Champions in Life: The Playbook for Teens and Their Parents by Elaine J. Brzycki, Ed.M., and Henry G. Brzycki, Ph.D.
A flexible, engaging and much-needed workbook to help teens strengthen resilience, self-awareness, sense of purpose and overall mental health.
In recent years, rates of anxiety, depression and other forms of emotional distress among teens have risen significantly, while access to qualified mental health professionals remains uneven at best. For many families, the question is no longer whether support is needed, but where to find it. Into this gap steps Champions in Life: The Playbook for Teens and Their Parents, an empowering guide that aims not just to address problems, but to help prevent them.
Written by positive psychology experts Elaine J. Brzycki, Ed.M., and Henry G. Brzycki, Ph.D., Champions in Life takes a notably different approach from traditional mental health resources. The focus isn’t on diagnosis or crisis response. Instead, the book introduces “optimal mental health” — a forward-looking framework that encourages teens to actively build resilience, self-awareness and purpose before challenges become overwhelming.
At the heart of the book are 10 “essential skills,” ranging from learning how to experience and understand emotions to developing a sense of purpose, strengthening communication and celebrating one’s identity. These skills are grounded in the authors’ Integrated Self Model™, which emphasizes alignment between mind, body and soul as the foundation for a flourishing life. It’s an ambitious framework, but one presented in language that feels accessible and respectful of its audience.
A Book to Be Interacted With, Not Merely Read
What truly sets Champions in Life apart is its interactive design. This is not a book meant to be skimmed; it’s one to sit with, write in and return to over time. Teens are invited to explore their inner and outer selves, articulate their dreams, try out new ways of thinking and experiment with real-life situations. The tone is consistently encouraging, reinforcing the idea that teens are not simply reacting to the world around them; they’re shaping it.
That philosophy comes through most clearly in the exercises themselves. Framed as “experiences,” they span a range of approaches, from guided self-reflection and emotional awareness to imagining future goals and practicing new emotional skills in everyday life. Each of the 10 skills offers a different lens, so the experience shifts as teens progress — from looking inward to thinking outward, from understanding feelings to acting with intention.
While many of the exercises are reflective in format, they stay engaging because they center on questions teens are already asking: Who am I? What matters to me? What kind of life do I want to build? And for teens who gravitate toward more active or creative expression, the structure is flexible enough to adapt accordingly — journal prompts can become conversations, written reflections can turn into vision boards — making the playbook as dynamic as the reader wants it to be.
That flexibility carries through the book as a whole. There’s no rigid path to follow, no single “right” way to complete the work. Instead, teens are encouraged to revisit exercises, rethink earlier answers and deepen their understanding over time. It’s a process that mirrors real growth — iterative, sometimes messy, sometimes contradictory, but ultimately self-directed.
A Complement to Conversations with Trusted Adults and Therapists
The book also places meaningful emphasis on the relationship between teens and their parents or caregivers. By inviting shared reflection and conversation, it reframes mental health as something that can be supported collectively. In a moment when those conversations can feel difficult to start, this built-in structure offers a natural entry point.
Of course, a book alone can’t replace professional mental health care, particularly for teens facing significant challenges. But Champions in Life doesn’t try to fill that role. Instead, it complements it — giving teens language, tools and a sense of agency they can carry into their daily lives.
Perhaps the most lasting impression is the book’s sense of possibility. It treats adolescence not just as a vulnerable, awkward or confusing stage, but as a powerful one — a time when identity and direction are still taking shape. By focusing on what teens can build, rather than what needs fixing, the Brzyckis offer a perspective that feels both timely and hopeful.
At a moment when so many young people feel overwhelmed by the pressures of modern life, Champions in Life offers something refreshingly practical and uplifting: a way to begin their mental health journey that meets them where they are.
About Elaine and Henry Brzycki
Elaine J. Brzycki, Ed.M., and Henry G. Brzycki, Ph.D., are the co-presidents of The Brzycki Group and The Center for the Self in Schools, as well as the co-creators of the Integrated Self Model™, a framework transforming education and counseling worldwide. Together, they have authored six books.
Elaine has generated a body of research-based, evidence-based work in positive psychology, human development, and educational psychology to develop the field of mental health prevention. Elaine developed the Champions program to impart positive psychology attributes to adolescents for happy, healthy, and flourishing lives. She earned her Ed.M. at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, studied at Oxford University, and holds a B.A. from Wellesley College.
Henry is a renowned positive psychologist with more than 40 years of experience providing leadership at the intersection of education and psychology. He has worked tirelessly to impact the human condition and help people of all ages create happy, healthy and flourishing lives.
Publish Date: March 28, 2025
Genre: Better Self, Nonfiction
Author: Elaine J. Brzycki, Ed.M., and Henry G. Brzycki, Ph.D.
Page Count: 216 pages
ISBN: 9798992194104