Podcast Episodes

Some parenting phrases are so common, they border on cliche. And a good portion of them push all of Lynn and Robin’s buttons. In this episode we go after six of the offenders, phrases that sound harmless but are not. Listener...

Most have heard of exposure therapy. If you’re scared of snakes, wrap one around your neck! Afraid of elevators? Get in! Research shows that it works, but there’s more to it than just pushing yourself—or your child—into the f...

In this episode, a listener is surprised that her 8 year old is still having big meltdowns and asks if this is common in anxious. While we associate emotional meltdowns and tantrums with little children, they can happen at an...

The decision when and if to begin therapy is often discussed, but the next steps (like when to stop) don’t get much attention. The mom of a 19 year old has found therapy very helpful for her daughter, but, she wonders, when d...

Being in control sounds great, but what’s the cost of needing to control every outcome? Children raised in chaos often seek control as adults. Those raised in highly controlling environments struggle to make decisions and han...

Helping an anxious student requires a strong collaboration between families and schools, but so often meetings to create a plan become adversarial. In this episode, Lynn (who routinely attends such meetings) offers her key ti...

In this episode, Lynn breaks down one of her favorite instructions to parents: talk 85% less. When parents are worried they tend to talk a lot. When they want something done and their child isn't doing it, they talk even more...

Most parents feel conflicted, confused, and cranky about homework. How much should parents be involved? Does it actually help with learning? And does age matter? In the first episode of season 5, we tackle the topic of homewo...

In this optimistic conversation we discuss the family’s psychological immune system and the role of both positive and adverse childhood experiences. While many adverse childhood experiences happen to our kids, parents can hav...

Mistakes and Failures can be some of life’s best teachers. When it comes to letting our kids fail, how do we know the difference between letting them fail and letting them drown? What do you do if your teenager hasn’t mastere...

In the last of the 7-episode Anxiety Disruptor series, it’s time to put it all together and focus on the consistent, step-by-step approach to decreasing anxiety’s influence. Consider this a pep talk, as Lynn describes the imp...

Anxiety makes us forget, and it’s particularly amnesiac to past successes. Helping kids work through fears and worries also includes showing them how to connect to their successes, feel masterful, and make worry less powerful...

How do we actually inspire children and teens to step in and retrain that anxious brain when worry is saying NO! The fifth of our 7 anxiety disruptors helps parents and kids get “some skin in the game.” The tactics are a bit ...

Emetophobia, Astraphobia, Autophobia. Some kids became afraid of a variety of things: throwing up, needles, dogs, thunderstorms, the dark. As parents we want to help, we want to make our kids feels safe and comfortable. We wa...

Summer can be a wonderful time for playfulness and connection, but parents often feel pressure to make every minute count, every vacation fabulous. It’s a time of high expectations for parents, which means mom guilt finds fer...

Is breathing used to eliminate worry? Nope, it is not. In this next episode of our 7-part Anxiety Disruptor series for families, Lynn explains how stepping into uncertainty is necessary but not always easy for kids, especiall...

Got rage? When we first recorded this episode, we were in the midst of grieving for our pre-pandemic world, mixing our sadness with our anger. Sadly, reasons to feel rage continue. In this episode, Lynn talks about the anger ...

Anxiety wants certainty, and when that’s not possible, avoidance becomes the demand. Unfortunately, as anxious families fall into patterns of avoidance, anxiety strengthens. Families need a different strategy, a way to break ...

Externalizing worry (and other strong emotions) teaches children and parents to take a step back and notice HOW worry and other big feelings operate. Changing the response to worry (instead of changing the environment to meet...

Today we talk about the separation anxiety parents feel around summer camp, because it really is harder on us that it is on them. How can we best prepare our own kids leaving home for somewhere new? How we can manage our worr...

Whether you’re a loyal listener or new to the podcast, you’ll want to join us for this seven-part series on Lynn Lyon’s approach to anxiety. Each week during the summer, Lynn and Robin will talk about one of the puzzle pieces...

Friendships and connection sustain us, but that doesn’t mean they’re always smooth or come naturally. In this episode, Lynn and Robin talk about the ways we can help foster the skills of connection, how to support our kids and teens as they navigate friendships, and why Lynn will never go on anothe…

Anxiety loves certainty about where our kids are, but it comes with a price.

What role does anxiety play in your marriage?