Post Traumatic Parenting

What is the cost of families and specifically children growing up online? In this conversation, I speak with journalist and author Fortesa Latifi, M.A. to talk about the rise of momfluencers and kidfluencers, and why this topic resonates so deeply with post-traumatic parents. What used to be limited to a small group of highly visible families (i.e. reality TV households) has now expanded into thou...

What if the hardest parts of your parenting journey are actually pointing you toward your greatest growth? In this deeply honest and powerful conversation, I sit down with psychologist and parenting educator Anna Seewald, host of the Authentic Parenting Podcast, to explore how trauma, loss, and early life experiences shape the way we show up as parents. Anna shares her personal story of losing her...

What happens when food, feeding, and our kids’ bodies trauma shows up in ways we don’t always expect? In this deeply honest and compassionate conversation, I speak with eating disorder specialist Ali Spotts-De Lazzer to unpack what’s really going on beneath eating struggles for both kids and parents. Together, we explore why feeding your child can feel so overwhelming, how fear and control get tan...

What if your child’s “behavior problem” isn’t a behavior problem at all? In this deeply practical and paradigm-shifting conversation, I sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Ross Greene, originator of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach, to rethink everything we’ve been taught about parenting, discipline, and so-called “challenging behavior.” Dr. Greene, author of The Explos...

What if the pressure to “get parenting right” is actually coming from your trauma? In this powerful and deeply validating conversation, I sit down with Stephanie Foo, author of What My Bones Know, to unpack what it really means to parent while healing from complex PTSD. Together, we explore the intense fear many trauma survivors carry into parenting; the belief that one wrong move could damage the...

What if the deepest wound a child carries isn’t what happened to them, but the feeling that they don’t matter? In this episode, I speak with John Miles, host of the Passion Struck podcast and author of You Matter, Luma, to explore the hidden impact of emotional invisibility, achievement culture, and what it really means for a child to feel seen. John shares his personal journey from high-achieving...

What if the symptoms you’re ashamed of once saved your life? In this powerful and deeply human episode, I sit down with Sally Maslansky, LMFT author of A Brilliant Adaptation and longtime patient of Daniel J. Siegel, to explore dissociation, DID, adoption, attachment, and what it truly means to make sense of your story so your child doesn’t have to carry it. Sally shares her extraordinary journey...

What if the very fact that you’re worried about passing on your trauma means you probably won’t? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Frank Putnam, one of the world’s leading researchers on child maltreatment, dissociation, and intergenerational trauma, for a profound and deeply hopeful conversation about what really happens to the brain and body after childhood abuse… and what actually breaks the c...

What if stepping away from a harmful family relationship wasn’t an act of betrayal, but an act of healing? In this episode, I’m joined by Eamon Dolan, author of The Power of Parting and longtime book editor, for a deeply honest conversation about childhood abuse, estrangement, boundaries, and what it really means to break generational cycles. Eamon shares his personal journey of growing up with se...

What if the very act of nurturing your child could rewire your traumatized brain? Today I explore how parenting changes your brain with neuroscientist and author Greer Kirshenbaum. As someone who couldn't co-sleep because of my PTSD flashbacks, I was deeply moved by what Greer revealed about the science of parental transformation. We discuss why some parents feel disconnected from their bodies and...

What if your childhood trauma isn't just yours to carry? What if emotional inheritance means your kids are already carrying pieces of it too?  Today I'm talking with Dr. Galit Atlas, whose book "Emotional Inheritance" completely changed how I think about the invisible legacies we pass to our children. We get real about something that happened to both of us: being told we couldn't possibly have PTS...

What happens when you desperately want to give your children the secure childhood you never had, but you have no instincts to guide you? Raising securely attached kids becomes incredibly complex when your own childhood left you with PTSD, depression, or chronic feelings of never being enough. Today I'm sitting down with Eli Harwood, the attachment expert. Together we explore why chronic childhood...

Have you ever caught yourself yelling at your kids and thought, "I sound just like my parents"? Peaceful parenting offers a different path—one that breaks the cycle of fear-based discipline without becoming permissive. I sit down with Sarah Rosensweet, certified peaceful parenting coach and founder of Reimagined Peaceful Parenting, to explore how we can set firm limits with empathy, even when our...

What happens when mindful parenting feels impossible because you're still having nightmares about your own childhood? Today I'm talking with Hunter Clarke-Fields, bestselling author and host of the world's top parenting podcast.  We get real about the shame of being the mom with the temper when society expects you to regulate everyone's emotions. Hunter shares how she went from cowering behind doo...

Have you ever struggled with intense emotions while parenting that seem to come out of nowhere? In today's episode, I sit down with Bonnie Weiss, an internationally known trainer in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS).  I was blown away by Bonnie's compassionate approach to understanding the complex parts within us that influence our parenting. She explains how IFS helps separate our reactive "p...

Are you struggling with a child whose aggression triggers your own trauma responses? In today's episode on parenting boys peacefully, I'm joined by Tosha Schore, parenting coach and founder of the Parenting Boys Peacefully Project, to talk about how aggression is often fear in disguise. Tosha will share her mission of creating a more peaceful world "one sweet boy at a time" and offer practical way...

What if your "good" childhood still left emotional scars that impact your parenting? Emotional intelligence parenting requires us to confront our own histories, even when they seem picture-perfect on the surface. In today's episode, I speak with Stephanie Pinto, author of "From Chaos to Connection," who shares her remarkable story of how her body literally shut down through fainting episodes becau...

What if you could replace timeouts with a more effective approach that actually strengthens your connection with your child? Generation Mindful founder Suzanne Tucker joins me to explore the revolutionary "time-in" approach that's changing how parents respond to big emotions. As a mom of four who grew up in a "happy-happy" household, Suzanne will share how her own trauma and loss led her to create...

Ever wonder if your trauma means you're destined to parent imperfectly? In today's episode, Theraplay expert Dafna Lender shares how all parents mess up - and that's actually okay! As a clinical psychologist and post-traumatic parent myself, I was fascinated by Dafna's perspective on how we can provide healthy childhoods despite our own wounds. She compassionately explains why parents with trauma...

What if the way we parent is shaped more by culture than we realize? Multicultural parenting offers a fresh perspective on how families around the world build community and raise children. In today's episode, I sit down with Marina Lopes, a Brazilian American journalist and author of "Please Yell At My Kids," to explore how cultural traditions influence parenting decisions and what we can learn fr...

What role does emotional regulation play in post-traumatic parenting, and how can it shape the way we connect with our kids? In today's episode, I sit down with Dajana Yoakley, a peaceful and playful parenting coach, to explore how neuroscience, mindfulness, and self-compassion can guide us through the challenges of raising children. Dajana shares her personal journey from corporate leadership to...

What does raising strong-willed children really look like when life throws unexpected challenges your way? In today's episode, I sit down with Sonali Vongchusiri, a passionate advocate for parenting with humor and compassion, to explore how we can connect with our kids while honoring their unique needs—and our own. Sonali shares her personal experiences of parenting while navigating life with lega...

Are you feeling the weight of parental burnout and looking for relief? Parental burnout is a reality many of us face, but what if there were a way to navigate it with mindfulness and compassion? In today's episode, I sit down with Sally Arnold, a renowned mindfulness educator and parenting coach, to explore how small, practical mindfulness practices can make a significant difference in our lives a...

Have you ever wondered how EMDR therapy can change the way we process trauma? Join me in today's episode as I sit down with Dr. Deborah Korn, a leading expert in EMDR, to explore the profound impact this therapy can have on healing traumatic memories.  Together, we'll dive into the intricacies of how traumatic experiences get locked in our nervous system and how EMDR therapy helps in reprocessing...

Are you ready to confront the invisible bruises that linger from your past? In today's episode, we'll talk about breaking the cycle of family trauma with my guest, Dr. Kaytee Gillis, a psychotherapist and author with a passion for working with survivors of relationship and family trauma. As a fellow advocate for trauma survivors, Kaytee will share her journey and expertise in helping individuals h...