Your Parent Coach by Mel White

This episode of Your Parent Coach is one every parent of tweens and teens needs to hear. I’m joined by Kristi McVee, a child safety educator, author, and founder of Kristi McVee Child Safety Education, to talk about helping young people stay safe in a world that’s changing faster than many of us can keep up with. We dive into the online risks parents may not realise are happening, the situations t...

It can feel exhausting and confusing when your teen pushes you away , especially when you’re trying to support them. In this episode, I explore why teens often resist help, what this behaviour actually means, and how parents can respond in a way that protects connection rather than damaging it. Instead of focusing on how to “get through” to your teen, we shift the lens to understanding their need...

In this episode, I’m joined by ceremonial guide and author Bianca Caruana to explore how we can better support your daughter/s through one of the most significant transitions of their lives - puberty. Rather than something to simply “get through,” Bianca invites us to see puberty as a powerful rite of passage. Through her work at The Goddess Temple in Brisbane, she creates spaces where mothers and...

In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by Julieta Duvall — a soulful rebel, Human Design guide, mum, and long-time flight attendant — for a deep and refreshing conversation about parenting teens through intuition, self-regulation, and trust. Julieta shares how Human Design can be used as a supportive ally rather than a rigid system, helping parents better understand themselves and their...

In today’s episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by relationship coach and podcast host Monica Tanner , and we dive into something parents don’t talk about enough, how our adult relationships directly impact teens. We explore how communication patterns, conflict, and emotional connection between parents shape the emotional safety of a home, and what teens are really learning from the relations...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Kimberly Rich — a grief educator, death doula, end-of-life companion, and founder of Tomorrow Mourning. After the sudden loss of her mother in 2021, Kim dedicated her work to changing how we approach death, dying, and grief, with a strong focus on supporting children and families through loss. We talk about why grief is a guaranteed part of life — and yet somethi...

In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by Teresa Ramirez — award-winning author of Raising Kind Children and founder of Journey in Kindness — for a powerful conversation about how kindness can quite literally save lives. Teresa shares what led her to make reducing violence in schools her life’s work, and why kindness is not “soft” or passive, but a practical, evidence-based tool that sh...

In this episode, I’m joined by someone very close to my heart — my sister-in-law, Taylor. Taylor is currently in high school and about to step into Year 11, so we decided to have a very real, very honest conversation about navigating high school from both sides. We talk about what it’s actually like starting high school, making friends, feeling overwhelmed, and finding your way when everything fee...

In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by Safiya Omosanya, a mum of three and a trauma-informed cycle-breaking coach, for a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to break generational patterns. Safiya shares how her middle daughter became the catalyst for her conscious parenting journey, and why learning to regulate herself first completely transformed her relationship w...

In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by Stacey Schaffer — a child, adolescent, and young adult therapist with over 20 years’ experience supporting families through grief, trauma, and anxiety. Stacey brings both professional insight and lived experience to this conversation, and we talk about what children carry in their bodies long before they have words for it, why behaviour is often...

In today’s episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by Leora Aksman-Glosz and Oriana Blanco from r econnect 2thrive — two deeply experienced practitioners who bring over 35 years of combined experience supporting children, families, and educators. This conversation is a beautiful reminder that parenting isn’t about fixing behaviour and it’s about understanding what sits underneath it. This episod...

Welcome back to Your Parent Coach — and welcome to 2026. I honestly can’t believe I’m saying that. In this short episode, I wanted to gently ease us back into the year together. Not to reflect or set goals, but to pause, take a breath, and acknowledge just how intense the Christmas–New Year period can be when you’re parenting tweens and teens. If you’re feeling exhausted, flat, overstimulated, or...

In this very timely episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by Melbourne-based conscious parenting mentor and mindfulness practitioner Kavita Patidar . As a mother of two, Kavita brings a deeply intuitive, grounded, and compassionate lens to raising children in a world filled with screens, social media, and constant digital noise. Together, we explore how to protect childhood, nurture emotional...

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Veronique Elefant-Yanni , a clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience supporting children, parents, and families worldwide. Dr. Veronique introduces her transformative 3D Human Therapy™ framework , a holistic model that helps parents understand the emotional dynamics driving their child’s behaviour, without over-pathologising. She explains...

In today’s powerful conversation, I sit down with Mark Yeowell from Digital Tweens , a leading expert on children’s early smartphone use, to unpack the real impacts of giving tweens their first phone. Drawing on his UNSW doctoral research and 30+ years in education, Mark shares what actually changes for kids when they step into the digital world and why he calls this stage Digital Puberty . We exp...

In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m talking about one of the most powerful shifts you can make in your parenting, moving from criticism and control to collaboration and curiosity. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Why won’t they just listen?” or “Why isn’t what I’ve taught them working anymore?” — this episode is for you. I dive into what’s really going on inside your teen’s develop...

This week, I’m joined by the incredible Alisha Wood, high school teacher, teen wellbeing advocate, and founder of Mentoring Young Minds , a Sydney-based tutoring and mentoring company that’s redefining what support for young people looks like. I loved this chat because Alisha’s mission aligns so strongly with mine: to remind both parents and teens that marks don’t define you , and that when a chil...

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Your Parent Coach , I sit down with licensed therapist and teen expert Katie K. May , founder of Creative Healing Teen Support Centres and author of You're on fire, it's fine. Katie has helped thousands of teens navigate depression, anxiety, and self-harm and today, she joins me to share her insights on how parents can best support their highly emotional t...

In this episode, I sit down with Wayne Holdsworth , founder of SmackTalk , to talk about transforming grief into action, the importance of real human connection, and how we can all play a part in saving lives through better listening. We cover: Wayne’s personal journey and how the tragic loss of his son Mac sparked the SmackTalk mission What a “real conversation” looks like in moments of pain and...

In this special reflective episode, Jess takes over the mic to interview Mel about a viral AI trend that inspired her to reconnect with her younger self — literally. The trend merges a person’s current photo with one from childhood, creating a powerful image that sparks self-reflection and inner child conversations. Mel shares what it was like to see her “Little Mel” photo, what emotions came up,...

In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I’m joined by educator-turned-entrepreneur, speaker, and soon-to-be author Colleen Souza . With decades of experience in teaching, leadership, parenting, and life, Colleen is bringing her warmth and humour to share the lessons behind her upcoming book, Living by the Mantras: Common Sense Wisdom for an Extraordinary Life . We explore how Colleen distilled year...

In this weeks episode I am talking about - friendship transitions, which are some of the hardest challenges that teens face. Whether it’s their best friend moving away, your family relocating, or the big leap from primary school to high school without their close friends, these shifts can feel like their whole world has been turned upside down. I will break down three common scenarios where teens...

Welcome back to a brand new season of Your Parent Coach ! 🎉 In this quick mini-episode, I’m diving into practical strategies you and your teen can use to stay calm, connected, and in control during heated moments. You’ll learn: Why creating a pause or stop-gap is the secret to moving from reaction to response. How to use the Colour Method to signal “I need space” in your home. A grounding trick c...

Anxiety in teens is more common than many parents realise, and it doesn’t always look like worry. Sometimes it shows up as irritability, defiance, or withdrawal. In this episode of Your Parent Coach , I sit down with Sophia Vale Galano, a licensed clinical social worker and author of the upcoming book Calming Teenage Anxiety: A Parent's Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry (releasing Sep...

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussion around suicide, mental illness and self-harm. Despite more counsellors, resources, and “expert” advice than ever before, rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide in teens keep climbing. So… what’s going wrong? And what actually helps? In this episode, I’m joined by Will Dobud — therapist, researcher, parent, and co-author of the upcoming book Kids These Days...