Where Parents Talk: Evidence-based Expert Advice on Raising Kids Today

What does secure attachment really look like in everyday parenting—and why does the parent-child connection remain so important as children grow into teens?

In this Where Parents Talk podcast episode, host Lianne Castelino speaks to child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist Dr. Debbie Raphael shares practical, research-informed insights from her upcoming book, Carry My Strength.

Drawing on more than 20 years of clinical experien...

How do you raise a mentally strong child in a world filled with academic pressure, social media, anxiety, disappointment and constant comparison?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Amy Morin, psychotherapist, speaker, podcast host and international bestselling author.

Morin shares practical, evidence-informed strategies for helping tweens, teens and young adults develop mental strength....

What happens when the coping mechanism that got you through high-pressure executive life becomes the very thing that costs you your family? In this candid episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino sits down with Nick Jonsson — executive coach, psychotherapist, keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Ironman triathlete — who spent years using alcohol to manage the stress of a demanding corporate career befor...

How can parents build stronger relationships with their children’s schools—and feel genuinely heard in the process?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Shani Dowell, former educator, entrepreneur, mother of two and founder of Possip, a parent engagement platform designed to help schools close the communication gap between home and school.

Dowell shares her perspective as bo...

Are today's children missing the life skills they need to succeed—not just in school, but in life?

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with educator, former classroom teacher, and Anywhere Learning founder Amélie Drouet about why traditional education often falls short when it comes to teaching resilience, independence, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

After spending 15 years in the classr...

Are today's parents protecting their children—or unintentionally holding them back?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk Podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Free-Range Kids movement, co-founder of Let Grow, journalist and author, about why childhood independence has become one of the most important parenting conversations of our time.

Nearly two decades after being labeled "America's W...

Is your child's gaming really about the game — or something deeper? On this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino talks with Nathan Graham, AI strategist, entrepreneur, and author of Why Won't He Just Log Off? A Parent's Guide to Video Game Addiction and the Needs Behind the Screen.

Nathan spent nearly seven years as a self-described gaming addict, losing a job and nearly losing his relationship to marathon sess...

How do sports shape the values our children carry into adulthood?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to award-winning sports journalists Donovan Bennett (CBC Sports) and Kate McKenna (TSN, CTV's The Social). The couple share how working in sports has impacted the way they are raising their two young sons.

From navigating healthy competition and emotional resilience to balancing screen time...

Why do so many parents feel exhausted, moody, or stuck in survival mode — and what is that stress actually doing to their bodies?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Dr. Alicia Newsome, a functional medicine practitioner, entrepreneur and mother of three, about the root causes of parental burnout, hormone imbalance and chronic stress.

Dr. Newsome explains how functional medicine ...

What happens when a parent faces the unimaginable loss of a child to suicide?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with pediatric nurse practitioner and author Jackie Baker about her personal journey through grief after losing her son, Sebastian.

Drawing from her book Messy Mourning, Baker shares raw insights into maternal grief, the stigma surrounding suicide, and the long road toward heali...

Are we raising resilient kids, or just protecting them from the very challenges that build resilience?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to developmental psychologist Dr. Isabel Granic — McMaster University professor, CEO of Liminal Learning and mom. She unpacks what tweens, teens, and young adults actually need to thrive in 2026.

Drawing on more than 25 years of research and her ow...

What is food insecurity—and how does it impact children and families in Canada today?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization. Drawing from her lived experience as a single mother raising three children while facing poverty and food insecurity, Lori offers rare insight into what struggling families truly go ...

What if the key to raising emotionally intelligent, resilient kids isn't about managing their behavior — but about shifting your own?

Lorena Seidel, Montessori teacher, emotional intelligence coach, and creator of the Cooperation Shift framework, joins Lianne Castelino host of the Where Parents Talk podcast, for a candid, research-backed conversation about why good intentions alone won't rewrite old parenting patterns — ...

Are we raising a generation that knows more but thinks less? In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, educator, developmental theorist, and author Dr. Jonathan Strecker joins host Lianne Castelino to unpack why modern convenience — from AI tools to screen time — may be quietly undermining the intellectual, emotional, and social development of today's teens.

Dr. Strecker, Head of School and author of How Modern ...

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino sits down with entrepreneur, business coach, and mom of four, Alana Kayfetz, to explore why so many mothers put themselves last—and how to change that.

From mom burnout and self-neglect to self-prioritization and identity shifts in motherhood, this conversation dives into the real challenges modern moms face. Learn how to balance parenting, career, and pe...

Why do tantrums, emotional outbursts, and teenage shutdowns happen—and what can parents do differently?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with award-winning mediator, peacemaker, and bestselling author Doug Noll about the groundbreaking science behind emotional validation and why traditional parenting approaches often miss the mark.

Drawing on decades of experience in conflict resol...

What happens when autism and ADHD go undiagnosed until adulthood?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with neurodiversity consultant and entrepreneur Noelle Sinclair about her late diagnosis—and how it transformed her life as a parent, professional, and individual.

Sinclair shares eye-opening insights into masking in girls, the hidden signs of neurodivergence in teens, and why many ch...

What does it really mean when your adult child isn't "launching" on your timeline?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett — developmental psychologist, Clark University senior research scholar, and the man who coined the term "emerging adulthood" — to unpack one of the most misunderstood life stages of our time.

Dr. Arnett explains why the years fr...

Can cannabis use during the teen years slow your child's cognitive development — even before you notice the signs?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to neuroscientist and cannabis researcher Dr. Krista Lisdahl, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who breaks down the findings of the largest long-term study of brain development in U...