Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

In part two of my conversation with parent coach Susan Notis, we move past the information about teen cannabis use and into what you can actually do about it. We get into regulating your own nervous system before you talk, communicating without slipping into lecture mode, and how to tell when a consequence is safe to let unfold versus when it's time to call in help. If your teen is using and you f...

I loved this convo! My guest, Diane Sorenson shares what shifts when you stop performing motherhood and start treating it as a lifelong relationship. We talk boundaries as an expression of your truth, why holding a firm line is connection rather than its opposite, and how to stay steady when your teen is furious with you. If you've ever folded to make the bad feeling go away, press play. Guest bio...

What if the way we treat our babies and teenagers could actually predict whether they grow up peaceful or violent? In this episode, I welcome back Lori Petro to dig into the buried research of Dr. James Prescott, the pull of obedience culture, and how shame around our kids' bodies and emotions shapes who they become. We get honest about parenting teens, sexual development, and choosing curiosity o...

What if our teens are far more capable than our anxious culture lets us believe? (spoiler: they are) In this episode, I sit down with Lenore Skenazy to talk about raising independent, resilient teenagers in a world built on fear. We dig into why kids crave independence, how "worst-first thinking" keeps us stuck, and practical tools to help your teen practice real-world skills before they launch. I...

We don't parent in a vacuum, my friend. Midlife and the teen years pile on the paperwork, the appointments, the mental load—and so many of us are drowning in reactive mode. In this episode, I sit down with organization expert Lisa Woodruff to talk about the invisible work of running a home, moving from reactive to proactive, and her game-changing Sunday Basket system. If you're a parent of teens c...

Negotiation isn't a boardroom skill—it's a parenting skill, and every hard conversation with our teens is a training ground. In this episode, I talk with negotiation expert Atiya Qureshi about asking for what we need, managing our own emotional storms, and finding the relational middle ground between passive and aggressive. We dig into understanding interests over positions, the internal negotiati...

If your teen's disrespect, eye rolls, and slammed doors have you feeling stuck, this solo episode is for you. I'm unpacking a game-changing reframe: your teen isn't being a problem, they're having a problem. Drawing on Positive Discipline and the Rudolf Dreikurs's Mistaken Goal Chart, I share why discouraged teens act out, how power struggles and revenge cycles trap us, and five practical moves to...

In this solo episode, I'm diving into the messy, beautiful work of parenting through transitions. Whether you're watching your kiddo move from elementary to middle school, middle to high school, or out into young adulthood, this season of parenting tweens and teens asks something new of us. I'll share three shifts that have changed everything for me: naming what's actually happening, seeing the ki...

Raising a teenage boy today means navigating contradictory messages about who he's supposed to be — strong but soft, expressive but not too much. In this episode, I sit down with Don Campbell of Soul Fire Parenting to unpack what teen boys actually need from us: closeness, safe harbor, and parents who model vulnerability. We dig into the power-over parenting trap, the real cost of "tough love," an...

If you've ever stood in your kitchen wondering if your teen's weed use is "just a phase," this episode is for you. I'm joined by parent coach Susan Norts to talk about teen cannabis dependency, why today's marijuana isn't what we grew up with, and how to stay grounded when fear takes over. We dig into nervous system regulation, honest communication, and the long game of leading our teens through c...

In this solo episode, I take you into my comments section, where a listener called my parenting content "snowflake." I use it as a doorway into what Positive Discipline actually looks like with tweens and teens — why kind AND firm isn't soft, why consequences don't build skills, and how curiosity under the iceberg shifts how we show up. If you're raising an adolescent and tired of the "kick in the...

In this solo episode, I dig into what so many parents of teens wrestle with: rebuilding trust after your kid has hurt or scared you. I explore why hypervigilance is a trauma response and not a character flaw, the difference between earned trust and naive trust, why the body holds on even when our mind wants to move on, and how doing your own healing work matters as much as anything they do. Tender...

Teen sleep struggles are real — and they're not about laziness or bad parenting. In this episode, I sit down with clinical psychologist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Melissa Moore to unpack why adolescent sleep is so hard and what parents can actually do about it. We explore the circadian shift of adolescence, neurodivergent sleep challenges, and how to have conversations that build cooperatio...

If you've ever watched your teen spiral into negative thinking and felt completely helpless — or worse, realized your response made it worse — this episode is for you. I sat down with certified youth life coach Anna Kashner to talk about teen life coaching, how it's different from therapy, and what's actually happening in your teen's brain when they catastrophize. Anna is warm, practical, and deep...

In this episode, I'm sitting down with the incredible Wendy Snyder of Fresh Start Family — and this conversation is good. We're talking about breaking painful generational cycles, the power of humility as a parenting superpower, and why releasing control actually works better in the teen years. Wendy shares her raw, honest journey from overwhelmed mom to leading educator, and we get into the real...

If you've been feeling off lately (like me) — scattered, insecure, or like you've lost your footing — this episode is for you. In this solo show, I'm sharing what happened when I finally returned to my Soul Care practice after weeks away, and why intentional inner work is our most important foundation. I walk you through gratitude, affirmations, card pulls, and the mindset shifts that help me stay...

If you've ever wondered why your "good kid" seems fine on the outside but distant, perfectionistic, or quietly falling apart — this episode is for you. I sat down with Maggie Nick, licensed clinical social worker and trauma therapist, to talk about what she calls "good kid" patterns: the relational shame that forms when kids learn to hide their messy, real selves to stay lovable. We dig into the c...

Are you parenting from trust—or survival? In this episode I sit down with Debbie Simmons, mom of thirteen and leadership strategist, to explore the hidden defaults that hijack our parenting when pressure hits—control, silence, over-functioning, people pleasing. We talk about why being the "strong one" in your family might actually be costing you your health and your connection with your teen. Debb...

If you've ever promised yourself you'd respond differently to your teen—and then found yourself right back in the same reactive loop—this episode is for you. I sat down with somatic educator and counselor Layne Burkette to explore why parenting teens is a physical experience, not just a mental one. We dig into how your own teenage wounds show up in your parenting today, and Layne guides us through...

Money talk on a parenting podcast? Yes — because financial stress shows up in our relationships with our teens whether we acknowledge it or not. In this episode I sit down with financial planner Lori Atwood to explore why so many of us avoid looking at our finances, how that avoidance leaks into our parenting, and what we can actually do about it. We dig into allowance, buyer's remorse as a teachi...

In this episode, I'm unpacking the unintended results of punishment, and why it isn't helpful with teenagers — and what actually is. We dig into the adolescent brain science behind why our kids make impulsive choices, why consequences are often just punishment in disguise, and how focusing on solutions builds the critical thinking skills our teens actually need. If you've ever wondered what to do...

I'm diving deep into what happens when we release others—including our teens—to their own journeys. As parents, we hang on so tight, resisting what scares us, but what we resist persists. I'm sharing my own messy middle of personal growth work, walking through the five principles of Positive Discipline from a radically honest place about marriage, parenting teens, and the hardest truth: our wellbe...

Feeling like you're living with a wildfire instead of just putting out fires with your teen? In this solo episode, I explore why traditional discipline approaches fail when relationships are ruptured, and introduce the concept of a "relationship reset" - an energetic cast that gives both you and your teen space to heal. Learn how disengaging with love (not indifference) can restore influence, rebu...

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with psychotherapist and Positive Discipline expert Alyson Schafer to explore how we can support our teens through today's turbulent political climate. We discuss Alfred Adler's vision for raising cooperative citizens, reading our kids' stress signals, using curiosity over lectures, and helping teens move from doom-scrolling to meaningful action. If you're...

I recently sat down with Kevin Dahill-Fuchel to explore what's really happening with teens' mental health today and why traditional models aren't enough. We discussed the crisis of isolation among adolescents, how schools can become centers of healing, and the critical importance of adults modeling healthy relationships. Kevin shares powerful insights about meeting kids where they are, making suic...