The Baffling Behavior Show {Parenting after Trauma}

We are exhausted with professionals who are clueless about the nervous system. Thank you so much for all your content, information, and expertise. We know you’re right because it works. If only every practitioner who worked with any child knew this information, so many children and families would not have to struggle like ours has thank you so much.

This has not been all brand new info because I have been parenting a kiddo with special needs for many years. However, Dr. Gobbel put language to the things I had learned about parenting. She validated my feelings and approach and gives real strategies. Most of all she offers empathy for me and empathy that is based on true understanding of what I’m going through. No false sense of “fixing” anything because hopefully we have learned there’s nothing to fix, but a way of navigating life, showing compassion to my child and allowing them to feel safe and secure which DOES improve our lives. Thank you Dr. Gobbel! You said once that no one is coming to save you and I felt that so deeply. And having more radical acceptance of our reality means a better relationship with my child and less dysregulation for myself.

When I was a baby therapist, I had the honor of being trained by Robyn and was profoundly changed by what she taught me. So to later find her book, website, and podcast—oof—such a treat. Her words and resources continue to deeply impact me and the work I do with staff and students every day in my schools.

1000% recommend listening if… -- You experienced early developmental trauma and would like to better understand how those first very difficult years of life have impacted your long-term sense of self and perception of the world. -- You're a parent (or teacher, counselor, coach, mental health professional, etc.) and want to learn to respond to your own child(ren)'s needs with more understanding, empathy, and patience. -- You feel overwhelmed by all the demands of parenting and cannot understand how anyone – let alone how YOU – could possibly do all the things AND still be the emotionally present and attuned parent your child needs. -- You need help translating the theory of distress tolerance to a practical means of healing. In other words, you understand that certain stimuli can evoke automatic physiological responses and that these responses are so inextricably tied to cognitive beliefs and associated behaviors that-when the initial stimulus arises- you feel completely out of control of how you respond. Never before had I been able to identify my own specific triggers, physical sensations, and automatic thoughts that occur in the split second preceding my most self-destructive impulses.... that is, until I found this podcast. Listening to and learning from Robyn is the first and only thing that's helped me begin to untangle my massive, matted mental web of self-protective turned self-destructive patterns. I'd give her 5 stars just for that. BUT, the most special thing about Robin's work and the thing that really motivated me to write this review is the sense of EMPOWERMENT I now feel to offer that same compassionate guidance, that same gentle curiosity and desire to understand, to my own children and to the hundreds of high schoolers I teach. THANK YOU ROBYN GOBBEL!! 💙💚🧡

I gave this podcast several chances because it came highly recommended by a dear friend, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I found the overall tone very condescending and the pacing painfully slow I constantly felt like I wanted to speed it up. The tonality and delivery were honestly like nails on a chalkboard for me, which made it difficult to stay engaged. More importantly, as a parent, I didn’t walk away feeling like I had gained anything particularly useful or applicable to everyday parenting. I noticed that many of the positive reviews seem to come from fellow professionals or therapists, so perhaps it resonates more within that community. But strictly from a parent’s perspective, I didn’t find it helpful or relatable.

I was so excited to listen to this podcast as it came recommended to me by my child’s therapist and I could barely sit through two episodes first of all because she just repeats herself unendingly, because she doesn’t have a calm rhythm of delivery, and she’s constantly interrupting herself with unnecessary rabbit trails. I wish my stream of the past could erase the time that I spent listening to this horrifying podcast. She talks about how she has examples or things you can apply and never actually gets into the meat of what those things are so it feels like a giant rage bait or a pay to play situation where you have to order the book, be in the club, or jump some other random hoop, all of which I’m not interested in doing because my nervous system doesn’t feel safe giving that to her because she has not created an environment of openness and safety. Instead, it’s just this triggering stream of mouth noises and promises that she never delivers. In fact, she had the nerve in one of the episodes to promise a solution to which she had not yet figured out the solution, but if we join the club, she will have figured out the solution and will give it to us there. Oh, and cherry on top, the club isn’t open all the time. Even if I wanted to join the club, I can only do it on specific times again, not creating an environment of safety, but trying to create an environment of scarcity and fear.