Today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show is a wake up call.

A 13 year old completes her own intake paperwork. No parent. No guardian. No emergency contact. If something had gone wrong, there would have been no adult to call.

A 16 year old starts therapy. No parent reaches out before. No parent follows up after.

This is not about blame. It is about responsibility.

Teens today are reporting record levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Emergency room visits for adolescent mental health crises have surged in recent years. And yet more and more adults are stepping back from direct involvement in their children's care.

In this episode, I discuss :

• The growing gap between adolescent mental health needs and adult engagement

• Why autonomy without containment is dangerous

• The legal and ethical realities therapists face when no guardian is involved

• The difference between empowering teens and abandoning oversight

• When adult absence is avoidance, burnout, or something more serious

• The cultural shift toward convenience over accountability

I also address the harder truths:

Some teens are acting out.

Some are protecting themselves in unsafe homes.

Some adults are overwhelmed.

Some are disengaged.

And systems are making it easier for everyone to opt out.

If a minor is in therapy, an adult is part of the treatment whether they participate or not.

This episode challenges caregivers, therapists, and systems to examine where responsibility begins and where it has quietly disappeared.

Because when a teen shows up alone, someone else is missing.

And that matters.