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Parenting Without Power Struggles

Susan Stiffelman

Susan Stiffelman is a family therapist, parent coach, and one of the country's premiere parenting experts, and the author of Parenting Without Power Struggles and Parenting With Presence (an Eckhart Tolle edition.)

Susan's podcasts feature conversations with guests including Dr. Dan Siegel, Janet Lansbury, Dr. Kristen Neff, Dr. Mona Delahooke, Glennon Doyle, Dr. Jane Goodall, Jack Kornfield, Martha Beck, and many others.

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  • 26 episodes
  • Avg 17 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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  • S3 · E38
    Oct 29, 2025 · 30 min

    3:38 The Power of Storytelling with Rabbi Michael Zedek

    In this episode, Susan connects with her longtime friend, Rabbi Michael Zedek, exploring the power of storytelling as a way to transmit values, resilience, and compassion to children and adults alike. Rabbi Zedek shares wisdom from his five decades as a spiritual leader, reflecting on how stories help people internalize lessons more deeply than lectures or rules ever could. Their dialogue touches on the importance of interfaith understanding, curiosity, and empathy—reminding listeners that connection, kindness, and shared humanity are what sustain us. https://pages.susanstiffelman.com/podcast-michael-zedek

  • S3 · E39
    Oct 25, 2025 · 13 min

    3:39 The Parent Brain with Dr. Rita Eichenstein

    In this episode, Susan talks with neuropsychologist Dr. Rita Eichenstein about the parent brain—how becoming a parent literally reshapes the brain, rewiring it for empathy, resilience, multitasking, and emotional intelligence. Dr. Eichenstein and Susan explore how understanding these changes can help parents recognize parenthood as a distinct and profound stage of human development, and appreciate the brain's remarkable capacity to evolve through love and caregiving. https://go.susanstiffelman.com/parent-brain-podcast

  • S3 · E37
    Oct 20, 2025 · 17 min

    3:37 Supporting Sensitive Kids with Dr. Judith Orloff

    In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Judith Orloff about the gifts of sensitivity, offering encouragment and insight for parents of these tender-hearted, deep feeling children and teens. https://pages.susanstiffelman.com/podcast-judith-orloff

  • S3 · E36
    Oct 9, 2025 · 11 min

    3:36 Parenting as a Path to Healing

    In this episode, Susan explores one of the most powerful truths about parenting: that the most important thing we can do for our children is to work on ourselves. Drawing inspiration from Dr. Gabor Maté's insight and her training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Susan explains how our emotional state, unresolved wounds, and inner "parts" profoundly shape our children's sense of safety and connection. She shares simple, compassionate ways to notice when we're triggered, name the parts that get activated, and return to our calm, wise "Captain" self. https://go.susanstiffelman.com/parenting-as-healing-podcast

  • S3 · E35
    Oct 2, 2025 · 9 min

    3:35 Nurturing Closeness With Your Kids

    In this episode, Susan emphasizes the importance of emotional connection between parents and children, even amid the busyness of daily life. She reassures parents that deep closeness doesn't require elaborate outings or large chunks of time, but can be nurtured through small, intentional practices like sharing a genuine smile, creating five-minute rituals, repairing after moments of tension, and entering a child's world by showing interest in what they love. She encourages cultivating these small habits of connection to not only strengthens a child's sense of being seen and valued, but also to nourish parents, filling both with greater closeness, joy, and resilience. https://pages.susanstiffelman.com/nurturing-closeness-podcast

  • S3 · E34
    Aug 22, 2025 · 12 min

    3:34 Threats vs. Boundaries: Set Limits That Build Connection

    In this episode, Susan explores the important difference between threats and boundaries in parenting. Susan illustrates the contrast between threats and boundaries using real-life examples—such as homework, chores, and screen time. She highlights how shifting from reactive threats to steady boundaries strengthens trust and cooperation while giving children the security and clarity they need. https://pages.susanstiffelman.com/threats-boundaries-podcast

Showing 21–26 of 26 episodes