The Kindness Podcast

The Kindness Podcast

Episode Overview:

In this episode, Nicole talks with Dr. Caitlin Ryan about what real support looks like for families with an LGBTQ child. Dr. Ryan has spent decades listening to young people and their caregivers, and she brings a clear, grounded view of what helps and what harms.

They focus on the work of the Family Acceptance Project, which has shown how everyday family behaviors strongly influence a child’s health, safety and sense of belonging. Nicole and Dr. Ryan talk about why small relational shifts matter so much, why families sometimes react in painful ways without meaning to, and how practical guidance can change outcomes for both kids and parents.

A key part of the conversation explores the tension families feel when faith or cultural beliefs seem at odds with their child’s identity. Dr. Ryan shares how she has seen families honor those beliefs while still choosing understanding, curiosity and love, and how that choice often opens the door to healing.

The episode returns to one guiding question. What does kindness look like for families who want to support their LGBTQ child? Dr. Ryan offers simple, realistic steps that bring the answer within reach.

Our guest is LGBTQ expert, Dr. Caitlin Ryan.

Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW is a clinical social worker, educator and researcher who has worked on LGBTQ health and mental health since the the 1970s and whose work on LGBTQ health has shaped policy and practice for LGBTQ children and youth. She directs the Family Acceptance Project® (FAP) at San Francisco State University – a research, education, intervention and policy project – to help ethnically, racially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBTQ children. Dr. Ryan and her team conducted the first research on LGBTQ youth and families and developed the first evidence-based family support model to help diverse families and caregivers to prevent health risks and to promote well-being for LGBTQ children and youth in the context of their families, cultures and faith traditions. Dr. Ryan’s work has been recognized by national professional groups in the fields of counseling, medicine, nursing, psychiatry, psychology and social work, and from civic, LGBTQ, advocacy, arts and faith-based groups. This includes recognition for her work by the American Psychological Association’s Division 44 that gave her the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award for groundbreaking research on LGBTQ youth and families, by the American Psychiatric Association and by the Human Rights Campaign for lifetime contributions to well-being for LGBTQ youth. Dr. Ryan is implementing FAP’s trauma-informed family support model across systems of care and has trained more than 130,000 families, providers, religious leaders and youth on FAP’s family support approach across the U.S. and in other countries. She works with organizations, faith communities, families and providers to integrate FAP’s family-based support model to build healthy futures for LGBTQ children, youth and young adults across disciplines, services and systems.

https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org

https://familyproject.sfsu.edu

Behaviors that help/behaviors that hurt posters: https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/posters

https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/publications

In Season 7, Episode 3 of The Kindness Podcast, Nicole talks with Adam Schluter.

Together, they answer the questions: What does kindness look like when we're talking to strangers? and What does kindness look like when we're trying to connect in a world that feels disconnected?

Our guest, Adam Schluter has spent over eight years independently exploring the dying art of genuine human connection – unfunded. It’s not a trick or special skill—he’s an artist, not a psychologist—driven by the intrinsic value of something he believes the world is losing. He’s been published multiple times in National Geographic and given a TEDx talk on it (below) so his spontaneous and intuitive approach belies the emotional intelligence required to actually do what he does so naturally. Adam’s lens on life is both curious and compelling. However, it’s his ability to hold space for others in a way that enables people to candidly share their own perspectives with us that is so powerful. In listening radically to each other in a respectful and undivided space people are able to share their beautiful, humanising vulnerability and wisdom with us. In capturing this seemingly dying art of genuine connection, we aim to celebrate something we all need as humans – real, face-to-face community.

Be sure to check out these links:

• To the whole project: hellofromastranger.com
• For the Monday Night Dinners: https://www.hellofromastranger.com/monday-night-dinner
  • The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPT4qlo-PZ0

The documentary on the whole project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W72niMR2Dwo&t=4s

The Kindness Podcast

Episode: What Does Kindness Look Like When We’re Talking to Our Teens? Guest: Shanna Reyes, MS, LCMHCS

Episode Overview

Talking to teens can bring out the best — and sometimes the worst — in us. In this episode, host Nicole J. Phillips talks with trauma expert Shanna Reyes about how kindness can reshape the way we communicate with our kids, especially when conversations get uncomfortable.

They explore how to connect instead of control, how to set expectations when college kids return home for the holidays, and what to do when we inevitably get it wrong. Because kindness in parenting isn’t about saying all the right things — it’s about being willing to repair when we don’t.

About the Guest

Shanna Reyes is the founder of Counseling Integrity and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor with nearly two decades of experience specializing in complex PTSD, dissociation, and developmental trauma. She combines cutting-edge neuroscience with deep clinical intuition to help clients heal at the root level.

She is one of only four EMDR Institute Facilitators in North Carolina and serves as Co-Coordinator for the NC Trauma Recovery Network (EMDR HAP). Shanna is also EMDRIA Certified and trained in Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), Parts Work/Ego State Therapy, and Transactional Analysis/Redecision Therapy.

Key Takeaways

• How to open conversations when your teen seems shut down or defensive.
• Why setting expectations before college kids come home can prevent conflict.
• How to recover when you say something you regret.
• Why repair — not perfection — builds lasting connection.
• Simple ways to bring curiosity and calm to tough moments.

Resources Mentioned

• Counseling Integrity – Shanna Reyes
• The Gottman Institute – Parenting Resources
• The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline by Dr. Dan Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson (“Repair, repair, repair.”)

What does kindness look like when we can't fix what's wrong in someone's life? In this moving kickoff to Season 7 of The Kindness Podcast, host Nicole Phillips sits down with trauma chaplain Robyn Hare, who spends her days walking into the hardest moments imaginable — emergency rooms, trauma bays, and hospital waiting areas where lives change in an instant.

Nicole and Robyn talk about what it really means to show up for people when their world has fallen apart, how to offer comfort instead of control, and the smallest gestures that bring light to unbearable situations.

If you’ve ever wondered what to do when someone you love is hurting — or how to stay kind and grounded in a world that feels heavy — this conversation is for you.

Be warned -- Nicole and Robyn are good friends and find humor in almost everything.

We thought you'd want to know about this new podcast! You can listen today wherever you get your podcasts and at wowgod.com

Hear the brand-new podcast called "Wow God Stories", with hosts, Lisa WIlliams and Ann Sorenson. This podcast reminds us of a God who is able, alive, and active in our lives. https://www.wowgod.com/podcasts/wow-god-stories/ Click the link, or subscribe on Apple, Google, or Spotify today.

Join us for a heartfelt and inspiring episode of The Kindness Podcast, as host Nicole Phillips bids farewell for a season. In this special episode, producer Jason Rackow sits down with Nicole for an interview, where she shares some of the most valuable kindness lessons she's learned over the years.

From touching anecdotes to personal experiences, Nicole opens up about the transformative power of kindness and how it has shaped her life. Through heartfelt storytelling, she reflects on the importance of empathy, compassion, and God's kindness towards her 

Whether you're a longtime listener or new to the show, this episode is not to be missed. Tune in and be inspired by Nicole's journey of kindness and the lessons she imparts along the way.

Steve Sjogren is the founding pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife Janie started with a small group of 5 that ultimately grew under his leadership to a weekend attendance of over 6,000 attendees. During this journey, Steve has mentored numerous church planters and leaders.  

Steve’s first book, Conspiracy of Kindness, has been translated into several languages with more in the works. His first book has sold over 300,000 copies.  Conspiracy of Kindness has gained attention across a broad base of church leaders as an effective and creative approach to sharing the love of Christ. Steve’s passion for evangelism, church planting, and leadership development are reflected in his writing. You can connect with him at https://www.stevesjogren.com 

Author of the Mom's Choice Gold Award honorees What's Under Your Cape? and the picture book Mr. Quigley's Keys, Barbara Gruener is a bilingual educator, speaker, coach and beloved school counselor who works passionately to influence school culture. Barbara is in her 38th year in education. Barbara grew up on her family's dairy farm in Wisconsin, but today home is Texas, where she and her husband John raised their three now-adult children. Connect with Barbara at https://barbaragruenerauthor.com.