Parenting and Personalities

Ever wonder why parenting feels like a personal rollercoaster—and what your Enneagram type might have to do with it? 

Kate Mason sits down with dynamic Enneagram expert Jackie Contessa to explore how each of the nine Enneagram types plays out in parenting. 

Jackie—known for her no-fluff, deeply compassionate coaching—dives into the “big fat why” behind each personality type and how understanding these motivations can change how we pa...

Why is your child calm one minute and melting down the next—especially in the cereal aisle? 

Kate Mason, pediatric occupational therapist and parent coach Ivan Hardcastle peels back the layers of children's sensory processing challenges. 

From explaining why a child might seek comfort in a cat’s litter box to revealing the surprising power of parent-led therapy at home, Ivan helps decode the sensory triggers behind behavior. 

Kat...

Ever wondered why your child throws bread at bedtime or melts down in a grocery store? 

Kate Mason sits down with pediatric occupational therapist and parent coach Ivan Hardcastle to unravel the hidden world of sensory processing and how it deeply impacts children's behavior. 

Ivan shares his powerful journey from therapist to coach, emphasizing that true progress often comes when parents—not just children—are empowered with kno...

What if your daughter’s biggest obstacle is the message she gets from you?

Kate Mason welcomes back Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein—clinical psychologist and author of Sexism and Sensibility—for a rich and thought-provoking conversation about how subtle gender biases shape our daughters’ self-worth, voice, and potential. 

They dig into the unconscious ways parents reinforce appearance-based validation, the lifelong impact of being interrupted...

Are you raising your kids with invisible gender biases you don’t even realize you have? 

Kate Mason sits down with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein to explore the subtle and systemic ways sexism creeps into parenting—even from the most well-meaning caregivers. 

Drawing from her book Sexism and Sensibility, Finkelstein shares personal stories, clinical insights, and research that uncover how micro-messages shape...

Could the boldest move of your life be the key to your dream career? 

Kate Mason chats with Erin Carey, the adventurous founder of Roam Generation, who left behind her 17-year government job for a life of sailing and entrepreneurial discovery. 

From cruising Caribbean waters with her family to launching a thriving global PR agency—without a degree in the field—Erin shares how intuition, courage, and a chance encounter with sailing Yo...

Ever dreamed of quitting the grind and setting sail into the unknown with your family? Erin Carey did just that — and lived to tell the tale. 

Kate welcomes Erin to share her incredible journey from suburban life to sailing across oceans with her husband and three young kids. 

Erin takes us through the meticulous planning, financial sacrifices, and emotional hurdles of buying a boat sight unseen in the Caribbean, learning to sail, an...

Is your past secretly picking your partners for you? 

In this eye-opening episode of Parenting and Personalities, Kate Mason sits down with relationship coach and podcast host Nicole Colantoni to explore the hidden influences shaping our dating lives. 

Nicole shares how her own journey—from a turbulent childhood to a thriving coaching career—led her to uncover how our childhood wounds affect who we date and how we love. 

They dive dee...

Can an app really save your relationship? 

Kate Mason reunites with couple’s therapists and authors Helen Robertson and Shahn Sorekli to unpack their groundbreaking relationship toolkit — a dynamic duo of a book, The Eight Love Links, and an innovative app designed to bring couples closer. 

With humor, warmth, and depth, they delve into the “why” and “how” behind their five-year journey of development, explore the psychology and prac...

Ever feel like your relationship is more “meh” than magic? 

Kate dives deep into the real, raw, and relatable side of love with clinical psychologists and couple therapists Helen Robertson and Shahn Baker Sorekli. 

Kate chats with the duo—who just so happen to be partners in both business and life—about the myths of the perfect relationship, what happens after the honeymoon phase fades, and why kindness beats grand gestures every tim...

Ever asked yourself, “Why do I really drink?” 

Kate sits down with award-winning podcaster and author Victoria Vanstone for a no-holds-barred conversation about her 25-year journey with alcohol, identity, anxiety, and ultimately, sobriety. 

From teenage mischief to mummy wine culture, Victoria unpacks the emotional roots of her drinking, the societal pressures that glamorize alcohol, and the transformation that came with finally lett...

Ever felt like you're just winging it through motherhood? 

Kate chats with Victoria Vanstone, the mom of three and author of Mumming: A Year of Trying and Failing to Be a Better Parent. 

They dive into the chaotic and imperfect journey of motherhood, the pressures of parenting in the age of Pinterest-perfect moms, and the relatable struggles of feeling like a failure.

Victoria shares her experience with sobriety, how it reshaped ...

What if rock bottom was actually the start of something incredible? 

Kate Mason sits down with Justina Tomkinson—a fierce, resilient single mum who turned hardship into an unlikely recipe for raising kind, capable, and fiercely independent kids. 

From losing her home and marriage to rebuilding a life with nothing but grit and determination, Justina shares how she raised three thriving children through emotional, financial, and person...

Ever wonder why certain behaviors of your child can trigger an emotional response that feels more about you than them?

Family therapist Lisa Taylor joins Kate Mason to discuss how unresolved childhood experiences shape our responses to parenting. 

They explore the impact of the "child within" on how we react to our own children’s big emotions and provide practical tips to better understand ourselves in the heat of parenting...

Renovating a home isn't just about knocking down walls and picking out paint colours—it’s a crash course in personality dynamics! 

Kate Mason takes us inside her family’s renovation adventures, where each temperament plays a unique role in the chaos and creativity of home improvements. 

From her own spontaneous enthusiasm as a Sanguine to her husband Paul’s take-charge Choleric energy, and her children’s mix of meticulous Melanc...

Ever feel like every conversation with a certain someone turns into a debate? Or wonder how to navigate the tricky shift from parenting young kids to respecting your adult child’s independence? 

Kate Mason dives into two major family dynamics: the clash between thinkers and feelers in communication and the importance of setting boundaries when kids grow up and move out. 

She explores why thinkers crave logic and facts while feelers p...

Is Dieting a Waste of Time?

Kate Mason welcomes back Dr. Nick Fuller from the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney to debunk diet myths and explore a smarter, science-backed approach to weight loss. 

Instead of restrictive diets that ultimately backfire, Dr. Fuller introduces his Interval Weight Loss method—a structured yet flexible program that works with your body’s natural rhythms, rather than against them. 

He shares...

Have you ever felt like diets just don’t work—no matter how hard you try? You’re not alone.

Kate Mason welcomes back Dr. Nick Fuller from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre to discuss why dieting often fails us and how our biology is actually working against rapid weight loss.

Dr. Fuller shares groundbreaking insights on why restrictive diets lead to long-term weight gain, how our bodies protect a "set point"...

Have you ever hesitated to ask, “Are you okay?” because you weren’t sure how to handle the answer?

Kate Mason sits down with mediator and conflict resolution expert Kate Russell to explore emotional intelligence, the complexities of meaningful check-ins, and how to support someone who might be struggling. 

They discuss whether emotional intelligence is innate or learned, the challenges of Australia’s Are You Okay? Day, and practical ...