The Parent Hope Podcast

With a special distinguished guest  Peter N. Stearns, author of Anxious Parents: A History of Modern Childrearing in America; co-author of The American Child: the transformation of childhood since World War II, Professor Emeritus at George Mason University,   In this episode of The Parent Hope Podcast , I’m joined by preeminent social historian Peter N. Stearns, whose work has been deeply influent...

In this episode of Parent Hope Podcast: Real Questions, Grounded Reflections , Jenny Brown and David Brown revisit some of the key themes raised in Jenny's conversation with Justin Coulson about raising boys.  Rather than focusing on parenting techniques, they explore deeper questions: How do we raise boys without making them a project? How do parents avoid defining themselves through their c...

Jenny interviews Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia's most respected relationships speakers, authors, and researchers. Passionate about understanding what helps relationships flourish, Justin has spoken to tens of thousands of people about relationships in leadership, education, and, most importantly, family life. In this episode, Jenny and Justin discuss his new book: Boys: A Guide to Raisi...

In this episode of the Parent Hope Podcast: Real Questions, Grounded Reflections: Jenny and David Brown unpack listener questions following their conversation with Elisabeth Shaw, Relationships Australia NSW CEO, on parenting after separation and divorce.  Together they explore the emotional realities of co-parenting through hurt, anger and exhaustion, while keeping children’s wellbeing at the cen...

When a relationship ends, parenting continues—and how parents navigate that transition can shape a child’s long-term wellbeing. In this thoughtful and compassionate episode, Dr. Jenny Brown speaks with Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW and a leading clinical psychologist & family therapist, about guiding families through separation with clarity, steadiness, and care.  Drawing...

This follow-up episode explores the real-life questions parents are still asking after the Parent Hope interview with Dr. Lyn Worsley. Together, David and Jenny Brown unpack what parents are left grappling with about resilience in everyday parenting—especially when children are anxious or disengaging from school.   Through practical reflections, they discuss how parents might respond to anxiety as...

Anxious kids and teens often begin to withdraw—from friends, from challenges, and increasingly, from school. But behind that disengagement lies a deeper need: resilience . In this episode, our guest Dr Lyn Worsley of The Resilience Centre helps us unpack exactly what resilience is —beyond the clichés—and why it matters so profoundly for anxious young people ---and their parents. Dr Worsley also sh...

In this first Real Questions, Grounded Reflections episode, Jenny and David Brown slow down the conversation following the Parent Hope interview with Dr. Marshal Ballantine Jones. Together, they explore questions many parents are carrying: Is my child okay after what they’ve seen online? How do I talk about sexualised content without shame or panic? Is it too late to reset boundaries? With honesty...

When children are exposed to confronting sexualised online content, parents can be left reeling—worried about the impact, unsure what to do next, and tempted to jump into control mode. While Australia has now rolled out age restrictions for children and social media, much of the damage has already been done, leaving many families trying to work out how to respond. Yet children recover best when th...

In setting the tone for this repost, Jenny Brwon highlights why she thinks this conversation endures: Phil Klever’s long-term research shows that the most resilient families aren’t defined by perfect parenting but by steady, self-directed goals that anchor parents over the years. She underscores how small, thoughtful steps — rather than quick fixes — help parents stay less reactive, more connected...

In opening this repost, Jenny Brown highlights this episode as a standout for its clarity and compassion. Briony Scott’s reminder to see teens as emerging adults rather than fragile problems resonates deeply with parents feeling pressure to diagnose every wobble. Jenny lifts up the episode’s central idea: that parents can reduce anxiety — their own and their teen’s — by trusting development, stayi...

In introducing this repost, Jenny Brown points to Dr Anne-Maree Bickerton’s lighthouse metaphor as one of the most transformative ideas for parents facing intense distress. She reflects on how the shift from fear-driven responses to calm, connected presence can immediately change the emotional climate. Jenny emphasises that steadiness — not control — is a parent’s greatest asset during moments of...

As Australia begins new social media age restrictions, many parents are feeling the pressure to tighten control or worry about what this shift will mean for their children. In this repost of Reclaiming Calm Leadership in the Digital World , Jenny Brown invites us to take a different starting point: effective leadership begins with managing ourselves, not our children. This episode offers a steady,...

The holidays can bring out our best—and our most anxious—selves. Therapist and author Dr. Kathleen Smith (True to You; Everything Isn’t Terrible) will join Jenny Brown to discuss staying kind and self-defined when those predictable family tensions rise. How can parents handle sensing disapproval, differing values, and “helpful” relatives without losing themselves—or their sense of humor? Dr. Smith...

Grandparenting can be a gift—or a point of tension—depending on how generational differences are navigated. In this episode, Jenny Brown speaks with two special guests, Selden Illick and her daughter-in-law Alison Illick, about the subtle and powerful dynamics between grandparents, parents, and children. Drawing on Bowen family systems theory, they explore how patterns of anxiety, closeness, and l...

As parents, our worries can quietly slip onto our children’s shoulders. But what if there’s another way? This Mental Health Month (in our State: NSW), the Parent Hope Podcast explores how parents can support children’s well-being by first steadying themselves. Jenny Brown, founder and director of the Parent Hope Project, and Lauren Errington, executive Director of The Family Systems Institute, dra...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Briony Scott, renowned educator and advocate for young people, to unpack the growing tendency to pathologise normal teenage emotions. Are we too quick to label sadness as depression or worry as anxiety? Briony explores how this rush to intervene can sometimes do more harm than good—and what parents can do instead to raise emotionally resilient children. From n...

This episode explores how parents can become confident, empowered partners in their child’s education. Through insights from an educator and head of student wellbeing, we unpack the real challenges both parents and teachers face when trying to connect—and what helps bridge the gap. You'll hear practical strategies for building trust, improving communication, and creating a shared sense of pur...

How do you help teens to raise their own awareness to the impacts of their screen addictions and to motivate them to stop doing it if they're refusing or denying that the phone's the problem? In this follow up episode (see Episode 5), Vicki Wilkins and Jenny Brown respond to questions sent in at the end of a recent webinar. They offer practical advice, urging listeners to consider a shif...

In this timely episode,  facilitator Vicki Wilkins interviews Dr. Jenny Brown — founder of the Parent Hope Project — to explore how parents and educators can reclaim calm, confident leadership amidst the chaos of the digital age. Rather than focusing on fear-based data that leaves parents feeling overwhelmed or caught in  rigid control efforts, Dr. Brown offers a refreshing perspective: real influ...

Bridging the Gap: Parents Relating Positively to their Child’s  Mental Health Service In this episode, Jenny Brown and Dr Annemaree Bickerton explore how parents can effectively engage with mental health clinicians supporting their children. We discuss what parents can expect in terms of involvement, the different types of involvement that empower parents as key contributors to their child’s recov...

In this episode, we explore a modern parenting paradox: how to be a supportive parent without overdoing it. Joining us again is researcher and family systems therapist Phil Kelver from Kansas, USA, sharing insights from his 20-year study of 50 families. Together, we unpack his fascinating research about the effects of over-investing in our children, how parents can spot the subtle signs of doing t...

Discovering that your child is self-harming is understandably fear- inducing for any parent. Drawing on Bowen family systems theory, PHP invites parents to consider first how they are responding when safety fears are raised – rather than focusing on the details of the self-harm and diagnoses. In this podcast Jenny Brown interviews leading Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Annemaree Bickerton ab...

Goal setting – how parents setting applicable goals helps a family to function In this first episode of 2025, Jenny Brown interviews Philip Klever, a clinician and researcher from Kansas City in the USA.  Philip describes his research and what it reveals about the variations in what goals parents set and together they explore how goal settings and principles are connected for parents.  In the Pare...

In this rebroadcasted episode, from Season 2 Episode 7, Jenny is back in the hosting seat with guest Dan Papero. Dr Jenny Brown draws on Dan’s rich experience as a Bowen family systems scholar, teacher and clinician. They explore how our families are both the seedbed for symptoms and a garden of recovery. They explore how parents can contribute to their family becoming a garden for the sustainable...