Why We Love "When Worry Works"

What makes Dorfman's approach so refreshing is her radical reframing of parental anxiety—not as something to eliminate, but as energy that can be channeled productively. In today's achievement-obsessed culture, where teens face unprecedented pressures and parents feel increasingly helpless, this book offers a practical path forward.

The genius of "When Worry Works" lies in how it validates the natural concern all parents feel while providing concrete strategies to transform that worry into a guiding force. Rather than adding to the mountain of advice telling parents to simply "stress less," Dorfman acknowledges reality: worry is inevitable, especially when raising teenagers in our competitive world.

What resonates most is how the book helps identify our specific "anxiety patterns" as parents and turns these supposed weaknesses into tools for connection. By understanding our own triggers and responses, we can model healthier approaches to stress for our teens—who desperately need these skills in their own lives.

In an era when teenage anxiety has reached crisis levels, this guide offers something rare: hope that our parental instincts, even the anxious ones, can become part of the solution rather than the problem.