My Teen’s a Nightmare: Q&A with Expert Sarah Newton

Hailed as "The Supernanny for Teens" by TV Times in the U.K., Sarah Newton has worked in this field now for more than 17 years -- initially as a police officer, then running her own youth consultancy business. She is the expert for Discovery Fit & Health's "My Teen's a Nightmare: I'm Moving Out" and is also the author of "Help! My Teenager Is an Alien!"

Here, Newton shares information about her work with teens, her experience on the show and general tips for parents of teenagers.

1: How does your background as a London police officer help in your work as a counselor/interventionist?

Being a police officer makes you fearless and not frightened of conflict, which is a good skill to have when you are dealing with a potentially volatile situation. The investigative ability you learn in the police also helps you listen to all sides of the story and quickly establish where the problem lies. In the job, you get really good at assimilating information and looking for the facts, which is really helpful when you are dealing with highly charged emotional situations.

As a police officer, you see some awful situations and hear some horrid stories dealing with both the victim and the criminal, and you learn that everyone has a story and a reason for what they do. I think this makes you very understanding and tolerant of the problem, as you know something else lies beneath.

I think the police are very patient; I have seen some people, who others thought were beyond help, completely turn their lives around. I always believe, always have hope and, like I said, always have a bucketful of patience.