In this episode, I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Kline for a deep dive into motivational interviewing—an approach to communication that helps parents move from fixing and convincing to connecting and collaborating. We talk about how to have hard conversations (think: hygiene, responsibility, and independence) in a way that respects our kids’ autonomy and actually opens the door to change.

Emily brings nearly 20 years of experience working with families, has taught at Boston University and Harvard Medical School, and is the author of The School of Hard Talks. She shares practical, compassionate insights that any parent navigating the teen and young adult years will find incredibly useful.

About Dr. Emily Kline

Dr. Emily Kline is a clinical psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience working with individuals and families in community mental health settings. She has held faculty positions at Boston University and Harvard Medical School and led research studies focused on early course psychosis, adolescent and young adult mental health, and parent-focused interventions.

Dr. Kline is the author of The School of Hard Talks: How to Have Real Conversations with Your (Almost Grown) Kids and the creator of The School of Hard Talks Online. She has published dozens of articles appearing in a range of peer-reviewed scholarly journals, textbooks, and popular magazines, and she has spoken with audiences all over the world about mental health and communication.

Dr. Kline completed her bachelor’s degree at Haverford College, her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and her clinical and post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School. She lives in Boston with her family.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Licensed family therapist and international consultant on high sensitivity Alane Freund explains what high sensitivity is, how it shows up in children, teens, and adults, and gives her insights on how parents can help a highly sensitive child flourish.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I’m talking with clinical psychologist and author Alissa Jerud about her new book, Emotion Savvy Parenting. We get into how parents can better understand and manage their own emotions—especially in those intense, in-the-moment situations—so they can show up more effectively for their kids. Alissa shares her ART tools (Accept, Regulate, Tolerate), and we talk about strategies for staying grounded during emotional storms, including the ones that hit in very public places.

 About Alissa Jerud, PhD

Alissa Jerud, PhD is a mom of two kids, a licensed clinical psychologist, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of Emotion-Savvy Parenting: A Shame-Free Guide to Navigating Emotional Storms and Deepening Connection. In her private practice, Dr. Jerud specializes in highly effective, exposure-based treatments for anxiety-related disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder. Additionally, she specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills training and particularly enjoys helping other parents learn research-backed strategies for accepting, regulating, and tolerating their emotions, as well as their children’s. Dr. Jerud also trains other clinicians in exposure-based treatments and frequently gives workshops on anxiety, stress, mental health, parenting, and social support to companies large and small.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clinical psychologist and co-developer of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Dr. Adele Lafrance, talks about her new book, What to Say to Kids When Nothing Seems to Work, a practical guide for parents and caregivers.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by beloved Australian parenting expert and author Maggie Dent to explore what it really takes to raise resilient, emotionally healthy teens in today’s ever-changing world. Drawing on her experiences as a high school teacher, mother of four boys, and trusted voice in the parenting space, Maggie shares practical, compassionate guidance for navigating adolescence with insight, humor, and heart. We dive into the realities of the teenage brain, how the digital age is reshaping childhood, and why curiosity, connection, and unconditional love are more important than ever in building strong, supportive relationships with our kids.

About Maggie Dent

Commonly known as the ‘queen of common sense’, Maggie Dent has become one of Australia’s favourite parenting authors, educators and podcasters. She has a particular interest in the early years, adolescence and resilience, and is an undisputed ‘boy champion’.

Maggie’s experience includes teaching, counselling, and working in palliative care/funeral services and suicide prevention. Maggie is an advocate for the healthy, common-sense raising of children in order to strengthen families and communities. She is a passionate, positive voice for children of all ages.

Maggie is the host of The Good Enough Dad podcast and hosted six seasons of the award-winning ABC podcast, Parental As Anything. In 2025, she appears in the genre-bending ABC TV series about the challenges of parenting modern tweens/teens, The Role of a Lifetime. She is the author of 10 major books, plus several other e-books and a prolific creator of resources for parents, adolescents, teachers, early childhood educators and others who are interested in quietly improving their lives. Her books include the 2024 release Help Me Help My Teen: supporting our teens through tough times, Girlhood: Raising our little girls to be healthy, happy and heard, Parental As Anything (a book based on her podcast released in 2021), and her bestselling boys’ books From Boys to Men and Mothering Our Boys. 

Maggie is the proud mother of four wonderful sons, and an enthusiastic and grateful grandmother. She lives in the South Coast region of NSW with her good bloke Steve Mountain and their dear little dog, Mr Hugo Walter Dent.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, talks about the relationship between ADHD and sleep challenges, and offers strategies for children struggling with sleep.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this conversation, I talk with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Naomi Fisher about self-directed education, and why it can be such a powerful approach for neurodivergent kids, especially those with a PDA profile. Naomi shares why agency is so important in learning, how traditional school can chip away at a child’s self-worth, and what it looks like when we truly support demand-avoidant kids in ways that work for them. We also get into the challenges parents face when stepping outside the norm and why keeping the parent-child relationship at the center is key.

About Dr. Naomi Fisher

Dr. Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist who specialises in trauma, autism and alternative education. She is the author of several books including When the Naughty Step Makes Things Worse and the Teenager’s Guide to Burnout. She runs webinars for parents and more of her work can be found at www.naomifisher.co.uk

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special mini-episode, Debbie reflects on the Tilt Parenting revolution nearly 10 years after it began and invites listeners to complete a short survey to help assess what’s working and what still needs to change for families raising neurodivergent kids today.

This is your chance to help shape the future of the movement to shift the parenting paradigm and ensure it continues to create more ease, possibility, and joy for neurodivergent children and their families.

Please share this episode and the survey!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I’m joined by Zach Morris for a thoughtful conversation

About Debbie:

Debbie Reber, MA is a parenting activist, bestselling author, speaker, and the CEO and founder of TiLT Parenting, a resource, top-performing podcast,

About Zach

Zach Morris is a thought leader in education who is committed to helping

Things You'll Learn from This Episode

 Resources Mentioned

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices