Authentic Parenting

Take this short, anonymous survey  Parental Overwhelm: What Is Making Parenting So Hard? LINKS AND RESOURCES Support the podcast by making a donation  Contact Authentic Parenting Join the Authentic Parenting Community on Facebook Work with Anna Podcast Production by  Aminur

Take this short, anonymous survey  Parental Overwhelm: What Is Making Parenting So Hard? What happens when a parent and an adult child become estranged? What happens when one of them decides to go no contact? Family estrangement is not a new phenomenon, but it seems to be increasingly visible in recent years. And I think it is a complex social phenomenon that deserves a closer look. OTHER EPISODES...

Take this short, anonymous survey  Parental Overwhelm: What Is Making Parenting So Hard? Andy Chaleff on grief, vulnerability, parental loss, and the "little deaths" we experience throughout life. In this intimate conversation, we explore what happens when we allow ourselves to face loss rather than avoid it, how mortality can shift our perspective, and how writing letters can help us express what...

Self-diagnosis, therapy speak, social media, and mental health labels are changing how young people understand themselves and their emotions. In this episode, we explore when these labels can help, when they can limit us, and how to move beyond diagnosis toward greater self-awareness, emotional language, and connection. OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY ENJOY Are We Over-Diagnosing Our Kids? Rethinking ADHD,...

What if some of the screen-time advice you've been following is outdated? This candid conversation gets real about kids, smartphones, social media, screen-free meals, bedtime and what screens are really doing to family life. Plus, a fascinating experiment with children may make you rethink screen time altogether. OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY ENJOY The Dopamine Crisis in Kids: Why Screen Time Advice Isn'...

Your young adult is home, not working, and has no idea what comes next. Is it failure to launch or something deeper? In this episode, Evan Sanchez explains why your young adult may not be lazy or unmotivated, why pushing harder can backfire, and what parents can do to help without creating more pressure.  TEDx talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims Why are so many adult children moving back home? LINKS AND...

When getting your child to school becomes a daily battle, what's really going on? School refusal is often misunderstood or overlooked. In this episode, Jayne Demsky explains what it is, why it happens, how to recognize it and what parents and schools can do to help. LINKS AND RESOURCES Support the podcast by making a donation  Contact Authentic Parenting Join the Authentic Parenting Community on F...

Can you become calm in just 90-seconds? What does calm mean? How does it feel? Why choose the power of the pause? We can't think out os stress. Disvoer the LAR-LAR method to calm, connection and kindness.  Get her book: The Power of the Pause: 90 Seconds to Calm, Reset, and Reconnect LINKS AND RESOURCES Support the podcast by making a donation  Contact Authentic Parenting Join the Authentic Parent...

Courtney Conley on how something as simple as a daily walk can transform not just your physical health but your mental health, your relationships, and your overall well-being.  We explore: the 10,000-step rule is wrong you signature walk your walking mindset movements snacks proper footwear (you probably don't have one) and more LINKS AND RESOURCES Support the podcast by making a donation  Contact...

If ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected and wondered what's actually going on in your body—this episode is for you. Physiotherapist Jessica Maguire on what the nervous system actually is, what the vagus nerve does, and why things like heart rate variability matter more than we might realize. Get her book: The Nervous System Reset: Heal Trauma, Resolve Chronic Pain, and Regulate Your Emoti...

Rachael Renae, an author, artist, play and creativity enthusiast on the power of on how to prioritize play to overcome blocks, better connect with yourseves and your people, and confidently live big, fulfilling lives.  Mindset shifts to start seeing play in the everyday Guidance to help you find your version of play Strategies to turn play into a regular practice Exercises to release expectations...

I've spent over a decade in the self-development space, and somewhere along the way, I began to see a pattern: the more people focus on healing, the more their lives start to revolve around what's wrong. More analyzing, more processing, more regulating and less living, less connecting, less being. So in this episode, I want to talk about something that might feel uncomfortable, even controversial:...

Kevin Maguire, author of The New Fatherhood , about what is shifting inside modern fatherhood and why so many men are trying to parent differently than they were parented themselves. Did you know that dads can experience postpartum depression too? We talk about the move from "protect, provide, preside" to something more emotionally present and engaged, and what it actually takes to stay connected...

Jon Gustin from Tired Dad on what it really means to  show up as a father not perfectly, but intentionally, how to keep the bigger picture front and center when you're exhausted, triggered, and pulled in a hundred directions… and why the real work of parenting starts within. Also, why anger it's not a superpower, even though so many men have been taught that it is. And much more.  Get his book: Th...

Returning guest, renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Paul Conti on tapping into our often ignored and long over-looked generative drive, the primary factor that's already going right in each of us. The generative drive helps you get things done, solve problems creatively, help others and feel connected to something larger than yourself. When activated, it brings you peace, contentment, and deligh...

Screens—and managing them—have become one of the biggest daily struggles for parents today. In today's episode, I'm joined by Michaeleen Doucleff , author of Dopamine Kids , and this conversation felt both grounding and eye-opening. Like so many of us, she found herself struggling with screens and ultra-processed foods in her own homeand instead of blaming or restricting harder, she got curious ab...

Dr. Debbie Raphael on the significance of social connection—friendships, community, and creating your village. Connection isn't a luxury—it's a lifeline. It's one of the most powerful antidotes we have to stress, burnout, and loneliness. And yet, it's often the very thing that gets pushed to the bottom of our list when life feels overwhelming.  So as you listen, I want to leave you with this quest...

Lisa Katayama, author and mom on what we can learn from the Japanese approach to parenting.  Get her book: The Japanese Way of Parenting: And What It Taught Me About Raising (Mostly) Calm, Caring, Capable Kids OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE What Cultures Around the World Can Teach You About Parenting with Marina Lopes Motherhood Is Political: Parenting, Policy, and Cultural Expectations with Abigail...

Hilary Jacobs Hendel,  a NYC-based AEDP psychotherapist and emotions educator on using the Change Triangle to understand, manage and regulate your core emotions for optimal well-being.    GET HER BOOKS Parents Have Feelings, Too: A Guide to Navigating Your Emotions So You And Your Family Can Thrive It's Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs  OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY ENJOY Fear with Kristen Ulmer An...

We hear a lot these days about boundaries, self-care, and protecting our energy. But what about generosity? In this episode, Kristy Lauricella and I explore generosity—what it means, how it shows up in everyday life, and why noticing it can quietly transform how we experience the world. We discuss generosity as a mindset, not just big acts of giving; how to receive it from others; why acknowledgin...

Authentic Parenting is a podcast about breaking generational trauma cycles and raising emotionally healthy children by growing ourselves first. If you want to parent differently than you were parented, this podcast is for you. We explore how emotions actually work and how childhood trauma lives in the brain, body, and relationships. You'll learn how to regulate your nervous system, stay calm under...

Board-certified physician Dr. Heather Hirsch on the symptoms of perimenopause, hormonal therapies, and what women need to know about this often misunderstood stage of life. In this conversation, we explore common perimenopause symptoms—including anxiety, insomnia, mood changes, brain fog, and shifts in energy and why these hormonal changes in women are often mistaken for depression or anxiety diso...

Rebecca Thompson, family physician, on redefining strength in motherhood and why vulnerability matters more than being the "strong mom." An honest conversation about the difference between pity and compassion, the tension between privacy and oversharing, and the emotional truth that grief and joy can coexist. This episode explores what it means to be witnessed in your story—and how holding the lon...

Dr. Ross Greene breaks down why more kids are struggling today and why it's not just social media's fault. He explains developmental variability , why meeting kids where they are isn't lowering expectations, and what really drives anxiety, depression, and distress in children. A must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone who cares about the next generation.  Listen to Dr. Green's first interiv...

What is mental health? What is a diagnosis? Are ADHD and autism genetic? And what happens to families when every struggle gets a label? In this provocative conversation, veteran child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Sami Timimi challenges many widely held assumptions about children's distress, resilience, and the role of experts. You may not agree with everything you hear — but if you're willing t...