Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

Latest Episodes:

# 336 Raise Conscious Teens Through Creativity Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

Want your teen to swap scrolling for soul-filling creativity? Curious how “mind-watching” (kids’ word for mindfulness) can calm thought-storms and build resilience?

In this episode, Colleen talks with artist and youth-mental-health advocate Rafael McMaster, founder of Indivisible Arts. Rafael shares how a 30-minute “Fundamental Life Tools” practice—taught in kid language and paired with an hour of hands-on art—helps teens regulate emotions, focus, and reconnect with purpose. You’ll hear how peer mentorship supercharges buy-in, why phones naturally disappear when real-life creativity is compelling, and how gratitude “G-flips,” intention setting, and compassion turn chaos into clarity—at home, in school, and even for foster youth.

About the guest
Rafael McMaster is a creative director, photographer, and founder/CEO of Indivisible Arts, a nonprofit in LA County dedicated to cultivating one million conscious youth through art, mentorship, and practical mindfulness. His forthcoming book, Fundamental Life Tools, distills seven everyday practices—awareness (“mind-watching”), acceptance, intention, gratitude (“G-flip”), compassion, forgiveness/resentment work, and connection—developed with teens and used in after-school labs and high-school classrooms (including Da Vinci Rise). He also pilots Stream of Consciousness • Life, a teen-taught micro-lesson platform.

Teach the tool, then do the art. A short, concrete practice (“mind-watching”) before creative time helps kids notice thoughts instead of obeying them—lowering anxiety and boosting self-control.
Make IRL more interesting than the phone. When spaces are playful, social, and soulful (music studio, fashion lab, spray-paint alley), teens forget their screens—no rules required.
Prioritize the soul over performance. Reframe art as “the language of the soul.” When kids reconnect with joy, presence, and gratitude, grades, sports, and auditions become more tolerable—and often improve—without fear-based pressure.

Learn more at: https://www.indivisiblearts.org/

Follow Rafael at https://www.instagram.com/mcmaster.peace/

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# 335 Teens and Health Misinformation Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever wondered what kind of health information your teen is actually absorbing from TikTok, Instagram, or even AI chat tools? Do you know how to recognize—and gently disrupt—the misinformation that could be shaping your teen’s choices about their body and health?

In this eye-opening conversation, I talk with Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, a family physician, health advocate, and mom of two girls, about the growing trend of teens turning to social media and AI for medical advice. Dr. Bayo shares the most common myths circulating online—from misinformation about birth control and fertility, to supplements that can damage the liver, to dangerous over-the-counter products like kratom energy shots marketed as “natural.” She explains why teens are especially vulnerable to believing influencers who “look and sound like them,” and how parents can begin to disrupt these patterns. We also explore practical ways to equip our teens with critical thinking skills and strategies to advocate for their health—while giving moms tangible steps to reduce anxiety and stay informed.

Guest Bio:
Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, is a board-certified family physician, Medical Director of Urgent Care Clinics at St. Mary’s Health Network in Reno, Nevada, and a passionate patient advocate. Known as “Dr. BCW” on social media, she reaches millions through Instagram, TikTok, and her podcast Beyond Clinical Walls, where she helps families navigate healthcare and misinformation. A frequent guest on CNN and NBC, she also serves on the CDC’s National Community and Public Engagement Work Group and Nevada’s Patient Protection Commission. Drawing from her own journey of misdiagnosis, as well as her near-death experience during childbirth, Dr. Bayo brings both expertise and empathy as she empowers patients to take charge of their health.

Three Takeaways:

Not all information is credible—even if it sounds relatable. Teach your teen the difference between “accessible” and “trustworthy,” and remind them that not every influencer is a safe source of medical advice.
Ask questions instead of lecturing. When your teen believes something online, try asking, “What’s your plan if that doesn’t work?” to encourage critical thinking without sparking defensiveness.
Be proactive as a parent. Search what’s trending on TikTok or Google to get a glimpse of what your teen may be exposed to, and equip them with three essentials before leaving home: how to get medical help, what insurance they have, and what medications or allergies they must know.

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# 334 Love (Oxytocin Response) or Fear (Stress Reaction) Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

What if you could shift your child’s behavior not with consequences, but with calm? What if the most powerful tool you have is love—biochemically speaking?

In this eye-opening episode, Colleen O’Grady welcomes trauma and adoption expert Bryan Post to unpack the neuroscience behind stress and connection in parenting. Bryan explains how fear-based reactions (driven by cortisol) and love-based responses (driven by oxytocin) shape our children’s behaviors—and our reactions to them. Drawing from his own story as an adoptee, Bryan introduces the concept of “stress-sensitive children,” emphasizing that behaviors we label as “bad” often stem from unhealed trauma and unconscious grief. Through vivid stories and science-backed insights, Bryan offers simple, powerful shifts moms can make—starting with breathing—to transform stress into connection.

Bryan Post is one of the nation's leading experts on child behavior, trauma, and adoption. An adoptee and former foster child himself, Bryan founded Fear to Love LLC and developed the Fear to Love Method, a neuroscience-based, love-focused approach to parenting children with challenging behaviors. He’s a therapist, speaker, and bestselling author of From Fear to Love and co-author of Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control. He is also the creator of Bondify the first AI-powered trauma-informed parenting support app.

All behavior arises from a state of stress. Underneath every meltdown or defiance is a nervous system overwhelmed by fear, often from unexpressed trauma or grief—sometimes passed down for generations.
Oxytocin is the antidote to cortisol. Just as stress creates fear-driven behaviors, connection creates calm. Nurturing relationships, not consequences, help regulate the brain.
Breathe first. Respond second. When parents slow down and breathe, they can shift their vibration from fear to love. That energy change alone can stop a four-year tantrum cycle in its tracks.

Learn more at https://www.bryanpost.com/

Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bryanpostofficial/?hl=en

Check out https://bondify.ai/

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# 333 The Words We Say Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Are the words you're speaking building connection or creating distance with your teen?
Could everyday phrases be unintentionally fueling your child’s anxiety or shame?

In this heartwarming and eye-opening episode, Colleen O'Grady talks with Amy Hughes—mother of nine, writer, parenting coach, and author of the upcoming book Words Like Honey. Together, they explore the profound impact of the words we speak to our children, especially during the teen and young adult years. Amy shares how common phrases like “hurry up” or “don’t be sad” can trigger stress responses in kids and how language rooted in fear or control can erode connection. Drawing from her own imperfect journey and deep experience as a mother, Amy introduces the “4 Rs” framework—Rethink, Replace, Reframe, and Repair—offering parents a path to more intentional and healing communication. The episode is a compassionate reminder that it’s never too late to choose grace-filled words that build trust and nurture faith.

Amy Hughes is a writer, speaker, and parenting coach based on California’s Central Coast. A mother of nine children ranging from toddler to 30 years old, Amy’s warmth, humor, and real-life parenting wisdom have made her a sought-after conference speaker. She’s a featured contributor to Wild + Free and has been published in Scary Mommy, Encourage, Christian Unschooling, and more. Her upcoming book, Words Like Honey: How to Avoid Unintentional Harm, Model Kindness, and Nurture Your Child's Faith Through What You Say, is available wherever books are sold. Find her at simplelittleamy.com or on Instagram @simplelittleamy.

Three Key Takeaways:

Our words shape our children’s inner world. Phrases we say often—like “be careful” or “what’s wrong with you?”—can unintentionally trigger anxiety, shame, or self-doubt. Awareness is the first step to change.
Repair is always possible. Even if we’ve said the wrong thing in the past, taking ownership and apologizing can restore connection and model humility and growth.
Life-giving language builds trust. Instead of threats, comparisons, or venting, Amy encourages us to use specific encouragement, curiosity, and kindness to create lasting bonds with our teens and young adults.

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/simplelittleamy/?hl=en

Learn More at https://simplelittleamy.com/

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# 332 Keeping Families Close After H.S. Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Are you worried that your relationship with your teen will fade once they leave home? Have you ever wondered what your role as a mom should look like once your child becomes an adult?

In this powerful episode of the Power Your Parenting: Moms of Teens podcast, Colleen O’Grady is joined by seasoned therapist and executive coach Catherine Hickem to explore the often-overlooked transition between parenting teens and maintaining connection with adult children. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, Catherine shares hard-won wisdom about managing fear, adjusting expectations, and nurturing lifelong bonds. The conversation dives deep into the emotional complexities of this phase—highlighting why parents must do their own work, how fear can unintentionally drive adult children away, and what it truly means to support rather than control. With honest storytelling and practical insight, this episode is a must-listen for any mom navigating the “what now?” of the emptying nest.

Catherine Hickem is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, executive coach, and founder of the DASH Group. With over 40 years of experience helping families, leaders, and organizations navigate emotional complexity and transformational change, Catherine brings profound insight into relationships and leadership. A mother herself, Catherine is passionate about helping parents build strong, authentic connections with their adult children.

3 Key Takeaways:

It's Never Too Late to Be a Great Parent – Repair and growth are possible at any stage, but it takes humility, emotional regulation, and a willingness to do your own work.
Let Go of Fear-Based Parenting – Adult children need confidence, not control. When we lead with fear, we risk damaging trust and closeness.
Support Looks Different Now – Ask your adult children, “How can I support you right now?”—and be willing to listen without fixing. That simple question builds safety and connection.

Learn more at https://www.parentingadultchildrentoday.com/

Follow at https://www.tiktok.com/@parentingadultchildren2d

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# 331 Helping Girls Succeed Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

In this episode I have a great conversation with Lisa Hinkelman, author of Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers, and Life. Lisa has recently released her second edition of Girls Without Limits, Her first edition was published in 2013.

Lisa and I talk about how much has changed for girls in the past ten years. Lisa raised a very important question. "What skills does a girl need to not have sex with someone she doesn't want to have sex with.? or "What skills does a girl need to not send a nude picture?" Lisa stated that it's not a "character deficit it's a skills deficit." Girls need to be taught concrete and discrete skills like being able to stand up for herself, setting boundaries ahead of time, know how to enforce that boundary verbally and physically, knowing who to talk to when she needs support, knowing how to deal with coercion, and when to end or leave a situation.

Lisa Hinkelman, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences, Inc. (ROX). She is a counselor, educator, researcher and author. Hinkelman's work for the past fifteen years has focused on the critical issues impacting girls and how schools, parents and educators can effectively support and encourage girls' interpersonal, educational and career growth. Previously, as a Counselor Education faculty member at The Ohio State University, her teaching and scholarly research focused on social and emotional learning, non-academic barriers that impact learning and girls' self-concept development. She was selected as a Nominated Changemaker for The White House United State of Women, Smart Business CEO of the Year and is a Draper Richards Kaplan Social Entrepreneur Fellow.

Contact Lisa at ⁠https://rulingourexperiences.com/⁠

Follow Lisa at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rulingourexperiences/

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# 330 Mind Your Manners Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

Would you like your teens to have better manners and show respect to you, your home, and others?

My guest today literally wrote the book.

Brooke Romney is a writer, speaker and leader of an online community who helps moms of teens and tweens create meaningful, healthy and enjoyable relationships with their children through practical application, education and community. Her goal is for every family to feel confident and connected. The mother of four boys ages tween to adult, Brooke knows parenting perfection isn’t real and takes an honest and hopeful approach with her audience. Her best-selling book 52 Modern Manners for Today’s Teens (Volumes 1 & 2) provides weekly tips to help parents and teens navigate the complexities of today’s world. The follow-up, 52 Modern Manners for Kids, will feature tips for kids and tweens aged four to 12 and is set to release this August. Brooke's work has been featured in The Washington Post, Scary Mommy and Forbes. Brooke and her family live in Utah.

Here are some examples of her modern manners for teens

Be inclusive
You attract what you put out into the world
Say thank you
Be reliable
Reply
Work with integrity
Look up smile and say hello
Don’t be annoying

In this episode she shares her secrets to getting teens to actually listen (and not blow you off) and follow through with these manners.

Follow Brooke on Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/brookeromneywrites/⁠

and ⁠https://brookeromney.com/

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# 329 Dealing with Maternal Anxiety Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Are there any anxious mothers out there? Have you ever been shamed for being an anxious mother?

Well, I definitely have been an anxious mom, just ask my daughter. Actually I have never met a mom especially a mom of a teen who hasn’t had to deal with anxious thoughts. Moms are going to worry. the challenge is how to make anxiety useful and not be a constant source of agony. In this episode we talk about how to get curious about anxiety and learn from it.

Joining us today is Yael Goldstein-Love. She is the author of the novels The Passion of Tasha Darsky, described as “showing signs of brooding genius” by The New York Times, and The Possibilities, forthcoming in July. She also practices psychotherapy, with a particular interest in the transition to parenthood, and is working toward her doctorate in clinical psychology. Her dissertation research focuses on how mothers experience their anxiety for the unknown futures of their children. She is a graduate of Harvard University and currently attends The Wright Institute. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy Blog, The Atlantic online, The Forward, Commentary, and other places. She lives with her six-year-old son and a very patient cat in Berkeley, CA.

Here are a couple of quotes from Yael's article on maternal anxiety.

"There is a mismatch between the primal maternal drive to protect our offspring and our knowledge that we’re largely powerless to do so, and this gap between what we long to do as mothers taxed with seeing the next generation in, and what we can realistically do as human beings, is one of the more brutal gifts of evolution. No wonder anxiety is such a fundamental part of motherhood."

"We don’t often think about the sheer existential heft of caring for a child, and how anxiety is baked right into it. To honor this aspect of mothering would be to look head-on at realities we all find harrowing: that life is fragile, we never know what’s coming next, we suffer, and in the end we die. Maternal worry gets at the heart of what is terrifying about being alive, and about loving."

Learn more at: ⁠https://www.yaelgoldsteinlove.com/⁠

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# 328 "You're So Hormonal!" Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Are your teen’s mood swings more than “just hormones”?Are your own symptoms—fatigue, anxiety, or low libido—being dismissed as “normal”?

In this powerful episode, Colleen O'Grady interviews Dr. Julie Taylor, functional medicine physician and author of The Hormone Manual, about the misunderstood role hormones play in both teens and moms. Dr. Taylor debunks the myth that hormones are simply a “female issue” to be silenced, minimized, or medicated. Instead, she explains how hormones—especially progesterone and testosterone—are central to our emotional and physical well-being. From gut health in childhood to PMS, PMDD, birth control, perimenopause, and menopause, Dr. Taylor outlines how hormone imbalances often go undiagnosed and untreated, leading to anxiety, depression, migraines, and more. She urges moms to listen to their bodies—and their daughters’—and seek out root-cause, functional medicine solutions.

Dr. Julie Taylor is a bioidentical hormone specialist and functional medicine doctor with a thriving practice in Pasadena, California. She aims to restore health and wellness to her patients by treating the whole person. She sees patients, men and women of all ages in her practice where she emphasizes preventive medicine reversing chronic disease and finding the root cause of all symptoms. She focuses especially on menopause management and helping women find quality of life as they age.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

Hormones are everything. Progesterone is a natural antidepressant, and estrogen/testosterone imbalances can lead to anxiety, mood swings, migraines, and loss of motivation or libido.
Teen symptoms like PMS, heavy periods, acne, and even suicidal thoughts may stem from hormone imbalances, not mental illness—and can often be treated naturally.
Birth control may mask symptoms but cut off vital communication between brain and ovaries. Non-hormonal options like the copper IUD are safer, and hormone testing is essential before defaulting to antidepressants.

Find out more at: https://julietaylormd.com/

Follow on Instagram at : https://www.instagram.com/julietaylormd/

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#327 Create Calm with Your Teen Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

Do you feel like your home energy often mirrors your teen’s mood—and not in a good way? What if you could shift the atmosphere in your home without saying a word?

In this episode, Colleen O’Grady talks with Lisa Danahy, yoga therapist and founder of the nonprofit Create Calm, about how moms can bring more peace and regulation into their homes—and themselves. With decades of experience in education and yoga-based therapy, Lisa explains the role of the autonomic nervous system and the vagus nerve in our stress responses, and why physical practices—not just mental strategies—are the key to resetting our emotional states. She offers practical techniques like “Yoga Jacks,” “Washing Machine Twists,” and a rhythmic finger-tapping affirmation practice that moms can use to regulate themselves—and invite their teens to join. They also dive into the power of co-regulation, why mindfulness isn’t about control, and how big energy doesn’t have to lead to big drama.

Lisa Danahy (C-IAYT, YACEP, MS) is a powerful educator and entrepreneur. Her non-profit, Create Calm, has facilitated cultural shifts and deep healing for thousands of students, teachers, and families in hundreds of schools and community organizations across the country since 2016.

With an MS in Yoga Therapy and BA in Psychology, over 30 years as a school administrator and SEL curriculum developer, and certification as an advanced educator and trainer, Lisa is highly skilled at creating accessible, evidence-based, successful curricula for behavioral and emotional regulation, as well as physical and mental health. She is the author of Creating Calm in Your Classroom.

Key Takeaways:

Your calm is contagious. You don’t need to fix your teen’s mood. When you regulate yourself first—through breath, movement, or mindfulness—you model what emotional balance looks like and help them get there too.
Energy is meant to move. Whether it’s stress, anxiety, or frustration, Lisa offers easy movement practices like “Washing Machine Twists” that help shift big energy safely out of the body.
Start where you are. You don’t need a yoga mat or a quiet room. Mindful movements and breath can happen in the kitchen, before you walk in the house, or alongside your dysregulated teen—with or without their participation.

Learn more at: https://createcalm.org/

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/create_calm_yoga/

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