If you’re the parent of an adult child who has considered, possibly even attempted suicide, this episode is for you. If your adult child is severely depressed and you worry about whether they've considered suicide, this episode is for you. However, if this is not your adult child, I know that you will still find it incredibly interesting because my guest is not just an expert on the subject, but has lived through this experience and her story is deeply moving and inspiring. Mental...

Today marks one year that this podcast was born and I am celebrating it with a very special guest. In this heartfelt episode, a 25-year-old young adult shares her honest insight into what it’s really like to grow up today, the challenges, the pressures, the mental energy, the importance of communication, self-care, friendships, therapy and most importantly what young adults need from their parents to feel seen, supported, and understood. Often times, the deepest truths come from the peo...

Parental estrangement is one of the most painful and complex experiences a parent can go through, especially when an adult child goes no contact. It’s a situation filled with unanswered questions, shame, guilt, and the aching silence of disconnection. In this follow-up episode, we reconnect with a mother who previously shared her personal experience with estrangement from her adult children. This time, she returns with an update, but we’re not here to give away the ending. Instead, we t...

If you’ve tried everything and your adult child is still struggling to launch, you’re not alone. You’re part of a very large group of parents quietly suffering in silence, wondering what else they can possibly do. Today, I revisit my very first “Failure to Launch” episode and go through the 15 signs that reveal just how serious things are at home for your adult child. I explain why, if nothing has worked so far, what you can do differently to finally see change. The question is, how lon...

Isolation has quietly become one of the most serious threats to young adults today. In this episode, I’m joined by author and speaker Elaine Uskoski to talk about how loneliness and social disconnection are impacting kids today. The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared loneliness a public health crisis, warning that social isolation can raise the risk of depression, addiction, heart disease, dementia, and even premature death. But for many young adults, spending hours alone in their room - ...

Most parents I speak to share the same story; their young adult has so much potential but struggles with low self-confidence, fear of failure, lack of motivation, anxiety, and dependence that keeps them from moving forward in life. In this episode, we’re talking about what confidence really is, how it shows up when it’s missing, and why it’s one of the most powerful traits your adult child can develop. More importantly, you’ll learn 8 confidence-boosting strategies for adult children that are...

In this episode, I sit down with transformational life coach Nicole Weston to talk about the mother wound and how the relationships we had with our mothers continue to influence our identity, our confidence, and how we show up as parents. Nicole shares the signs that we may be carrying an unhealed mother wound, and discussed how this can affect the way we raise our own children. Most importantly, Nicole offers insight and practical ways to begin the healing process, so we can brea...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Janet Krebs, speaker, HR consultant, educational strategist, and 4X best-selling author who empowers parents and influencers to lead with confidence, self-reliance, and heart, blending practical leadership tools with real-world parenting strategies. We talk about why parenting is leadership and how parents can raise strong, confident, and independent adults. Janet shares her insights on the essential life skills kids need to thrive, the 3 C’...

If you grew up with a narcissistic parent or experienced childhood trauma, you may still feel the effects today most notably in how you parent your own children. In this episode of LAUNCH, I sit down with Certified Inner Child Reparenting Coach Maria Riegger to talk about how healing past trauma can not only transform the way you raise your kids but build an "unshakeable" foundation. We cover what it really means to heal childhood trauma, how unresolved wounds from a narcissistic mom or dad c...

Are you a mature parent wondering if you’re financially prepared for retirement? Maybe you still have a few working years ahead, but you know planning for your retirement should be a priority. Or perhaps retirement is already on your mind, but you’re worried it could be delayed because your adult kids are still living at home. My guest today is Eric Mangold, founder of Argosy Wealth Management. I'll warn you, this might not be the sexiest interview - I mean, who loves talking about money? But...

One of the hardest parts about being a parent is watching your adult child move through life feeling hopeless, stuck in a negativity loop about how bad their life is. You can’t give them confidence or purpose but you can model a practice proven by neuroscience to change the brain’s chemistry. In this episode, I'll explain how something as simple as practicing gratitude impacts their brain, interrupts their ruminating thoughts, lifts their mood, reduces their worries, improves their slee...

Resilience and emotional regulation are two of the most critical life skills a young adult needs, but how do they develop and what role do parents play? In this episode, I sit down with Miki Johnston, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of experience working with teens, young adults, and their families. Together, we explore why so many young adults today struggle with handling emotions, coping with setbacks, and bouncing back from life’s challenges and what parents can do to ...

Divorce is never easy but what you never expected was how it would impact your adult children. In this episode, Divorce Coach, Therapist, Mediator, and Co-Parenting Expert Jill Barnett Kaufman joins me to talk about what parents need to know when navigating divorce. We touch on so many issues; the benefits of mediation, the importance of communication, managing the change in living arrangements, not getting in the middle, the guilt, the money and more. Whether your divorce is high...

Sometimes the most powerful parenting lessons don’t come from experts or books, they come from the kids who have already lived through the consequences of what they didn’t get at home. Decades ago, I read an article about a group of troubled youth who shared what they wish their parents had done differently and what they needed the most from them. Their words are just as relevant today as they were back then. I want to share their suggestions with you as I believe they echo a tru...

Have you ever heard terms like “boundaries,” “holding space,” or “emotional co-regulation,” and thought to yourself, “They keep throwing those words around but I really don’t know what they mean." How can you ever practice something when no one really explains them? I got you. In this episode, I break down 15 of the most common therapy terms that parents of adult children often hear but don't understand. These phrases are everywhere in parenting conversations and online advice, but wit...

If your adult child has a learning disability and feels stigmatized, unmotivated, and has a "life isn't fair" attitude, or perhaps your adult child simply makes excuses for their lacklustre life and spends a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves, you better believe this episode is for you. Michelle Steiner’s story is exactly what every parent needs to hear if they feel bad for their young adult because they believe the narrative that was told to them when their child was first diagnosed. M...

The link to The Living Together Agreement e-book is here - https://parentingfx.com/products/living-together-agreement Living with your adult child is either difficult or it's driving you crazy, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You think you've tried everything, but you've only used your words and unfortunately, they don't carry any weight. In this episode, I share the 5 essential pillars every parent needs to have in place to raise a respectful, responsible, and independent young ad...

What if I told you that bullying and gaslighting don’t just leave emotional wounds - they actually damage the brain? My guest today, Dr. Jennifer Fraser, is an educator, researcher, and author who has written 2 books about how these emotionally abusive experiences can rewire a child’s brain in ways that last into adulthood. In The Bullied Brain (available now) and The Gaslit Brain (being released in November 2025), Jen explains how these forms of harm don’t just hurt feelings, they can ...

I asked parents of struggling adult children to tell me what they think is really going on and they delivered. In this episode, I reveal the most common worries, frustrations and obstacles that parents are seeing in their adult kids, and what they believe is truly holding them back. If what these parents are saying resonates with you, feel free to leave a comment. If you're ready for guidance, please reach out. If you're hoping for solutions, you're in the right place. After you l...

If your home stresses you out, your life feels out of control, your adult children are miserable - hiding inside their messy bedrooms - and you’re not sure how much longer you can survive the chaos, this heartfelt conversation will inspire you. In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with a courageous mom who made the greatest change in her life, and in doing so, helped her daughter turn her's around. This is a true story of one mother’s journey to bravely follow her heart, because...