This practical self-help guide introduces “Psychological Fitness” – a powerful combination of mental resilience and emotional well-being that can transform how your child navigates life’s challenges. It provides brain training methods that parents and teachers can adopt and use to foster skills and knowledge in children and young people, so they can successfully navigate this uncertain and ever-changing world.
Sharing simple, proven techniques developed over two decades of successful programs with children and young people, you will find easy-to-implement tools that will help them express their worries and build their own solutions, alongside effective brain training methods that promote both mental and physical health. These will empower you to help your teenagers embrace their unique identity and develop crucial life skills. Through practical exercises, they will build a foundation of resilient thinking, emotional awareness, optimism, and empathy – essential abilities that support their well-being now and throughout adulthood.
Whether you’re a parent or work with children professionally, this straightforward guide offers life-changing opportunities to support the young people in your care. The refreshingly simple techniques can be implemented right away, creating lasting positive impacts on mental and emotional health.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 Being a child is different now: teaching your teenagers well?
2 Our amazing brains
3 The art of self-regulation: using our emotions strategically
4 Slow and steady: the link between thoughts, feelings,
and behaviour
5 Don’t believe everything you think: reframing with optimism
6 Why did I react that way? Identifying what matters most
7 Where the superpowers begin
8 The sky is falling in: when our thinking snowballs
9 One step beyond: the power of moving on
10 Making it real: resilience in action
11 You are one of a kind: using unique strengths to thrive
12 A messy kind of magic: achieving mastery of the skill
13 Reflections on the future of parenting
Index
About the Author :
Lucy Bailey is chief executive officer and founder of Bounce Forward a charity that specialises in building psychological fitness in children and the adults around them.
Voula Tsoflias is a trustee of Bounce Forward. She is a chartered psychologist, specialising in the development of resilience, through her work with corporate leaders.
Review :
"Raise Resilience is more than a parenting manual—it’s a roadmap for cultivating emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and psychologically strong young people. Its strength lies in combining evidence-based practice with compassion, realness, and an accessible tone. The authors are honest about the messiness of parenting, and their vulnerability and warmth make the book especially powerful for parents navigating uncertain waters."
Dr Grace Lordan, Professor in Behavioural Science, London School of Economics
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"In an era where young people are overwhelmed by constant noise, disconnection, and pressure, this book is a lifeline. Raise Resilience is not only a roadmap for parents but a powerful invitation to help teenagers reclaim their confidence, clarity, and purpose. With wisdom rooted in science and stories that feel real, Lucy Bailey and Voula Tsoflias offer more than just advice—they offer tools to transform families and equip the next generation to thrive. Every parent, educator, and youth leader should read this."
— Karen Guggenheim, Founder & CEO, World Happiness Summit® (WOHASU®); Author of Cultivating Happiness: Overcome Trauma and Positively Transform your Life
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This should be required reading for every parent. Combining an introduction to the brain, with good parenting, and the impact of social media, it guides parents to build resilience in their teenagers. It stands out for the wisdom of the authors and the wide range of advice. I cannot recommend it too highly.
Dr John Coleman OBE
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This book is both a resource and a companion—for young adults, parents, and grandparents alike. It offers meaningful insights and food for thought for every stage of life.
Eva Schwarz, Mother, Grandmother, Harvard ALI Fellow 2023, Founder of Amity: A Preventive Loneliness Project
'Raise Resilience is more than a parenting manual—it’s a roadmap for cultivating emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and psychologically strong young people. Its strength lies in combining evidence-based practice with compassion, realness, and an accessible tone. The authors are honest about the messiness of parenting, and their vulnerability and warmth make the book especially powerful for parents navigating uncertain waters.'
Grace Lordan, Professor in Behavioural Science, London School of Economics, UK.
'In an era where young people are overwhelmed by constant noise, disconnection, and pressure, this book is a lifeline. Raise Resilience is not only a roadmap for parents but a powerful invitation to help teenagers reclaim their confidence, clarity, and purpose. With wisdom rooted in science and stories that feel real, Lucy Bailey and Voula Tsoflias offer more than just advice—they offer tools to transform families and equip the next generation to thrive. Every parent, educator, and youth leader should read this.'
Karen Guggenheim, Founder & CEO, World Happiness Summit® (WOHASU®); Author of Cultivating Happiness: Overcome Trauma and Positively Transform your Life.
'This should be required reading for every parent. Combining an introduction to the brain, with good parenting, and the impact of social media, it guides parents to build resilience in their teenagers. It stands out for the wisdom of the authors and the wide range of advice. I cannot recommend it too highly.'
John Coleman, OBE, Clinical Psychologist.
'This book is both a resource and a companion—for young adults, parents, and grandparents alike. It offers meaningful insights and food for thought for every stage of life.'
Eva Schwarz, Mother, Grandmother, Harvard ALI Fellow 2023, Founder of Amity: A Preventive Loneliness Project.
