166 episodes

Raising kids can be a bumpy, stressful, and uncertain process – which is why Dr. Lisa Damour is here to help. The author of bestsellers Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers brings her sane, informed, and practical perspective to your timely and timeless parenting questions. Co-host and journalist Reena Ninan, a former White House and foreign correspondent, gets the answers parents need. In each episode, Dr. Lisa and Reena blend expert knowledge with their experience and struggles as parents themselves to tackle real-life questions sent in by listeners.

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting Dr. Lisa Damour/Good Trouble Productions

    • Kids & Family
    • 4.8 • 577 Ratings

Raising kids can be a bumpy, stressful, and uncertain process – which is why Dr. Lisa Damour is here to help. The author of bestsellers Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers brings her sane, informed, and practical perspective to your timely and timeless parenting questions. Co-host and journalist Reena Ninan, a former White House and foreign correspondent, gets the answers parents need. In each episode, Dr. Lisa and Reena blend expert knowledge with their experience and struggles as parents themselves to tackle real-life questions sent in by listeners.

    163: Encore: My Kid Looked at Porn. What Should I Do?

    163: Encore: My Kid Looked at Porn. What Should I Do?

    It’s not always comfortable to talk with our kids about pornography - but it’s something all parents need to do. Indeed, research shows that 12 is the average age at which kids first encounter pornography, and that by age 18, 79% of teens have been exposed to violent porn. Dr. Lisa and Reena address how it is that so many kids end up seeing pornography and the harms associated with viewing it. They also provide clear, actionable guidance on raising this delicate subject with kids and what to say once the conversation gets going. Before the episode ends, Reena gets practical tips from Dr. Lisa on making these discussions less uncomfortable for both parents and their children.

    Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast
    And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan.
    Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/

    Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 30 min
    162: How Do I Talk with My Teen about Fentanyl?

    162: How Do I Talk with My Teen about Fentanyl?

    Illicit fentanyl has contaminated the drug landscape and is causing record deaths among young people. How should parents talk with their teens about this fast-moving crisis? What can we say to help keep our kids safe? In this critically important episode, Dr. Lisa and Reena are joined by Ed Ternan and Marcia Lee Taylor of Song for Charlie, a national non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. Ed, who tragically lost his 22 year-old son to a counterfeit prescription pill, and Marcia, former President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, cover the basics about fentanyl and offer concrete guidance on how to have effective conversations with teens about its dangers.
    Be sure to check out The New Drug Talk resources available at their website: www.songforcharlie.org

    Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast
    And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan.
    Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/

    Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 33 min
    161: How Do I Get my Teens to Want to Spend Time with Me?

    161: How Do I Get my Teens to Want to Spend Time with Me?

    A concerned parent seeks Dr. Lisa's guidance on building and maintaining a connection with her teenage son. Despite efforts to spend quality time together, most family activities are met with resistance. The parent wonders if it’s normal for her 15-year-old son and, more recently, her 11-year-old daughter, to hold their parents at a distance. Dr. Lisa and Reena explore the challenges of enforcing family time and suggest alternative approaches that can work. The episode answers several key questions, including: Is having dinner together sufficient to strengthen family bonds? How do parents foster connection during the turbulent teen years? And when it is time to worry about a teen’s reluctance to spend time with the family?

    Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast
    And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan.
    Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/

    Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 26 min
    160: Can I Require my Teen to Be on Birth Control?

    160: Can I Require my Teen to Be on Birth Control?

    A devoted parent seeks advice on whether her 15-year-old daughter should be on birth control. Despite having open discussions about many topics, the daughter - who is in a long-term and intense heterosexual relationship - refuses to discuss contraception. Dr. Lisa weighs in on how to talk with teens about readiness for physical intimacy, and how to get teens to be open to awkward, (but necessary) conversations about their developing love lives. Reena asks if fifteen is too young to be having sex and how else parents might broach the subject of safe sex with teens.
    Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast
    And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan.
    Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/

    Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min
    159: Should I Worry That My Teen Is So Introverted?

    159: Should I Worry That My Teen Is So Introverted?

    When should parents be concerned about a teen who resists making social plans and chooses to hang out at home instead? A parent writes asking if she should be worried about her introverted son. He excels academically, has a job, and exercises regularly, But he chooses to spend weekends at home playing on his phone or working on his computer. While he has friends, he rarely initiates plans with them and makes up excuses for not joining their activities. As the end of high school approaches, his mother worries about his ability to connect with peers when he gets to college. Dr. Lisa walks us through the complexities of introversion and extroversion and explains how loving adults can best support teens who enjoy spending a lot of time alone.

    Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast
    And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan.
    Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/

    Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 27 min
    158: Practical Optimism with Dr. Sue Varma

    158: Practical Optimism with Dr. Sue Varma

    Can we boost our sense of happiness and overall well-being? Why do some individuals not only survive - but thrive - in the face of life's challenges? Dr. Sue Varma, a psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist joins us on the publication day of her new book, Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being to answer these questions and more. The conversation explores Dr. Varma's 4 Ms of mental health - mood, mastery, meaning, and mindset - and addresses what Dr. Varma learned from 9/11 survivors about how to be resilient, even in the wake of trauma. Before the episode ends, Dr. Varma details the daily habits that lead to lasting, positive change in our sense of well-being.
    Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast
    And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan.
    Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/

    Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 36 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
577 Ratings

577 Ratings

guerragram ,

Thank you, thank you Lisa!

I appreciate Lisa’s books so much and am so excited to discover this podcast! I love her voice of informed reason that has helped me be a much more calmer, informed, effective parent. The clarity and how actionable her gems of wisdom are—priceless! Thank you Lisa for being you and sharing your knowledge and expertise with all of us parents! 10/10 HIGHLY recommend to every parent and know.

Runner850 ,

Invaluable resource

I listen to the Ask Lisa podcast episodes multiple times, as I have an almost-13-year-old and they have been an incredibly helpful resource! I understand my child better and have some great tools to help her and our relationship as she grows. THANK YOU and please keep the episodes coming!

JennyD11244 ,

Love the content, but I almost don’t want to listen

I have to agree with other reviews regarding the voice level and the low talking or whispering by both hosts. I absolutely love Lisa’s books which is why I gravitated towards this podcast. So much relevant material. But, I feel that the whispering is unnecessary and just wish that both hosts would speak in normal clear voices so they can be heard well and listeners can focus on the content. I also have an issue with the co host, not having teens of her own but little kids I find she doesn’t often relate to the topic at hand, which makes it not as relevant. Thank you for all you do and please keep up the good work in general.

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