The Check In! with Dillan

In this episode of The Check In, Dillan sits down with Patrick VanAntwerp for a powerful conversation about child loss, father grief, anxiety after trauma, faith, and life after the death of a child. Patrick shares the story of his firstborn son, Conner James VanAntwerp, the little boy who made him a dad. He opens up about Conner’s sudden medical emergency, the trauma of the hospital, the heartbre...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Kaitlin Good, we continue talking about pregnancy loss, invisible motherhood, grief, and what it actually looks like to support loss moms. In this episode, Kaitlin opens up about the invisible grief so many women carry after miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and child loss. We talk about Mother’s Day, Bereaved Mother’s Day, ambiguous loss, and why mothe...

In this tender episode of The Check In! with Dillan , Dillan LMSW sits down with Kaitlin Good for an honest conversation about pregnancy loss, motherhood, grief, and what it means to love children who are not physically here. This is part 1 of the conversation. Kaitlin shares her journey through infertility, the loss of her identical twin daughters at 22 weeks, an early miscarriage, an ectopic pre...

If you follow Georgia Wellman online, you're one of the nearly 300,000 people who know her for her comforting routines, honest life updates, humor, relationship content, and the way she makes everyday life feel both beautiful and real. But in this episode, you get to hear more of the story behind what people see online. In Part 2 of the Grief Around Mother’s Day series, Georgia opens up about...

In this deeply moving episode of The Check in! with Dillan , Dillan begins the Grief Around Mother’s Day series with Angie VanAntwerp. Angie shares the story of losing her son, Conner, just before his fourth birthday, while she was newly pregnant and parenting a toddler. Together, Dillan and Angie talk about child loss, Mother’s Day after grief, faith, marriage, parenting surviving children, traum...

AI, social media, screen time, teen mental health...it can feel like every headline is telling parents to panic. What if fear isn’t the most helpful starting point? In this episode of The Check-In with Dillan , I’m joined by Kirsten Haglund [speaker, researcher, and communications professional] for a nuanced conversation about young people, technology, AI, and digital safety. Kirsten shares her re...

A single conversation can change the trajectory of your life… even if the other person never remembers it. In Part 1 of this conversation, Kirsten Haglund reflects on her journey from winning Miss America at 19 to building a life that finally feels aligned. What looks glamorous on the outside often carries pressure, isolation, and the weight of becoming who the world expects you to be. Kirsten sha...

Child sexual abuse is more common—and more misunderstood—than most people realize. And its impact doesn’t stop in childhood—it shapes families, workplaces, and entire communities. In this episode, I sit down with Brook Thomas from the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) to break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes—and what every adult needs to know to better protect kids. We talk about h...

What if everything you’ve worked so hard for… isn’t what matters most? In this conversation, 61yo Suzi Schweir reflects on parenting, identity, and what comes into focus after a life-changing cancer diagnosis. We talk about growing up believing your worth comes from achievement and how those messages can quietly shape you for decades. We talk about parenting through both safety and friction , and...

What happens when you finally achieve the dream… and realize it doesn’t automatically quiet the questions underneath it? In this episode of the Parenting Teen Girls Podcast , Dillan Koch sits down with Broadway performer Ally Bonino for a powerful conversation about ambition, identity, body image, belonging, and what it really means to feel seen. Ally shares the long road to making her Broadway de...

When does ambition build resilience and when does it become survival? In this episode, I talk with former competitive athlete Jessie about growing up in an elite sports household while navigating significant childhood trauma. For her, movement wasn’t just competition—it was regulation, control, and identity. We explore how high-achieving teens can tie their worth to performance, how anxiety often...

In this episode, Ellen shares her story of growing up high-functioning on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a teenager, Ellen describes how constant monitoring, food calculations, and pressure around her body slowly shifted from medical necessity into something more serious. What began as management turned into control, secrecy, and an eating dis...

This episode is a companion to “When Control Feels Like Safety: Ellen’s Story.” After hearing Ellen’s story, many parents and teens are left holding a lot of questions, emotions, and moments of recognition that don’t always have words yet. In this episode, I slow things down and offer a therapist’s perspective to help make sense of what was happening underneath the behaviors discussed in Ellen’s s...

What does it actually feel like to be a high-achieving teenage girl right now? In this deeply honest episode, I sit down with a 17-year-old teen girl for a raw, thoughtful conversation about body image, anxiety, self-harm, and the relentless pressure to succeed. She shares—in her own words—what adults may miss: the constant comparison, the fear of disappointing others, the quiet internal battles,...

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Emergency Shelter Services (ESS) volunteer board member, Sarah Eades, to shine a light on the realities of family homelessness in our community—what it actually looks like, why so many children are impacted, and how support systems can change the entire trajectory of a family’s life. We talk about: • the challenges caseworkers face as they support fam...

social media affects teen girls differently than teen boys — and the newest research finally explains why. in this episode, we break down the four biggest evidence-based risk factors for girls in 2025, the hidden pressures most parents never hear about, and the protective habits that actually support healthier digital wellbeing. practical, research-backed, and grounded in real teen insight. this i...

Is YouTube actually social media? In this quick episode, I break down what research shows about how YouTube shapes teens’ mood, identity, and mental health — even when it feels like “just watching videos.” If you’re a parent trying to understand your teen’s online world, this short listen gives you clarity, language, and practical next steps. For more evidence-based parenting resources, visit my b...

in part two of “resetting your teen’s relationship with social media,” therapist Dillan Koch digs deeper into what actually helps teens build healthier digital habits. we explore the three pillars parents ask me about most: boundaries that work, age-appropriate expectations, and limits that support—not punish—your teen. you’ll hear practical strategies you can start today, ways to collaborate inst...

in this episode, therapist Dillan Koch discusses what it means to help teens—and families—reset their relationship with social media. based on her evidence-based blog post, this conversation explores practical, research-supported ways to build awareness, improve sleep, and reconnect offline. learn more about dkevolving's mission, explore mental health resources, and discover products that give...