As a parent, few things are harder than watching your child struggle. You might notice the changes gradually—missed homework, disrupted sleep, withdrawing from friends—or they might hit all at once. A once-motivated child now seems lost. Tearful. Angry. Unreachable.
You’re not alone. More and more parents are asking the same question: “Why isn’t my child coping?”
This Synapse blog explores what’s happening beneath the surface, why even “high-functioning” young people can hit a wall, and how you can support your teenager or young adult before things spiral further.
The numbers are alarming. In the UK, rates of anxiety, depression, and emotional distress among young people have doubled over the last decade. But many of these children aren’t in crisis. They’re in struggle—a grey area where things aren’t going well, but they don’t meet the threshold for clinical care.
This is often called the “missing middle”—young people who are clearly not okay, but don’t have anywhere to turn.
What it looks like:
Parents often describe their child as capable, bright, and sensitive—but increasingly overwhelmed by life.
Young people today face a faster, more pressurised, and more complex world than ever before. Social media, academic expectations, disrupted schooling, and a 24/7 digital culture all take their toll.
But what often gets missed is this: many young people lack the coping skills they need to deal with the challenges they face.
These include:
When a young person hasn’t developed these skills—or when stress overwhelms the skills they do have—they start to feel stuck. From the outside, it can look like laziness or defiance. But what’s often happening is something called functional freeze—where the brain, under stress, shuts down executive functioning to protect itself.
They’re not choosing to disengage. Their system is overloaded.
It’s a difficult balance. You want to help—but you don’t want to enable. You try stepping in—but they push you away. You back off—and watch them flounder.
Many parents describe walking on eggshells, trying not to trigger an emotional reaction. Others feel like every attempt to connect ends in conflict or silence. It’s exhausting.
What young people need in these moments is support that helps them build capacity—not just get through the day. That’s where and when structured coaching can make a big difference.
Synapse Behavioural Health Coaching is designed specifically for this “missing middle”—young people aged 11–25 who are struggling but not in crisis.
Our trained, clinically supervised Coaches work one-to-one with clients on:
It’s not therapy—but it is therapeutic. It’s practical, relational, and action-oriented—designed to help young people function better in the real world, and feel better about themselves in the process.
All Synapse Coaches have lived experience with the kinds of challenges our clients face. They’re not authority figures, they don’t diagnose or treat. They’re relatable mentors who understand what it’s like to feel stuck, and how to move forward.
Coaching is ideal for young people who:
Often, parents come to us saying: “My child is capable, but they’re just not coping.” That’s exactly who Synapse is for.
If you’re worried about your child, here are three things you can start doing today:
The truth is, many young people don’t need clinical treatment—they need structured support, relatable connection, and space to build their own coping skills.
Synapse exists to bridge that gap.
If you’re wondering whether coaching might help your child, we’re here to talk. No pressure. Just honest guidance and the kind of support that meets young people where they are—and helps them grow from there.
Interested in learning more? Get in touch to book a free discovery call
