What is going on in the adolescent brain? This introduction can help. Designed for parents, educators and others helping adolescents grow toward maturity and well-being, in this talk the lens of interpersonal neurobiology helps us delve into the nature of the mind and the forces at work in the reconstruction of the adolescent brain. Ways of staying sane and empathic with the transition of adolescence are highlighted throughout this introduction to the neurobiology of these complex and counter-intuitive teen years.