sorrow while fostering resilience and understanding in the face of loss.

David Thomas, a licensed therapist and parenting author focused on building kids' competence. Sissy Goff, a clinical therapist and writer who guides emotional health and resilience. They discuss shrinking comfort zones, rising risk aversion, inflated pathologizing of normal feelings, gendered challenges like girls' confidence drops and boys' risk needs, and practical ways families rebuild courage and flexibility.

David Thomas, a stewardship and leadership expert, discusses the impact of recent spiritual outpourings, reflections on spiritual growth, a touching story of a young boy's spiritual experience, encounters with Jesus, generational leadership, and a plea for revival and unity in the church. The conversation also touches on humility, global events, and the power of prayer.

David Thomas, co-executive director of Daystar Counseling and author of Capable, is a clinician who focuses on Christian parenting and youth mental health. He talks about the youth mental health crisis, how faith shapes responses to struggle, why overprotecting kids undermines capability, and practical strategies like empathy plus questions to foster resilience.