Blended families are more common than ever, and yet stepparenting remains one of the most complex, most misunderstood, and least supported roles in modern family life. Most stepparents walk in with the best of intentions, ready to love and show up, only to find themselves feeling invisible, unwelcome, or like no matter what they do, it's wrong. The cultural stereotypes don't help. Neither does stepping into a home full of existing history, existing wounds, and existing relationships, with no roadmap for how to find your place in it.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Todey [https://www.todeypsychology.com/], a psychologist specializing in coparenting, divorce, and child development, joins us for an honest and deeply practical conversation about what healthy stepparenting actually looks like. From understanding why well-meaning stepparents often disrupt rather than support, to navigating the boundaries between your role and the co-parenting relationship, to what children truly experience in blended families, Dr. Todey offers clarity, compassion, and a new way of thinking about what you're actually building, even on the days it doesn't feel like enough.

Key Takeaways:

 * Support, don't disrupt — the most powerful thing a stepparent can do is strengthen a child's existing world rather than trying to replace or reshape it
 * Knowing your lane isn't giving up — understanding where your role ends and the co-parenting relationship begins is a strength, not a limitation
 * What you're building matters, even when it's invisible — the consistency, patience, and quiet presence of a stepparent leaves a lasting imprint on a child's life, even when it goes unacknowledged

S3/Ep 18: How Stepparents Can Provide What Kids in Blended Families Need

If you've ever grounded your teen, confiscated their phone, or enforced stricter rules — only to watch things spiral — this episode is for you. 

Dr. Cam Caswell, [https://www.askdrcam.com/]adolescent psychologist and host of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, breaks down the teenage behaviors parents most misunderstand, the strategies that quietly backfire, and the small language shifts that can completely change your relationship with your teenager.

S3/Ep 17: How to Talk to Your Teen and Understand What They're Really Telling You

Child bedlessness is a hidden crisis hiding in plain sight. Research shows that 2 to 3% of children in America don't have their own beds. That means it is likely that kids in your community are sleeping on cold floors because their families simply can't afford one. Luke Mickelson saw it, grabbed a hammer, and built one. Then another. Then he built a movement.

Luke shares the story behind Sleep in Heavenly Peace [https://shpbeds.org/], what it takes to turn compassion into action, and how everyday people with no special skills are changing children's lives one bed at a time.

S3/Ep 16: From One Garage to a Nationwide Movement — Ending Child Bedlessness

When death enters a family, most parents freeze — reaching for euphemisms, changing the subject, or shielding kids from grief entirely. But that silence does more harm than the conversation ever could.

Dr. Elreacy Dock [https://www.elreacydock.com/]is a thanatologist, death educator, and professor of thanatology trained by David Kessler. In this episode, she helps parents talk to children about death, dying, and grief in ways that are honest, age-appropriate, and ultimately healing — from what to say to a four-year-old versus a teenager, to whether kids should attend funerals, to how to grieve alongside your child while processing your own loss.

S3/Ep 15: What Kids Need to Hear When Someone They Love Dies

When Dr. Theresa Lyons' daughter was diagnosed with severe autism, doctors told her to manage expectations. As a Yale-trained computational chemist, she had other ideas. In this episode, Dr. Lyons breaks down the gut-immune-brain connection, the 20-year gap between research and mainstream medicine, and why the answers families are desperate for already exist. They're just not reaching them yet. 

Now helping families in 18 countries through her program Navigating AWEtism, [https://awetism.net/] she joins us to unpack the peer-reviewed science behind gut health, environmental toxins, acetaminophen risk, and why cutting-edge research takes 20 years to reach your doctor's office — and what to do about it now.

S3/Ep 14: Beyond "Wait and See," The Science Mainstream Medicine Isn't Telling Autism Families

Family estrangement is one of the most quietly common—and profoundly misunderstood—experiences in modern life. With 38% of American adults currently estranged from at least one family member, the question is no longer if this is happening in our communities, but how we help people navigate it with dignity, clarity, and compassion. 

Dr. Celeste Simmons, [https://drcelestephd.com/]Family Forensic Psychologist and expert at the intersection of mental health, family resilience, and the court system, shares what estrangement really looks like and what it means to protect your wellbeing when the relationship causing harm is the one you were born into.



S3/Ep 13: Is Cutting Off Family Weakness Or Wisdom? ? The Psychology of Family Estrangement

Over 328,000 children are currently in the U.S. foster care system. In 2024 alone, more than 15,000 youth aged out without a permanent family—many walking out of the system on their 18th birthday with nothing but a trash bag of belongings and nowhere to go.

We don't expect our own 18-year-olds to be fully ready to live independently—they're still learning to navigate adulthood with family support, resources, and safety nets. So why do we expect foster youth, many of whom have experienced profound trauma, abuse, and instability, to instantly succeed the moment they turn 18?

Kym Renner, who co-founded the RennerVation Foundation [https://www.rennervationfoundation.org/]alongside her brother, Academy Award-nominated actor Jeremy Renner, decided to create something different: programs that offer children in foster care and at-risk youth what every child deserves: a childhood filled with joy, growth, and belonging.

S3/Ep 12: When Foster Kids Turn 18, the System Abandons Them. So What Happens Next?

For transgender and nonbinary youth, voice can be one of the most challenging parts of their identity journey. While hormones and surgery receive attention, voice often remains overlooked—yet it profoundly impacts safety, confidence, and how young people move through the world.

Nicole Gress, speech-language pathologist and founder of Undead Voice, [https://www.undeadvoice.com/] has supported 100,000+ voices in 20+ countries with the first scalable, evidence-based trans voice training program.

She shares why voice matters for gender identity, barriers preventing access to care, myths about voice training (it's not just pitch, hormones don't automatically change voice), practical first steps for youth and parents, and the emotional journey of finding your authentic voice.



S3/Ep 11: Transgender Voice Training for Youth- Everything Parents and Teens Need to Know

High-conflict separation ends healthy family dynamics and destroys childhoods. When parents weaponize their children, coach them to lie about the other parent, manipulate therapy sessions to serve their agenda, or pit siblings against each other in impossible loyalty battles, the emotional devastation can last a lifetime.

After 40 years and over 4,000 high-conflict custody evaluations, Dr. Peter Favaro has witnessed the darkest tactics parents use against each other—and the collateral damage inflicted on children caught in the middle. As Managing Director of a leading custody evaluation practice, he's seen how inter-parental hatred strains relationships and distorts reality, causing parents to genuinely believe the other parent is dangerous even when evidence suggests otherwise.

In this essential conversation for anyone navigating difficult co-parenting, Dr. Favaro discusses:

 * What "weaponizing children" actually looks like—the specific tactics toxic parents use and why they convince themselves it's justified 
 * The role of personality disorders—how narcissistic and borderline personality disorder patterns fuel high-conflict custody battles 
 * How inter-parental hatred warps perception—when parents create false narratives of danger that trap children in psychological warfare 
 * Character disorders vs. difficult personalities—understanding when you're dealing with a disordered parent and what that means for your children
 * The destruction of sibling relationships—how high-conflict parents turn brothers and sisters against each other 



S3/Ep 10: Custody Combat Zone: Mental Health, Manipulation & Protecting Your Kids

** Content Warning: This episode discusses childhood sexual abuse. Resources and support information are provided.**

One in eight children worldwide will experience sexual abuse before age 18. In the United States, one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before reaching adulthood.

Many are walking through life emotionally numb, disconnected from themselves and others, because at some point, numbness became the only way to survive unbearable pain.

Emotional numbness is a coping mechanism—the brain's protective response to trauma. Chris Yadon, Managing Director of Saprea, shares more about emotional numbness and how to break the silence, heal, and support loved ones going through it.

If you or someone you know needs support:

 * Saprea [https://saprea.org/]offers free retreats, support groups, and resources: saprea.org
 * National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

S3/Ep 9: Why Do Abuse Survivors Feel Numb? Childhood Sexual Abuse & Healing | Saprea Director

How do I get through divorce, custody, or separation and still be a good parent? What can I do to help my child? How do I improve my mental health?

Whether you're a parent asking these questions, a nonprofit organization striving to support children and their caregivers, or a legal professional seeking to champion the rights of minors, this podcast is your go-to.

Cynthia Ramsaran

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