Healthy Family Connections

Episode Description: In this episode Neil, along with his co-host Robin, respond to a mother wondering what to do about her verbally abusive husband. A lot of friends and family are telling her to get divorced, but she knows her husband has his good points and is hoping for a better solution. Neil offers a way to shift the burden of the decision onto her husband and empowers Mom to set her standards and see what he how chooses to respond.

Episode Description: In this episode Neil, along with his co-host Robin, responds to a mother wondering what to do about her young adult daughter. Seemingly out of nowhere, her daughter has multiple complaints, uses a lot of psychobabble labels against Mom, they fight, and daughter moves out.   Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit

In this episode, Neil is joined by co-host Robin Holland. Together they respond to a Mom who does everything in the home for her husband and three young teens. Mom grew up in a family where everyone pitched in and can’t understand why the family she’s raising is so separated and disconnected. Her kids are good kids and doing well, so Mom wonders if her desire for more connection and support is reasonable. Robin and Neil explore the changes in family life in today’s world, yet they are validating Mom's needs and expectations. Neil shows Mom how to create the desired changes in her family without engendering resistance.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom whose teen son does the minimum, treats his parents disrespectfully, won’t do a chore, and takes all his parents' support for granted.   Neil is joined by business associate and parent of young adults Robin Holland to discuss this situation and bring a parental perspective. 

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom who’s 22 year old daughter is living at home and wants her parents to fund her idea to start a food truck business. Mom is very frustrated with her daughter’s messiness and disrespectful behavior while Dad is more positive and giving.  As Indian parents, they struggle with their daughter not taking advantage of the opportunity to go to college and become a professional.   Neil is joined by business associate and parent of young adults, Robin Holland to discuss this situation and bring a parental perspective.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom struggling with her 14-year-old over homework.  Neil shows Mom how to recruit her son into a collaborative approach and offers that to effectively help this family, a therapist needs to address two critical areas.

In this episode, Neil responds to a dad whose wife complains that he doesn’t support her.  No matter how much he does to support her, it’s never enough.  Dad wants to know how to convince his wife that he does support her and that she should be more positive.

In this episode, Neil responds to a mom who wants to enjoy a trip with her young teen daughter, and not struggle with getting her daughter off of her device. Neil shares what he’s learned from the book The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr and his clinical experience and then offers his guidance.

In this episode, Neil responds to a Dad whose wife is angry that he won’t support her limits and expectations of their teenagers.  Dad feels Mom is too angry and critical in her style and he wants to enjoy his kids. He feels his wife isn’t open to negotiation.

In this episode, Neil responds to a mother whose teen daughter has anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder. Even though her daughter is in an intensive outpatient program and Mom and Dad are in the parent education and support groups, Mom can’t get anyone to address long standing family dynamics.  Neil helps Mom see the bigger picture and addresses the critical differences between family education and support and family therapy

In this episode, Neil responds to a mother who as an adult, continues to feel unloved with an empty feeling inside. She’s looking to understand why her parents would indulge her younger sister and her children, and slight her and her children. 

In this episode, Neil responds to a mother amazed by the positive impact of a major tool in Ending The Parent-Teen Control Battle.  This mother wants to better understand why it works and how to avoid backsliding.

In this episode, Neil responds to a mother who is a single parent to her only child.  Mom wonders what went wrong when her delightful son turned into a difficult, contrary teenager.  Neil speaks to a common dynamic of single parent/only child families and gives Mom the tools to put a rapidly deteriorating situation back on track.

In this episode, Neil offers strategies for managing the many people challenges that come along with this special Holiday. Parent needs first, establishing expectations with children, teens and young adults, and dealing with difficult family member behaviors.

In this episode, Neil responds to a mom who struggles against a coalition of her husband and young adult kids.  Unfortunately, there is a lot at stake because Dad has significant health risks.  Neil introduces three family assessment criteria and shows how they apply and how, with this knowledge, Mom can create change.

In this episode, Neil responds to a question about paying kids for good grades.  Neil addresses the question of how and when to reward kids without undermining intrinsic motivation.  

In this episode, Neil responds to a mom struggling with her gifted and talented 17-year-old daughter who is terrorizing the family.  Mom and Dad have helped manage her emotions for years, but now at age 17 it’s only getting worse.

In this episode, Neil responds to the many emails he received asking for more about Parental Guilt.  Neil looks at the healthy functions of guilt as well as the unhealthy and destructive experience of guilt.  He explains its sources and what can be done to reduce and heal unhealthy guilt.

In this episode, Neil responds to a mother concerned that her young adult son is addicted to marijuana.  He’s academically gifted, graduated college, but now is languishing and mom can’t get through to him.

In this episode, Neil responds to a mother who is aware that family dynamics have been damaging and now her children are young adults.  Mom wants to know what she can do to help them recover.