In this heartfelt episode of our podcast, we dive into a challenging yet vital topic: co-parenting with an abusive partner. Listener Sharon, a devoted mom of two boys, shares her courageous journey of leaving an abusive relationship and navigating the complexities of shared custody. Facing her ex’s harmful behaviors and refusal to communicate, Sharon seeks advice on helping her sons recognize their father’s dysfunctional actions while fostering healthy boundaries. Join Neil as he offers compassi...
Jul 03, 2025•15 min•Ep. 272
Struggling to guide your teen back to a healthy path? In this episode of Healthy Family Connections, host Neil D. Brown, LCSW, tackles parental blind spots that sabotage change in families. Discover why even motivated parents miss key strategies from books like Ending the Parent-Teen Control Battle and learn actionable solutions to overcome control battles, power struggles, and counterproductive patterns. Neil shares three critical reasons change feels impossible and introduces his online parent...
Jun 20, 2025•13 min
Is your teenager under functioning because of anxiety, depression, ADHD, hyper-sensitivity, oppositional behavior, learning differences or other neural differences? We’ll talk about what to do about this in today’s podcast, How to Create Real Change with your Teenager. *** Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit 📘 Buy the book: https://neildbrown.com/books 👉 Take the online course: https:...
Jun 05, 2025•22 min
In this episode, Neil responds to a mom wanting to know how to support her adult daughter who is in an emotionally abusive marriage. *** Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit 📘 Buy the book: https://neildbrown.com/books 👉 Take the online course: https://neildbrown.com/parent-teen-control-battle-course 📬 Sign up for my weekly newsletter: https://neildbrown.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe...
May 08, 2025•8 min•Ep. 269
In this episode, Neil responds to a mom struggling to get her husband to parent without blame and anger. After offering some context, Neil demonstrates a letter writing technique that can jumpstart the process of change. *** Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit 📘 Buy the book: https://neildbrown.com/books 👉 Take the online course: https://neildbrown.com/parent-teen-control-battle-cours...
May 01, 2025•15 min
In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom struggling with what went wrong and what to do now that her daughter has moved out and is living with her grandmother. *** Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit 📘 Buy the book: https://neildbrown.com/books 👉 Take the online course: https://neildbrown.com/parent-teen-control-battle-course 📬 Sign up for my weekly newsletter: https://neildbrown.us10...
Apr 10, 2025•13 min
In this episode, Neil follows last week’s podcast where he responds to parents struggling with their young teenager’s lack of impulse control. In this episode, Neil offers a second way to help their teenager improve and he demonstrates how to go about it. *** Hi, I'm Neil D. Brown, psychotherapist, author, and podcaster. I've evolved a model for parents of teenagers with behavior issues. Learn more about my online course and book titled Ending the Parent-Teen Control Battle. 👉 Take the online c...
Mar 21, 2025•9 min
In this episode, Neil responds to parents struggling with their young teenager’s lack of impulse control. Neil offers a positive way to help their teenager improve and demonstrates how to go about it. This is the first of 2 podcasts on this topic. *** Hi, I'm Neil D. Brown, psychotherapist, author, and podcaster. I've evolved a model for parents of teenagers with behavior issues. Learn more about my online course and book titled Ending the Parent-Teen Control Battle. 👉 Take the online course: n...
Mar 14, 2025•13 min
Do you find yourself in a cycle of giving and taking away privileges to get your teenager to simply do their work? These parents do and Neil helps them understand how to use the shift from giving kids Consequences to giving them Earned Privileges , why it works and how to apply it in real life. We talk about that and a whole lot more on this week’s podcast, Getting Earned Privileges Right. *** Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connec...
Mar 07, 2025•10 min•Ep. 264
In this podcast Neil responds to a mother struggling to get her young adult daughter who suffers from OCD moving. This mom wants to know if she’s cruel for wanting her daughter to challenge herself more. Neil offers this parent a way to communicate with her daughter and end the stalemate in their relationship. Hi, I'm Neil D. Brown, psychotherapist, author, and podcaster. I've evolved a model for parents of teenagers with behavior issues. Learn more about my online course and book titled Ending ...
Feb 28, 2025•12 min
In this episode Neil responds to parents who are losing control of their ADHD 15 year old son. Neil highlights the problem of parents doing all the work to help their son succeed, while their son is putting his effort into resistance. Neil explains the critical function in adolescence of youth taking onus for their responsibilities and offers these parents a surprising strategy to shift motivation for responsibilities from them to their son. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion...
Feb 20, 2025•12 min•Ep. 262
In this episode Neil responds to a dad who explains that his wife and daughter fight constantly. His question is whether it’s better to push their 14 year old daughter to do better and participate in activities as his wife promotes, or to allow their daughter to make her own decisions as long as she’s doing well enough as he favors. Listen to Neil’s surprise answer in this relaunch of the Healthy Family Connections Podcast. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episo...
Feb 14, 2025•11 min•Ep. 261
In this podcast, Neil takes issue with National Columnist Amy Dickinson’s advice to a mother whose daughter is intentionally screwing up her chores to get her mother to quit assigning them to her. Neil explains how ramping up consequences can unwittingly only support a Control Battle while missing the opportunity for real change. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit More resources from N...
Dec 15, 2023•15 min•Ep. 260
In this episode, Neil responds to a Mom whose young teen son reports that shoplifting is okay, as long as it’s from large corporate stores. Neil helps this family unify their approach to include both positivity and accountability. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Oct 27, 2023•20 min•Ep. 259
Episode Description: In this podcast, Neil and Robin respond to a Caroyln Hax column in which a desperate mom wants advice for dealing with her hostile 17 year old son. Mom is divorced and her son has been living mostly with his father, who just passed away. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
May 12, 2023•23 min•Ep. 258
In this podcast, Neil and Robin explore generational sources of self-destructive behavior, how best to understand it, and most importantly, how to heal it. Learn how to invite gratitude into healing generational trauma. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Apr 06, 2023•32 min•Ep. 257
In this podcast, Neil and Robin respond to a Mom wanting to know the best ways to talk with her teen daughter about sex. Mom sees that dating is on the horizon and wants to be prepared. Neil and Robin approach the subject with the goal of raising healthy empowered teens, and they discuss the best ways parents can encourage their teen's participation in the discussion. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neil...
Apr 05, 2023•28 min•Ep. 256
In this podcast, Neil and Robin respond to a dad who wants Neil to decide which parent has the right idea, him or his wife. Dad sees his teen daughter as normal and doesn’t want to enforce his wife’s limits while Mom wants daughter held to higher standards. Neil explains how these polarized positions are triangulating and confusing their daughter and gives guidance on how to end this destructive dynamic. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Fa...
Mar 23, 2023•26 min•Ep. 255
In this podcast, Neil and Robin respond to a husband and father struggling with why he isn’t being listened to or appreciated in his own family. Neil offers a powerful yet simple way to think of and build empathy skills, a missing ingredient for this husband/father. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Mar 13, 2023•22 min•Ep. 254
In this podcast, Neil and Robin respond to a woman who's frustrated that a positive approach isn’t working with her kids and she’s ready to return to her older parenting model of getting angry and bawling them out when they’re not behaving. Neil supports the idea that saying your truth is a good thing, and shows how being truly authentic includes being vulnerable. This provides new possibilities for this mother and her family. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future ep...
Mar 04, 2023•23 min•Ep. 253
In this podcast Neil and Robin respond to a woman whose daughter threatens to quit going to college, or harm herself when her parents don’t give her what she wants. Neil names this syndrome as Hostile Dependency and offers this mother clear guidelines and the healthy path forward. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Feb 20, 2023•28 min•Ep. 252
In this podcast, Neil and Robin respond to a question from Patricia, whose daughter is isolating more and more and seems to possibly be depressed. Neil provides insight into what may be happening and a path for getting the right kind of help for this family. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Feb 12, 2023•22 min•Ep. 151
In this podcast Neil and Robin respond to a woman on a quest to get healthy, who wants to have a stronger voice with her husband. She's struggling with how her husband fights with their college age son and wants the pattern to change. Neil and Robin explore the many reasons things need to change, and they offer this inquiring wife and mother a way to get her voice heard. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://n...
Feb 02, 2023•21 min•Ep. 250
In this podcast, Neil, along with co-host Robin, reviews a question that Amy Dickenson responded to in her column at the end of December entitled, "Texas native should go home again." Neil provides insights into what can lead to family estrangement and offers support for people who may find themselves dealing with estrangement or family dysfunction.
Jan 26, 2023•35 min•Ep. 249
Episode Description: In this podcast, Neil and co-host Robin respond to a mother who reports having debilitating anxiety. She's just been informed by the school that her son has not been going to classes and is failing his senior year. Mom is aware that her son is a competitive gamer with significant success, and she wants to address the school responsibility issues without undermining his passion. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family C...
Jan 11, 2023•21 min•Ep. 248
In this podcast, Neil and co-host Robin discuss three ways of being: self-oriented, self-centered and other-centered. Neil provides insight into how each of us is probably a little or a lot of each in our lives depending on our circumstances. But the most effective and mature way of being is self-oriented, and Neil gives us the ability to develop this as parents so we can raise self-oriented, healthy kids. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy ...
Dec 30, 2022•29 min•Ep. 247
Episode Description: In this podcast Neil, along with co-host Robin, respond to a mother whose adult child has moved back home. This young adult makes chronic demands on her mother’s time. And while wanting to be the focus of her mother’s world, this adult child is rude and unhappy with Mom's efforts. This calls for a radical change in the relationship between Mom and daughter. Neil identifies both the underlying elements of the problem and the critical elements necessary to ensure a shift to he...
Dec 09, 2022•27 min•Ep. 246
Episode Description: In this podcast, Neil, along with cohost Robin Holland, responds to a mom struggling with two resistant teens and their weekend father. The theme of self-doubt takes center stage, and Neil and Robin offer a way to shift into a new mindset and action plan. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Dec 05, 2022•29 min•Ep. 245
Episode Description: This podcast is part two in a series providing the most effective way to end chronic relationship struggles. Neil and Robin do a refresh on part one from last week, and then offer a simple 2-step approach for having others listen and support your needs, too. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Nov 21, 2022•29 min•Ep. 244
Episode Description: What do you do when you’re struggling in a relationship and almost anything you say, ends up in an argument? Neil explains how the pattern is the same in many different situations, what to do about it, and why it works. Have a question for Neil? Submit it now for discussion on a future episode of The Healthy Family Connections Podcast: http://neildbrown.com/submit
Nov 03, 2022•25 min•Ep. 243
