Family Troubles with Dr. Joshua Coleman
Family Troubles with Dr. Joshua Coleman is a podcast dedicated to exploring and understanding the intricate dynamics of family life through a multifaceted lens. Hosted by Dr. Joshua Coleman, a seasoned psychologist with decades of experience, this show dives deep into the complexities of modern familial relationships, along with transformative strategies to foster healthier connections and mend broken bonds.
Each episode will tackle a broad range of topics affecting families today - from estranged relationships and family conflict, to the latest research and evolving societal pressures. Discussions will be intellectually stimulating, offering a 360-degree view of the strains on family life through interviews with leading academics, psychologists, sociologists and historians.
If you’ve ever asked:
• Why do adult relationships with parents fall apart?
• When is estrangement appropriate?
• Is reconciling and healing after estrangement possible?
• Why is estrangement becoming more common today?
Then you’re in the right place. Whether you're a professional in the field or simply interested in understanding the current landscape of family dynamics, Family Troubles will provide valuable insights and thought-provoking perspectives.
Join in as we unravel the modern challenges facing families, share expert opinions, and provide a space for learning about the evolving nature of family estrangement and relationships.
Episodes
19 episodes
Billy Eichner: Before Becoming "Billy on the Street"
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Emmy-nominated comedian, actor, writer, and Billy on the Street creator Billy Eichner to talk about his parents, coming out, grief, creativity, resilience, and the lasting power of uncondition...
Does Wealth Make It Harder for Parents of Adult Children? Managing Director and Head of the Merrill Center for Family Wealth, Valerie Galinskaya
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Valerie Galinskaya, Managing Director and Head of the Merrill Center for Family Wealth, to talk about wealth, inheritance, adult children, family communication, and the emotional complexity th...
Why Modern Marriage and Family Feels So Hard: Historian Stephanie Coontz Explains
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Stephanie Coontz, Director of Research and Public Education for the Council on Contemporary Families and emeritus faculty of History and Family Studies at The Evergreen State College. Stephani...
What's It Like for the Child Who Isn't Estranged When the Other Is? With Celia Flinn
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Celia Flinn, a school-based therapist in the Bay Area who brings both clinical insight and lived experience to the topic of sibling estrangement. Celia shares what happened when her sibling be...
Turning Pain into Purpose: A Conversation with Alphonso James
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Alphonso James, a speaker, advocate, author, and exoneree who spent 32 years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. At 17 years old, Alphonso was wrongfully convicted of murder and senten...
Gender Identity, Therapists and Culture as Paths to Estrangement with Sasha Ayad
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Sasha Ayad, M.Ed., LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor who has worked with adolescents for over 19 years and focuses on teens and young adults struggling with gender dysphoria and gender id...
Lindsey and Leslie Glass: How an Estranged Mother and Daughter Reconciled
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Lindsey and Leslie Glass, a mother-daughter author and advocacy duo, co-founders of Reach Out Recovery, and authors of The Mother-Daughter Relationship Makeover, to talk about addiction, recov...
Dating While Estranged: Revealing Personal Details in Early Romantic Involvement with E! Relationship Expert Dr. Darcy Sterling
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Dr. Darcy Sterling, a NYC-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, relationship expert, and host of E! Network’s Famously Single, to talk about what it means to date while estranged from a paren...
What Does Research Tell Us About Estranged Parents, Siblings and More with Lucy Blake
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with developmental psychologist and family relationship researcher Professor Lucy Blake, whose work has helped shape our understanding of family estrangement, sibling relationships, and family dyna...
Breaking the Cycle: What History Teaches Us About Today's Family Crisis with Professor Steven Mintz
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Historian and University of Texas Professor, Steven Mintz to explore the challenges of modern parenting, family dynamics, and building resilience in children and adults alike. Steven shares hi...
What Does It Take to Reconcile? Why Cutoff Culture Is Growing and What Families Can Do Instead with Tania Khazaal
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Tania Khazaal for a thoughtful and candid conversation about family estrangement, emotional healing, and what it really means to move forward without losing ourselves or the people we love. Ta...
How Mothers Cope with Difficult Adult Children and Chronic Sorrow with Judith R. Smith
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Professor Judith R. Smith to discuss her book, Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children Through Conflict and Change. Drawing from years of research and interviews, Judith explores what ...
How Divorce Increases Estrangement Risk with Michelle Weiner-Davis
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Michelle Weiner-Davis to unpack something I see far too often, how divorce can quietly evolve into long-term family estrangement. We explore how these fractures don’t just impact coup...
What Are Recovered Memories? How Memory Distortion Leads to Family Estrangement with Mark Pendergrast
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with journalist and author Mark Pendergrast to unpack one of the most complex and sensitive issues I see in my work: memory. We explore how memories are formed, how they can shift over time, and ho...
What Is Ambiguous Loss? Understanding Estrangement and Grief for Parents with Pauline Boss
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with renowned family therapist and sociologist Pauline Boss to explore her groundbreaking concept of ambiguous loss and its powerful relevance to family estrangement. We discuss why some of the mos...
Changing Relations Between Parents and Adult Children with Frank Furstenberg
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Frank Furstenberg, one of the most influential sociologists of family life, to unpack how modern families are evolving and why parenting today feels harder than ever. We explore how r...
Why Do Adult Children Estrange? A Rutgers Researcher Explains with Kristina Scharp
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Kristina Scharp, an associate professor at Rutgers University and director of the Family Communication and Relationships Lab. Kristina is one of the leading researchers on family estr...
Anxious Parenting, Estrangement, and Raising Boys vs Girls with Ruth Whippman
In this episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Ruth Whippman, author of BoyMom and America the Anxious, to talk about the pressure modern parents face and how it’s shaping our kids. Ruth brings a cultural lens to...
Nedra Glover Tawwab On If Boundaries Are Helping or Hurting Us Today?
On this first episode of Family Troubles, I sit down with Nedra Glover Tawwab, a licensed therapist, relationship expert, and bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace. Nedra has helped millions through her books, socia...