Dr. Todd Talks

Ep. 77: 5 Parenting Habits That Create Disorganized Attachment

Most parents who contribute to disorganized attachment are not bad parents. They love their children deeply. But unresolved pain, inconsistency, emotional flooding, and u

Ep. 76: Gentle Parenting Is a Scam. Here's Why

Most parents trying gentle parenting are not failing because they’re too harsh. They’re failing because they’ve been taught that validation alone is enough. In this epis

Ep. 75: Not Every Explosive Kid Is Spoiled (Here’s How to Tell)

Your calm is the actual intervention. I've been working with anxious kids for 30 years, and the pattern underneath is almost always the same. Parents are doing everythin

Ep. 74: A Birthday Ritual Your Kids Remember Forever

There was a moment in my family that changed how I think about repairing with a child. A seven-year-old boy sat and listened as his entire family told him what they love

Ep. 73: 3 Shifts That Calm an Anxious Child Fast

Before you say another word to your anxious child, take two slow breaths and drop your shoulders. Your child’s nervous system is reading yours. And your calm is often th

Ep. 72: The Single Parenting Mistake That Creates Entitled Kids

Jack walked into my office wearing an orange jumpsuit with two county deputies beside him. Just a week earlier, he had been a regular client sitting in my waiting room. N

Ep. 71: Strict Parenting Creates the Best Liars

Tommy was 12 years old, drowning in the grief of his father abandoning the family, and instead of reaching out, he started lying about everything. His mother was devastat

Ep. 70: Why Your Adult Child Cut You Off (The 3 Things They Need Before They Come Back)

Are you experiencing estrangement from your adult child? If you’re the parent who wants them back, this episode walks you through the only path that makes reconciliation

Ep. 69: Why Adult Children Are Cutting Off Their Parents (And How to Stop It)

When an adult child cuts off a parent, it rarely comes out of nowhere. It’s usually the final stage of a long, painful pattern that could have been repaired years earlier

Ep. 68: Why Your Kids Fight Constantly (And How to Help Them Actually Like Each Other)

Why Your Kids Fight Constantly (And How to Help Them Actually Like Each Other) When your kids are always fighting, it can start to wear you down. The yelling, teasing, a

Ep. 67: Is My Teen Depressed or Just Pulling Away? 6 Warning Signs Every Parent Should Know

How to Tell if Your Teen is Depressed or Just Pulling Away (6 Warning Signs) When your teen stops talking to you, pulls away, and seems like a stranger, how do you know

Ep. 66: When Consequences Stop Working: What Most Parents Miss

When Consequences Don’t Work Anymore—What Then? You’ve grounded them, taken the phone, even tried tough love—but nothing works. If your teenager seems completely unfaze

Ep. 65: The #1 Reason Discipline Doesn’t Work (And How to Fix It)

The #1 Reason Discipline Doesn’t Work (And How to Fix It) What do you do when consequences don’t work—when your child shrugs off timeouts, ignores punishments, and nothi

Ep. 64: Everyday Parenting — Want Your Kids to Feel Incredibly Secure? Do This

Johnny said, “My parents hate each other.” Billy said, “It makes me mentally unstable.” Ruby said, “They both try to get me on their side.” These are real words from r

Ep. 63: Everyday Parenting — The 3 Words That Make Apologies Worse (Parents Need to Know This)

A mom once told me, “He finally apologized… then said, ‘I’m sorry you got so mad.’” That’s not an apology—that’s an insult. In today’s Everyday Parenting episode (2 minu

Ep. 62: Everyday Parenting — The Family Ritual That Prevents Teen Drug Use (Its Not What You Think)

She was 15 years old, living in a luxury penthouse—and had never eaten a meal with her parents. This short 2 minute "Everyday Parenting" episode explores the surprising

Ep. 61: Signs Your Parents Were Too Controlling (And How It Affects You Now)

He wasn’t traumatized in the way most people expect. But every time there was conflict, he froze—terrified. What we discovered was something deeper: a childhood shaped by

Ep. 60: Everyday Parenting — The Magic Ratio Every Parent Should Know

It was just a spontaneous moment on her 25th birthday. Each of us shared what we love most about my daughter. She teared up. Later, she told me it was one of the most mea

Ep. 59: Everyday Parenting — When You Feel Like You’re Failing as a Parent

Molly wasn’t trying to control her daughter—she was trying to keep her alive. Ava had Reactive Attachment Disorder after years of early trauma. And by the time she was 1

Ep. 58: Everyday Parenting — The Parenting Mistake That Blocks Connection

Alex Trebek once said, “I used to think not crying meant you were tough. Now I think crying means you’re tough.” It didn’t change how I parent—but it captured something