Ep. 102 [Revisited] - How can we develop emotional self-awareness: A discussion with Dr. Marc Brackett
Release Date: 05/27/2026
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Ep. 160 [Revised] - How to navigate perimenopause, menopause, and life’s next period with Lauren Tetenbaum
Parenting Understood
In this episode, we welcome author Lauren Tetenbaum to discuss her new book, "Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period." Lauren, a perinatal mental health specialist, shares her motivation for writing the book: a shocking realization of how little she, and many women, knew about this significant life stage. We delve into common misunderstandings surrounding perimenopause and menopause, emphasizing that symptoms like mood changes, irritability, and brain fog can begin as early as the late 30s and are often dismissed. The conversation highlights the...
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Ep. 172 - The psychology of infertility and new parenthood: A conversation with Dr. Mary Riddle
Parenting Understood
In this episode, reproductive mental health expert Dr. Mary Riddle joins us to explore the psychological dimensions of infertility, new parenthood, and donor conception — drawing on both clinical expertise and her own fertility journey. Dr. Riddle reframes infertility as a genuine psychological crisis, not just a medical one and discusses reasons for dropping out of treatment. She further discusses how partners often grieve differently, and assuming otherwise creates distance. After finally conceiving, parents may face anxious pregnancies and guilt around normal feelings of ambivalence —...
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Ep. 171 - Am I Losing My Mind or Is It Perimenopause? The Truth About Anxiety, ADHD, and Your Mental Health
Parenting Understood
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Agnes K. Simone, a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Olea Women's Health in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Dr. Simone specializes in integrative, hormone-informed psychiatric care for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and midlife — a space she says is deeply underserved. After training at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute and the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Dr. Simone noticed a recurring gap in her practice: women were coming in with new anxiety, mood changes, and cognitive concerns, yet the hormonal connection was...
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Ep. 170 - Supporting Families from the Very Beginning — A Conversation with Nitzia Logothetis, Founder of the Seleni Institute
Parenting Understood
In this episode, we speak with the founder of the Seleni Institute, Nitzia Logothetis, a New York City nonprofit devoted to maternal and family mental health, about the invisible emotional toll of infertility and the gaps in women's mental health care. Founded in 2011, Seleni grew from the conviction that supporting children begins with supporting parents, and from Nitzia’s own experience discovering she had no guaranteed parental leave while pregnant and working in a community mental health clinic. Today, Seleni runs a clinic serving up to 120 patients weekly, an online resource hub...
info_outline![Ep. 102 [Revisited] - How can we develop emotional self-awareness: A discussion with Dr. Marc Brackett show art](https://assets.libsyn.com/item/41442710?height=50&width=50)
Ep. 102 [Revisited] - How can we develop emotional self-awareness: A discussion with Dr. Marc Brackett
Parenting Understood
In this episode, Dr. Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel, discusses the importance of emotional self-awareness, and explains that emotional self-awareness is the ability to identify and label our emotions. This skill is essential for understanding our own emotional states and making informed decisions. He explains that it can lead to improved mental health, stronger relationships, and better decision-making. Emotionally self-aware individuals are better able to manage their emotions, resolve conflict, and build trust with others. He further describes how the How We Feel app helps users...
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Ep. 169 - Self-Care Beyond A Trip To The Spa
Parenting Understood
Michelle and Erin recorded a podcast episode discussing emotional exhaustion and burnout in parenting, focusing on the importance of mom friendships and community support. They explored how meaningful connections with other parents can provide validation, reduce stress, and benefit both parents and children, particularly during adolescence when multiple attachment figures become important. The conversation covered practical strategies for building these friendships, including starting small and being patient with the process, while also addressing how digital technology has impacted both...
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Ep. 168 - Building Better Behavior Through Play with Dr. Kim
Parenting Understood
We welcome back Dr. Kim Van Dusen to Parenting Understood. Dr. Kim discusses her newly released parenting book centered on creative, play-based strategies for building better behavior and deeper connection with children, primarily targeting parents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers of kids between the ages of 3 and 10. The book weaves together three evidence-based frameworks — including solution-focused therapy and positive behavior interventions — into what the author describes as a "trifecta" for more peaceful, connected parenting. A core message throughout is that children...
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Ep. 20 [Revisited] - Making Parental Decisions through Data with Professor Emily Oster
Parenting Understood
We are thrilled to be re-airing our episode with Emily Oster on making parenting decisions through data. Emily is a Professor of Economics at Brown University and the author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, and The Family Firm. She holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard. Prior to being at Brown she was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Emily’s books analyze the data behind choices on parenting and pregnancy. She is also founder and CEO of Parent Data, which provides information for parents, people who want to be parents, or anyone who likes to do their...
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Ep. 37 [Revisited] - Utilizing Journalism for Parenting with Melinda Wenner Moyer
Parenting Understood
In today’s episode, we are excited to be joined by Melinda Wenner Moyer. Melinda Wenner Moyer is a contributing editor at Scientific American magazine and a regular contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, and other national magazines and newspapers. She is a faculty member in the Science, Health & Environmental Reporting program at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Her first book, How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, was published in July 2021 by J.P. Putnam’s Sons. We speak with Melinda on her research, publications, and being a mother. We also...
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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.
info_outlineIn this episode, Dr. Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel, discusses the importance of emotional self-awareness, and explains that emotional self-awareness is the ability to identify and label our emotions. This skill is essential for understanding our own emotional states and making informed decisions. He explains that it can lead to improved mental health, stronger relationships, and better decision-making. Emotionally self-aware individuals are better able to manage their emotions, resolve conflict, and build trust with others.
He further describes how the How We Feel app helps users develop emotional self-awareness. The app prompts users to label their emotions and provides feedback on their accuracy. This process helps users to become more aware of their emotional responses to different situations.
Marc is founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine at Yale University. As a researcher for over 20 years, Marc has focused on the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, health, and performance. Most recently, with Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann, Marc and his team co-created the Apple award-winning app, HowWeFeel, that was designed to teach emotion skills and enhance well-being.
Marc is the lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by over 4,500 schools across the United States and in other countries, including Australia, China, England, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. RULER, which has reached over 4 million children, infuses social and emotion learning into the immune system of schools by enhancing how school administrators lead, educators teach, students learn, and families parent.Marc is also the co-founder of Oji Life Lab, a corporate learning firm that develops innovative digital learning systems for emotional intelligence.
For more information on Dr. Brackett please visit:
For additional information on the How We Feel app please visit