Your teen is struggling.
You're terrified.
You are not alone.

Behind every teen in crisis is a parent who is scared, exhausted, and wondering if things will ever get better.

I know because I've been that parent. My daughter started struggling with her mental health at 11. What followed was a years-long rollercoaster I was completely unprepared for. I fumbled through it, always wishing I could find a parent who had been there.

I never found that person. So I became her.

Help & Hope for Parents is a collection of resources, real stories, and professional support for parents of teens and young adults facing self-harm, suicidality, eating disorders, substance use, and severe emotional distress. You don't need a diagnosis to belong here. You just need to know something is wrong. And be willing to make it better.

You Might Be Here Because

Maybe you found this site while searching for something very specific:

• You found cuts on your teenager's arms.
• Your kid told you they want to die.
• Your child hasn't gone to school in weeks.
• Your once-happy kid has completely shut down.
• Your teenager's rage erupts without warning.
• You're walking on eggshells in your own home.
• Your teen is using substances and nothing you say matters.
• Your teen has stopped eating. Or you can't get them to stop.
• You and your partner can't agree on how to handle it.
• You know something is very wrong, but you can't name it.

Whatever brought you here: you're in the right place.

Where to Start

What This Isn’t

This isn’t generic parenting advice for typical teen behavior. Because what works for a typical teenager often backfires with one who’s struggling. This isn’t therapy or medical diagnosis. This isn’t a place to compare your situation to others or spiral into worst-case scenarios.

What this is: Science-backed information, practical skills, and wisdom to help you help your child without making things worse. Real talk about what it’s actually like, and concrete steps you can take right now.

About this site

Help & Hope for Parents is a free resource and coaching initiative for parents of teens and young adults navigating serious mental health challenges. Self-harm, suicidality, eating disorders, substance use, severe emotional distress. Founded by Maya Kumits, an ICF-credentialed coach and parent who navigated her daughter’s mental health crisis through DBT treatment at NYU.

About Maya

I’m Maya. When my daughter was 11, she started self-harming. She’s okay now.

I created Help & Hope for Parents because the support I needed didn’t exist. I want to create the space I wished I’d had: a place where parents can find each other, share what actually works, and know they’re not alone.

→ Read My Full Story

The Bottom Line

Nobody prepared you for this. You don’t have to figure it out alone.