In the latest episode of Psych for Life, I chat with Dr Jenny Brown about how the over-professionalisation of parenting is eroding parents' trust in their own instincts and increasing anxiety, guilt and burnout.

Dr. Jenny Brown is a family therapist, founder of the Parent Hope Project and host of the Parent Hope Podcast. She's also a mum and a grandma. Her work helps parents ditch the guilt and stop trying to get it all 'right'. Her approach explains that parents aren’t doing it wrong, but good parents are often doing too much of the right thing, fuelled by cultural anxiety and messaging.

Jenny’s dedication is encapsulated in her recent book, “Facilitating Parents’ Agency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Helplessness to Hope,” and her best-selling book “Growing Yourself Up.” Her upcoming book for parents is “The Parenting Paradox: Loving our children by giving them space to grow.” Published by Bloomsbury. As the founder and Director Emeritus of the Family Systems Institute in Sydney, Jenny has made significant contributions to family therapy, earning recognition and awards for her work in Australia and the USA. 

Listen in to our chat on -

• how the rise of “professionalised parenting” is increasing anxiety, not confidence
• the parenting paradox: the harder we try to perfect parenting, the more reactive we become
• what is The Parent Hope Project approach: strengthening the parent, not fixing the child; why shifting the focus from child behaviour & emotions to parental functioning is needed
• the traps of getting into a worry cycle as a parent

And so much more.

You can connect with Dr Jenny Brown -

Latest book: The Parenting Paradox (coming July 2026)

The Parent Hope Podcast

Website https://parenthopeproject.com.au/about-us/

The Family Systems Practice for parent hope clinical support that builds agency. www.thefsp.com.au

Liked this topic? Grab a copy of my book, Life Works - Rediscover yourself and transform your relationships and begin your pathway to deeper self-connection and happiness (available from my website and via Booktopia).I

If you enjoy listening to the Psych for Life podcast, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you're listening now.

Is there a pressing issue or topic you'd like me to discuss? Head to my instagram @dramandaferguson and leave a comment or send me a DM! I love hearing from my listeners.

In the latest Psych for Life episode, I speak with sociologist, Dr Sophie Brock about the Motherhood of today.

Dr Sophie Brock specialises in Motherhood Studies and offers education and professional training on the social construction of motherhood and how cultural systems shape maternal experience. Her work explores concepts such as the Perfect Mother Myth, the Care/Career Conundrum, and the Anger-Guilt Trap, translating sociological theory into practical frameworks supporting both mothers and the professionals who work with them.

Listen to our chat on -

- why modern motherhood can feel so overwhelming and the myth of "the perfect mother"

- the impact of unrealistic expectations on what is "good mothering"

- Matrescence and why should we know about it

- the importance of recognising mothers as whole humans

Plus so much more.

You can connect with Sophie -

The Good Enough Mother Podcast

Mothers at Work Course

Email - info@drsophiebrock.com

Insta and Facebook - @drsophiebrock

Liked this topic? Grab a copy of my book, Life Works - Rediscover yourself and transform your relationships and begin your pathway to deeper self-connection and happiness (available from my website and via Booktopia).I

If you enjoy listening to the Psych for Life podcast, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you're listening now.

Is there a pressing issue or topic you'd like me to discuss? Head to my instagram @dramandaferguson and leave a comment or send me a DM! I love hearing from my listeners.

In the latest episode of Psych for Life, I chat with Dr. Meher Chahal on healing inherited trauma.

Dr Chahal is a medical doctor, author, astrologer, entrepreneur, and investor trained in western medicine, psychiatry, systemic and family constellations therapy, Hellenistic astrology, and Jungian coaching. She left her psychiatry residency to pursue a radically different approach to mental health — one that looks beyond the individual to the family lineage and ancestral patterns that shape our psychology.

She is the author of Unlicensed Medicine, a groundbreaking book introducing readers to the concept of inherited trauma. Through her work in Family Constellation therapy and epigenetics, she helps people identify and heal these deep-rooted patterns.

Listen to our chat on -

- how 90% of our emotional pain may not originate with us

- what is Family Constellation Therapy and how does epigenetics play a part

- the importance of considering the ancestral roots of pain in healing

- why unhealed trauma is transmitted and what we can do about it

- the impact of unhealed trauma on ourselves and others and tips for healing

Plus so much more.

You can connect with Dr Chahal via -

Buy her book Unlicensed Medicine - mybook.to/Unlicensedmedicine

Website - www.drmeherchahal.com — services include 1:1 consulting, astrology sessions, and business constellations

Email contact - info@drmeherchahal.com

Instagram - @DrMeherChahal

Liked this topic? Grab a copy of my book, Life Works - Rediscover yourself and transform your relationships and begin your pathway to deeper self-connection and happiness (available from my website and via Booktopia).I

If you enjoy listening to the Psych for Life podcast, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you're listening now.

Is there a pressing issue or topic you'd like me to discuss? Head to my instagram @dramandaferguson and leave a comment or send me a DM! I love hearing from my listeners.