Libsyn Directory

Ep. 105 [Revisited] - Gender, Emotion and Perfectionism: A conversation with Lisa Damour

Release Date: 08/13/2025

Ep. 167 - The Lifelong Anchor: Navigating the Messy Reality of Attachment

Parenting Understood

In this episode, after a brief hiatus, we reunite to dive deep into a topic that resonates both professionally and personally: attachment. While often discussed as a phenomenon of early infancy, we explore how attachment serves as a lifelong regulatory system. We discuss the "messy" reality of applying developmental theories to real-world parenting, the challenge of maintaining a "secure base" while fostering autonomy in adolescence, and how attachment styles are fluid and capable of change.

Ep. 133 [Revisited] - Dr. Niobe Way: Rebels with a Cause

Parenting Understood

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Niobe Way about her new book, Rebels with a Cause, which expands on her earlier work about boys and friendships. Niobe explores "boy culture," a term she uses to describe the privileging of stereotypically masculine qualities over feminine ones. As she discusses, this creates a crisis of connection for everyone, not just boys and men. Niobe further emphasizes that "hard" and "soft" skills are equally important for being a full human, and should stop being gendered. She also discusses how this cultural imbalance regarding skills affects...

Ep. 70 [Revisited] - Motherhood in America with Jessica Grose

Parenting Understood

We are thrilled to be joined in our first episode of the New Year by Jessica Grose. Jessica is an opinion writer at The New York Times who writes a popular newsletter on parenting. Jessica was the founding editor of Lenny, the email newsletter and website. She also writes about women’s health, culture, politics and grizzly bears. She was named one of LinkedIn’s Next Wave top professionals 35 and under in 2016 and a Glamour “Game Changer” in 2020 for her coverage of parenting in the pandemic. She is the author of the novels Soulmates and Sad Desk...

Ep. 166 - Navigating the parenthood transition: A conversation with Jessica Hill of the Parent Collective

Parenting Understood

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we speak with Jessica Hill, founder of The Parent Collective, to discuss the vital yet often neglected postpartum period. Jessica highlights the isolation many new parents face and emphasizes the importance of building a support network before the baby arrives, rather than waiting for the chaotic fourth trimester. We explore practical strategies for preparation, specifically the need for honest partner communication regarding the division of labor to prevent future resentment. Jessica advocates for establishing a "system" early on so both parents...

Ep. 165 - Navigating Online Play with Sony Interactive’s Sean Whitcomb

Parenting Understood

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we speak with Sean Whitcomb from Sony Interactive Entertainment about supporting children in safe and balanced online play. Sean discusses PlayStation’s “safe and inclusive by design” philosophy, emphasizing connection over control through tools like the PlayStation Family App. We explore how gaming may foster real friendships, teach digital responsibility, and strengthen family relationships. Sean also addresses moderation, screen time, and evolving play habits across ages. For more information please visit and .

Ep. 164 - Flourishing as a preemie parent: A conversation with Jodi Klaristenfeld

Parenting Understood

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we speak with Jodi, founder of Flrrish, about her journey as a NICU mom after her daughter was born at 28 weeks. Jodi shares the shock, fear, and identity shifts that followed her daughter's early arrival, as well as the loneliness many NICU parents experience. She explains how these challenges inspired her to support other preemie families through coaching, community, and guidance navigating early intervention services. Lastly, we discuss parental mental health, the stigma around seeking help, and the importance of meeting children—and...

Ep. 163- The power of validation in parenting: A conversation with Dr. Raphael

Parenting Understood

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we are joined by Dr. Debbie Raphael, a child and adult psychiatrist, to discuss how her personal experiences as a parent intertwine with her professional insights. Dr. Raphael shares how becoming a mother during her child psychiatry fellowship deepened her understanding of validation, attunement, and mentalization—skills that foster healthy emotional development in children. She explains how parents’ ability to validate their child’s feelings builds self-trust and resilience from early childhood through adolescence. The conversation also explores...

Ep. 162 - Navigating Separation at the Start of the School Year

Parenting Understood

In this episode, we speak with early childhood educator, Lucy Chen, about the challenges of separation anxiety during the start of school. We explore how separation begins as early as infancy with object permanence and continues to evolve as children enter preschool and beyond. Lucy emphasizes that separation is not “one and done” but an ongoing process tied to trust, attachment, and new environments. Teachers play a key role in creating safe, predictable routines, building relationships, and honoring the wide range of ways children express their emotions—whether outwardly through tears...

Ep. 161 - The Cost of Caregiving: A Conversation with Naaz Nichols of Care.com

Parenting Understood

In this episode, we sit down with Naaz Nichols of Care.com to discuss the growing pressures on working parents, especially those in the “sandwich generation” caring for both children and aging parents. Nichols highlights alarming trends, including a sharp decline in mothers’ workforce participation driven by return-to-office mandates, high childcare costs, and limited flexibility. She underscores the urgent need for affordable childcare and senior care, workplace equity policies, and cultural shifts that normalize flexibility and caregiving support. The conversation explores the...

Ep. 58 [Revisited] - How to Support Young Children at the Start of the School Year

Parenting Understood

In this last episode of our back to school series, we speak about starting a new school from the perspectives of parent and child. We draw on our own personal experiences, as well as research in this conversation. We pay special attention to the role of social capital in the transition to a new school year. We also speak on best practices for speaking with our children about how their day went and what they have learned beyond just asking “How was school today?”.

More Episodes

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Damour about the emotional lives of teenagers. We pay especial attention to the pressures that both genders feel yet how those may be manifested differently across genders, at times. Dr. Damour unpacks parent-child relationships, especially the mother-daughter relationship, and the role of identification in that relationship as girls mature. We also discuss how research methods may not always allow for the identification of areas of concern for boys.

Dr. Lisa Damour is the author of three New York Times best sellers: Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. She co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association. Dr. Damour is also a regular contributor to The New York Times and CBS News.

Dr. Damour serves as a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University and has written numerous academic papers, chapters, and books related to education and child development. She maintains a clinical practice and also speaks to schools, professional organizations, and corporate groups around the world on the topics of child and adolescent development, family mental health, and adult well-being.

Dr. Damour graduated with honors from Yale University and worked for the Yale Child Study Center before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. She has been a fellow at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the University of Michigan’s Power Foundation. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters.

To learn more about Dr. Damour and her work please visit https://drlisadamour.com/ and follow her on instagram @lisa.damour

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