Parenting Well Podcast

What Love Requires: A Parent’s Journey Supporting a Transgender Child What does love require when your child’s journey challenges your expectations, fears, and instincts as a parent? In this episode of the Parenting Well Podcast, Dr. Shelly Mahon talks with Cat Lindsey, mother of a transgender daughter, and Cristian Solano-Córdova of Motus Theater about What Love Requires: Stories from Parents of Transgender and Nonbinary Adults. Cat shares her deeply personal journey, from witnessing her daughter’s joy and self-expression, to navigating dysphoria and gender-affirming care, and learning what she needed to let go of as a parent. Cristian explains why Motus Theater uses first-person storytelling to create empathy and connection. At the heart of their conversation is a powerful reminder: “This is not about you. It’s about your child.” In This Podcast We Talk About: Cat’s family journey and her daughter’s joy, creativity, and self-expression What dysphoria looked like during her daughter’s high school years Navigating gender-affirming care and hormone therapy Advocating for your child while also working through your own fears and emotions The expectations parents may have for their child’s future and what it can mean to let those expectations go The experience of seeing a child’s joy and confidence return The importance of allowing young people to express themselves fully Learning when to step back and trust your child The importance of finding support for the entire family The differences between coming out today and coming out a decade ago Why parents' voices and personal stories matter How writing and performing a personal monologue can help others see the world through someone else's eyes The power of authentic storytelling to create connection and empathy Resources: Motus Theater Motus Theater creates original performances designed to facilitate dialogue on critical issues through autobiographical storytelling and community engagement. Visit Motus Theater What Love Requires Learn more about What Love Requires: Stories from Parents of Transgender and Nonbinary Adults, including the stories and performances that make up the project. Learn more about What Love Requires See What Love Requires in Lafayette Motus Theater & the Parent Engagement Network present What Love Requires Saturday, November 14, 20266:30 to 8:30 PMThe Collective Community Arts CenterLafayette, Colorado For more information and event details: Motus Theater Events Cat Lindsey's Monologue, "Joy to the World" Cat's monologue tells the story of a mother celebrating her transgender daughter's innate joy, musical brilliance, and fearless self-expression. She also reflects on how that joy diminished during high school as her daughter experienced dysphoria, and what Cat learned after witnessing her daughter's joy return following gender-affirming care. Cat's story offers an honest look at parenting, advocacy, regret, growth, and the process of learning to see your child's experience through their eyes. Meet Our Guests Cat Lindsey Cat Lindsey is a Colorado native and former professional actor who has spent the last couple of decades working in the nonprofit sector. She now works in the renewable energy industry, a transition she jokes will last “at least until I get replaced by AI.” Cat is the mother of a transgender daughter, and her personal story is featured in Motus Theater's What Love Requires through her monologue, “Joy to the World.” Cristian Solano-Córdova Cristian Solano-Córdova (he/they) is the Director of Communications, Outreach, and Development for Motus Theater, a Colorado-based nonprofit that uses autobiographical storytelling to foster dialogue, build empathy, and inspire social change. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Cristian is a Denver-based DACA recipient who has spent more than a decade working at the intersection of immigrant rights, criminal legal reform, and LGBTQIA+ advocacy. He helped bring What Love Requires from concept

“There is a big gap between being welcome and being wanted. It's not just translating something into Spanish so that you feel welcome. It's asking what kind of programs people actually want, because we have things to learn too.” — Melanie Piazza I’m Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today I bring you Melanie Piazza of the Parent Engagement Network and Marinela Maneiro-Goodwin of Boulder County's Institute for Strengthening Families. Episode Description In this episode, incoming Executive Director Melanie Piazza and mental health consultant Marinela Maneiro-Goodwin talk about what PEN has learned over those 25 years, and about the collaboration between PEN, Boulder County's Institute for Strengthening Families, and the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County that is trying to answer an old question in a new way. It takes a village to raise a child, but what does that village actually look like for families today, and why has it been so hard to build one that includes everyone? Marinela brings a candid perspective on the gap between organizations that want to serve Latino families and organizations that Latino families actually trust. She and Melanie talk through what cultural responsiveness looks like beyond translating a flyer into Spanish, the barriers that keep parents from showing up even when help is available, and why being wanted is a different thing than being welcomed. Melanie reflects on 25 years of PEN's work and what she is carrying forward as she steps into leadership, including the belief that connection, not resilience alone, is what actually helps parents feel supported. Together, they make the case that no single organization can be the whole village. Real support for families comes from organizations that are willing to sit down as equals, learn from each other, and build something that could not exist if any one of them tried to do it alone. About Our Guests Melanie Piazza is the Executive Director of the Parent Engagement Network, or PEN, a Boulder County organization that helps parents and caregivers find practical tools, resources, and community support. Melanie previously served on PEN's board and brings a unique perspective to the organization through her experience as an entrepreneur and founder of Family Village, a community center created to support families. She is passionate about building the connections and community that help parents feel less alone. Marinela Maneiro-Goodwin is a mental health consultant, educator, and facilitator who has spent much of her career working with Latino families and communities. With a background in clinical psychology and organizational development, Marinela focuses on strengthening families through culturally responsive education, communication, stress management, and substance-use prevention. She brings an important perspective to the collaboration between PEN and Boulder County's Institute for Strengthening Families. In This Episode, We Cover What Melanie is seeing as the biggest challenges facing parents today, what parents tell her they need most as she steps into leadership at PEN, and what 25 years of PEN's work has taught us about what actually helps parents feel supported, connected, and confident What a village looks like for families today, and why collaboration between organizations with different areas of expertise means coming to the table “as equals” The work of the Institute for Strengthening Families, and the honest history behind this collaboration, including Marinela's reflection that PEN has worked hard to bring the community together but hasn't always succeeded in reaching the Latino community, and that “it is nobody's fault” What meaningful cultural responsiveness looks like beyond simply translating information into Spanish, the difference between being welcomed and being wanted, and the barriers that keep parents away even when resources exist because they don't feel they belong in certain spaces Building real trust with famili

“One thing that kids think is, I don't want to burden my parents with this, this is too much for them. And when we're willing to say, ‘Are you struggling with suicide, do you have a plan, do you want to die by suicide,’ that opens the door for them to say, Wow, maybe I'm not going to burden them. Maybe this isn't that bad. They brought it up to me, so it must be okay.” I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and in today's episode we talk about how most parents can feel when something is off with their kid, but freeze right at the moment it matters most. Do you ask the hard question, or do you wait and hope it passes? Jenna Candreia has spent years helping families move past that fear. As executive director of The Liv Project, Jenna works to bring youth mental health and suicide prevention “out of the shadows” and give parents real, practical language for the conversations they're most afraid to start. About Our Guest Jenna Candreia is the Executive Director of The Liv Project, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit focused on turning the conversation about youth mental health and suicide prevention “out of the shadows.” Jenna leads the organization's work from Colorado. The Liv Project was created in memory of Liv, a 19-year-old who died by suicide in 2019 after struggling with anxiety, depression and a non-verbal learning disorder. Her family transformed their grief into a mission centered on connection, fearless communication, and giving people practical ways to talk about mental health. The organization's work includes The Game That Goes There, creative workshops, digital discussion guides, the My Sister Liv documentary, and the L.I.V. framework (Listen, Identify, Vocalize) for recognizing and responding to mental health struggles. In This Episode, We Cover Liv's story, and how her family turned their grief into a mission built on connection and fearless conversation What “fearless conversations” actually means in practice, and why asking a teen directly about suicidal thoughts doesn't plant the idea The subtle changes parents should watch for when a teen may be struggling, and how to tell ordinary teenage behavior from something that needs more attention The L.I.V. framework, Listen, Identify, Vocalize, and how a parent can put it to use at home Why kids often stay quiet because they don't want to “burden” a parent, and how being asked directly can actually be a relief Moving out of problem-solving mode and learning what it looks like to really listen when a teen opens up How social media shapes belonging, comparison and self-worth, and the “compare/despair” trap Jenna sees in the kids she works with What to say, and what to avoid saying, when a child finally tells a parent “I'm not okay” How to tell when a situation has moved beyond what a parent can manage alone, and how to bring in outside support Approaching a teen's changed behavior with curiosity and “protective mode” instead of “attack mode” Why it's progress, not perfection, and how kids forgive parents who keep showing up The one skill Jenna believes every parent needs to help protect a child's mental health Other Lines Worth Remembering “As parents we get so scared when behavior changes. Our kids see us as coming in with attack mode, but it's really protective mode. Breathe through that, and ask questions.” “It's not perfection, it's progress. Our kids forgive us.” “One of the things I always tell kids is, with social media, you are comparing your insides to everyone else's outsides. You're seeing a snapshot, a picture, that seems so happy and so wonderful, and you're comparing that to how you feel on the inside. That is not apples to apples.” Resources Mentioned & Related Reading The Liv Project: Resources, programs and tools designed to help families and communities have more open conversations about youth mental health and suicide prevention Fearless Conversation Guides: Two action-oriented guides, one for someone worried about themselves and one for som

“Safety is found in parents providing those bumpers, but eventually there is a line. I love you enough to know that this is our line right now. And I’m sorry that’s hard. And I am here to help you find solutions within those parameters.” Adolescence asks parents to hold two things at once: stay close enough to help, and step back enough to let a teenager grow into an adult. In this episode, therapist Jennifer Jaeger joins us to talk about what that balance actually looks like in practice, from telling the difference between normal teen moodiness and something more concerning, to knowing when to step in and when to let a teen sit with a consequence. About Our Guest Jennifer Jaeger is a therapist with Key Concierge Therapy, partnering with Boulder Psychological Services. She works primarily with adolescents, young adults, and parents navigating developmental challenges and life transitions, with areas of focus that include stress, anxiety, depression, attachment, and neurodivergence, including the transition to college and launching into adulthood. Jennifer is also an equine and animal assisted therapist, incorporating the unique relationship between people and horses, dogs, and other animals into her therapeutic work. She provides therapeutic services in a concierge format to better reach resistant clients, and her work offers parents a valuable perspective on how to support teens while helping them build the confidence, resilience, and independence they need to navigate adulthood. In This Episode, We Cover What teens are struggling with most right now, and the pressures parents may not fully understand Telling normal teen behavior apart from something concerning, including anticipatory anxiety around transitions, by looking at a behavior’s recovery time and duration rather than the behavior itself What anxiety actually looks like in teenagers, and the signs parents commonly miss because it doesn’t always look like worry or fear How to respond when a teen is struggling, what unintentionally makes it worse, and how to help them recenter Staying emotionally connected and co-regulated when a teen doesn’t want to talk, without constantly asking “what’s wrong?” Knowing how much to intervene: providing guardrails and bumpers, letting teens face consequences and advocate for themselves, and using the “who cares” strategy so not everything becomes an issue What attachment looks like during adolescence, why it reverts to early childhood patterns under stress, and how it’s revisited at every developmental stage Boundaries as “what you are going to do” to manage a situation, and why holding the line builds safety and strengthens attachment Engaging teens who are resistant: holding space, staying flexible on plans, and giving real conversations time What equine and animal assisted therapy reveals about a teenager that traditional talk therapy sometimes can’t, and why the horse-human relationship is therapeutically powerful Preparing teens for college and adulthood: the skills they need, and what parents sometimes do that gets in the way Finding your own tribe for parent support, and what “parenting well” looks like during adolescence Resources Mentioned & Related Reading Jennifer Jaeger, LCSW, Boulder Psychological Services: guest’s therapist bio and contact page #teens #anxiety #parenting tips #equinetherapy

“Parents, I love you. I feel you. It is something to navigate these waters of parenting. It's not for the faint of heart, and we are thrown into it.” Batya Greenwald After 27 years as an educator, Batya Greenwald realized the parents she was talking to needed something more than another behavior chart. They needed a way to understand what their child's behavior was actually telling them. In this episode, Batya, a transformative parent and life coach with more than 30 years of experience, joins us to talk about why “behavior really is communication,” and what changes when parents start responding to that message instead of just the behavior itself. Batya walks us through what transformative parenting means in practice: shifting from reacting to responding, holding boundaries without abandoning empathy, and staying grounded when a child's questions about identity, gender, or independence catch a parent off guard. She also gets honest about the toll of the job itself, telling parents everywhere, “It's not for the faint of heart.” About Our Guest Batya Greenwald is a transformative parent and life coach with more than 30 years of experience helping children, parents, and individuals navigate life's biggest challenges and transitions. After 27 years as an educator, she transitioned into coaching, combining behavioral, cognitive, and awareness-based approaches to help people unlock resilience, strengthen relationships, and live with greater purpose. Born in South Africa, shaped by years in Australia, and now based in Boulder, Colorado, Batya brings a global perspective and deep compassion to every conversation. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Education, and a certificate in Integrative Coaching. She serves on faculty for PassageWorks and Girls Leadership, is a TEDx speaker, and received the 2023 Impact on Education Award. In This Episode, We Cover What led Batya to leave 27 years in education to become a parent and life coach The parenting challenges showing up today that weren't as common 10 or 20 years ago Why so many parents feel like they're failing, and where that lack of confidence comes from What “transformative parenting” means, and how it differs from simply correcting behavior Learning to read a child's behavior as communication, not just something to fix Responding instead of reacting when emotions run high at home The role of self-awareness in becoming a better parent A mindset shift that helps families thrive through major transitions Supporting kids through questions about sex and gender identity Building stronger connections with teenagers without pushing them away Balancing acknowledgment of a child's feelings with holding firm boundaries Helping kids learn to integrate their own feelings Finding the right combination of structure and flexibility Navigating school transitions Making space for quiet time in a fast-paced world Why warmth and repair matter more than getting it perfect Other Lines Worth Remembering “Behavior really is communication.” “At the end of the day, what is the long view? For me, the long goal with most of my families is that they want to keep that relationship.” “Sometimes teenagers need us to just sit down with them and say, ‘I’ve got you and I hear you.’” Resources Mentioned & Related Reading Batya Greenwald Coaching: her website [link needed, not included in source doc] TEDx Talk, “What Kindergarteners Taught Me About Gender”: watch on YouTube [link needed, not included in source doc] Teen Behavior: What's Typical, What Are the Signs of a Problem?: ColumbiaDoctors article