Reconciliation is a process that requires both parties to take responsibility, acknowledge their roles, apologize, and work towards a new relationship. Reconciliation should move slowly, especially in cases of long-standing estrangement or rifts. Setting boundaries, managing expectations, and accepting family members as they are now are all important as a family works toward making things better. Celebrate small victories along the way, and remember that reconciliation is not a final destination...
Dec 05, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this episode, Whitney talks with Elizabeth Earnshaw, a marriage and family therapist, about navigating relationships with in-laws. They explore the importance of finding common ground with your partner's family and setting boundaries. They also discuss a Reddit post about a conflict over a child's last name, highlighting the importance of communication and understanding in such situations. Elizabeth also emphasizes the importance of the couple acting as a team and understanding each other's p...
Nov 28, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Some tips to help you survive Thanksgiving with your family! Expect your family to be the same as they are every other day, complete with their flaws and positive traits. Remember that you are an adult and have the power to decide how you spend your day. Get clear on your limits and plan for when those limits are reached. Identify what is important to you on this day and align your actions with those values. Avoid picking battles or starting a healing journey with your family on this day. If any...
Nov 21, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Whitney talks about the impact of emotionally immature parents on their children. She explains that emotionally immature parents often lack empathy, struggle to apologize or admit fault, and are often well-liked in their communities due to their ability to maintain surface-level relationships. They also tend to provide for their children in practical ways, but fail to meet their emotional needs. We also have Calling Home listener questions about this same topic, including coping with 'the silent...
Nov 14, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Whitney is talking with Holly Whitaker, author and founder of Tempest, about the impact of alcohol on family dynamics. Holly believes that society's positive messaging around drinking often overlooks the negative impact it can have on relationships. She believes that the question should not be whether one is an alcoholic, but rather if alcohol negatively impacts one's life and if steps should be taken to address the relationship with it. She also discusses the lack of informed consent around alc...
Nov 07, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Whitney talks how to navigate events and celebrations with a highly dysfunctional family, offering tips on how to deal with difficult family dynamics, such as setting boundaries and preparing for situations that may arise. Introducing The Calling Home community, a platform offering support groups, exclusive content, and Q&A sessions with experts. Listener questions: Dealing with family issues during significant life events, such as weddings and funerals. This week's sponsors are: Alzheimer's...
Oct 31, 2023•30 min•Ep. 12
Whitney talks with Brady Nathan, a mother who shares the story of her late son Jack. Jack started the Happy Jack World Project to help other kids struggling with mental health issues before his untimely death due to a fentanyl-laced Percocet. Brady discusses the importance of listening to children when they express unhappiness, even if their lives seem perfect from an outside perspective. She also emphasizes the need for parents to allow their children to lead their own lives, rather than imposi...
Oct 24, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode, let's get into the complexities of family dynamics, particularly when two families merge through a relationship or marriage. Understanding and accepting differences in family systems, communication styles, and cultural backgrounds are all key for success ... but not always easy. A good reminder to distinguish between differences that are merely annoying and those that are problematic or dangerous. Listener questions this episode include navigating relationships with religious fa...
Oct 17, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Whitney discusses the issue of 'sharenting' or oversharing children's lives on social media with guest Sarah Adams. Sarah is a mother of two, and she argues that this practice can be a form of child exploitation, as it often involves sharing children's experiences with a large and potentially dangerous audience for entertainment purposes. She wants parents to reconsider the impact this could have on their children's future and their right to privacy. Sarah also discusses the different categories...
Oct 10, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode of Calling Home, Whitney discusses the impact of parent-child relationships in the context of substance abuse. She shares a story about a young man who was introduced to drugs by his mother at the age of 12, highlighting the long-term effects of such experiences. Whitney emphasizes the importance of understanding the needs that children are trying to communicate through their actions and decisions. She also answers listener questions about feeling abandoned by a parent and how to...
Oct 03, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Psychologist and author Josh Coleman joins Whitney to talk through navigating difficult relationships between parents and their adult children. Dr. Coleman emphasizes the importance of parents being willing to engage in open, non-defensive conversations with their adult children to rebuild connections. He also discusses the cultural shift in family dynamics over the past half-century, with younger generations placing more emphasis on mental health, happiness, and personal growth. Whitney and Dr....
Sep 26, 2023•43 min•Ep. 4
Whitney talks with Eve Rodsky, creator of a system designed to balance the domestic workload in homes. Eve's system, Fair Play, is based on the idea of treating homes as important organizations, with clearly defined expectations and roles for each member. The system is built on three key principles: boundaries, systems, and communication. Eve emphasizes the importance of each person owning their tasks, from conception to execution, to ensure efficiency and accountability. She also highlights the...
Sep 20, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Whitney talks about accountability in parent-child relationships: children should not be held accountable for their actions in the same way as adults there is a power differential between parents and children which continues into adulthood parents need to to consider how their actions would have felt to their child at the time And Whitney's first questions from her voicemail (866-CALL HOME): dealing with anxiety over running into estranged family members supporting a spouse who is hesitant to re...
Sep 19, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The CALLING HOME podcast is LIVE. What you can expect, who Whitney's guests will be, and how YOU can get involved. (Hint: 866-CALL-HOME) THANK YOU for being here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 19, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 1
I'm Whitney Goodman. I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist, and you may know me from the Instagram account, SitWithWhit. I help adults have better family relationships. Season one of this podcast is going to be a combination of Q & A episodes, where I talk about what I'm noticing in my sessions, what I'm seeing online, and expanding on some of my most popular social media content. I'll also take questions from you at 866-225-5466. My goal is to help you feel less alone. I'm also doing...
Sep 18, 2023•2 min
