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Safe Space Radio

The show about subjects we'd struggle with less if we could talk about them more.

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family dynamics

Sibling Relationships with Susan McHale

February 29, 2012 by ssradmin

Researcher Susan McHale discusses the impact of gender and culture on how siblings view each other, and how this might vary across cultures. Susan explores the way that individualistic cultures foster sibling competitiveness and resentment of favoritism. She reiterates the importance of the sibling relationship as a source of longstanding and as yet poorly studied …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: america, brothers, competition, Family, family dynamics, Gender, sibling relationships, sisters

Sibling Abuse with Vernon Wiehe

February 15, 2012 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features author and professor Dr. Vernon Wiehe. He talks about sibling abuse and how it differs from sibling rivalry in a pattern of frequent victimization of one sibling at the hands of another. Dr. Wiehe points out that sibling abuse is even more common that domestic violence or child …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: brothers, Emotional Abuse, Family, family dynamics, Parenting, sibling abuse, sibling relationships, sibling rivalry, Siblings, sisters

Sibling Ambivalence with Laurie Kramer

February 1, 2012 by ssradmin

Laurie Kramer is a researcher and directs the More Fun with Sisters and Brothers program, which supports kids ages 4-8 getting along with their siblings. Laurie explains that parental attempts at conflict resolution often result in separating the kids. Her program teaches siblings core skills of taking each other’s perspective, managing their own strong emotions, …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: brothers, children, communication, Conflict Resolution, emotional regulation, empathy, family dynamics, mediation, Parenting, play, sibling relationships, Siblings, sisters

Adult Sibling Strife with Jeanne Safer

January 25, 2012 by ssradmin

This episode features an interview with psychotherapist and author Dr. Jeanne Safer, who works on chronic sibling tension and non-communication. Jeanne describes the phenomenon of “sibspeak,” where no real communication takes place except the recitation of grievances, the discharge of obligations, and endless attempts to fix the other person. She encourages siblings to take the …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: adult siblings, brothers, communication, difficult conversations, family dynamics, psychotherapy, sibling relationships, Siblings, sibspeak, sisters, tension

Step-Families and Step-Parenting with Patricia Papernow

January 4, 2012 by ssradmin

Psychologist and author Dr. Patricia Papernow talks about the challenges of step-family living, including insider/outsider dynamics and the complicated set of losses and loyalty that step-parents can represent for a child. Patricia talks about her book, Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t. 

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: children, Divorce, family dynamics, internal family systems, Parenting, re-marriage, remarriage, Siblings, step parents, step-families, step-parenting

Giving Up a Child For Adoption with Marilyn Bronzi

November 30, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode features clinical social worker and birth mother Marilyn Bronzi, who had a child “out of wedlock” in 1966. She remembers the shame of her choice and how she’s made peace with it in different ways over the years. She also describes the experience of reunification with her daughter Lisa, and the ways that …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Adoption, birth mother, family dynamics, Parenting, Shame, teen pregnancy

Donor-Assisted Reproduction with Diane Ehrensaft

November 23, 2011 by ssradmin

Psychologist, researcher and author Diane Ehrensaft talks about the psychological experience of parenting children conceived through the assistance of a donor. Diane describes the challenges parents face in coping with “genetic assymetry” between the parents, and fears that disclosing to the child will undermine bonding with the non-biological parent. Diane also speaks of the challenges …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: biological parents, conception, donor, family dynamics, geneological bewilderment, Genetics, identity, Parenting, pregnancy, reproduction

Adoption and Parenting with Joyce Maguire Pavao

November 16, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features author, adoptee and clinician Joyce Maguire Pavao as she talks about parenting an adopted child. Joyce describes the changing demographics of adopted children, and how adopted children are increasingly older and may have experienced trauma as well as the loss of their birth family. Joyce asserts that “adoption …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Adoption, biological parents, birth family, birth parents, childhood trauma, children, family dynamics, identity, loss, Parenting, parenting adopted children, youth

Single Child Families with Susan Newman

November 9, 2011 by ssradmin

Social psychologist and author Susan Newman talks about the stereotypes of and misinformation about only children. Studies show that only children do not suffer from the lack of siblings and even show improved academic achievement. She reports that the stereotypes of being spoiled, bossy, or lonely do not hold up to research. Only children families …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: alone, family dynamics, Loneliness, only child, only children, Parenting, personality, psychology, sibling relationships, Siblings

Telling Secrets with Evan Imber-Black

October 19, 2011 by ssradmin

Family therapist and author Evan Imber-Black talks about how to tell a family secret thoughtfully and well. She tells stories from her work about the impact of secrets on family members, creating ever widening circles of silence and distance in relationships.  Children may not know a secret, but their behavior is nonetheless deeply affected by …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: children, family dynamics, Parenting, Parents, Secrets, Therapy, trust

Healing on the Blank Page with Diane Morrow

September 14, 2011 by ssradmin

Dr. Diane Morrow describes the ways that writing helped her cope with her mother’s severe depression, and how writing can be healing as a process or ritual in itself. For Diane, writing fiction can be create enough distance from pain to allow the listener to resonate with it.

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Filed Under: Mental Health Tagged With: art, art for healing, coping techniques, depression, family dynamics, healing, mental illness, mothers, Parents, writing

TransParenting, or Parenting Trans Kids with Sandy Lovell

April 13, 2011 by ssradmin

Sexuality educator and mother Sandy Lovell talks about parenting her trans son. As a feminist mother she celebrated his early gender non-conformism, but it never occurred to her that he might be trans. Sandy named parental concerns for her child’s safety, his ability to find love, her grief over losing the daughter, and her struggle …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: ambiguous loss, daughter, family dynamics, feminism, FTM, Gender, gender non-conformity, gender variant, identity, LGBTQ, loss, motherhood, mothering, mothers, nonbinary, Parenting, puberty, queer, son, tomboy, Transgender

Male to Female Transition with Lisa Bunker

March 2, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features radio program director Lisa Bunker talking about her experience of becoming aware that she identified as a woman. Lisa describes feeling like a failure at trying to be a man, and the deep relief of embracing her female identity. She remembers experiences of telling her friends, her workplace …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: coming out, family dynamics, femininity, Gender, identity, LGBTQ, male to female transition, masculinity, mtf, trans, Transgender, transition, woman, workplace

The Care of Eating Disorders with Patrice Lockhart

September 8, 2010 by ssradmin

Dr. Patrice Lockhart describes her work at the New England Eating Disorders Center at Mercy Hospital. She emphasizes how she tries to help her patients distance their sense of self from the eating disorder, she also describes the key role of family support.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health, Waiting Room Project - Psychiatry Tagged With: anorexia, bulemia, bulimia, diet culture, Eating Disorders, family dynamics, food, identity, mental illness, psychiatric care, psychiatric treatment, Recovery, Therapy

Privacy and Shame with Janna Smith

June 23, 2010 by ssradmin

Janna Smith is an author and social worker. In this episode of Safe Space Radio, she discusses the relationship between privacy and shame. She describes her own struggle over how much to reveal about her father Bernard Malamud, and how to respect both his and her privacy while also confronting her shame about being compared …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: daughter, family dynamics, father, internal family systems, isolation, Parents, privacy, Shame, writer

Suicide Among Gay Youth with Charles Robbins

May 5, 2010 by ssradmin

Charles Robbins is CEO of the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. Charles describes the vulnerable time in a young person’s life after they realize they are queer, but before they have found accepting others to share it with. Charles describes his own story of …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: coming out, death and dying, difficult conversations, family dynamics, gay teens, LGBTQ, LGBTQ teens, queer teens, queer youth, Shame, Suicide, teenagers, Teens, trevor project, vulnerability

The Impact of Cancer on Families with David Treadway

March 24, 2010 by ssradmin

Family therapist David Treadway talks about his struggle with advanced lymphoma. He and his wife and two grown sons wrote a book together, Home Before Dark, about their experiences of dealing with his illness and the possibility he might die. They take an honest look at the differences in their coping styles and some of the …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: cancer, cancer treatment, coping techniques, death and dying, family dynamics, lymphoma, physical health, Sickness, terminal illness, Therapy, writers, writing

Divorce with Richard Schwartz

September 30, 2009 by ssradmin

Richard Schwartz is the developer of Internal Family Systems Therapy. He talks about his decision to get divorced and the process of healing that followed.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: breakups, Divorce, family dynamics, feelings of failure, healing, internal family systems, internal family systems therapy, intimacy, marriage

The Legacy of Divorce with Mona Barbera

September 16, 2009 by ssradmin

Couples therapist and workshop leader Dr. Mona Barbera talks to Safe Space Radio about the legacy of divorce. Mona talks about her feelings of confusion and failure after her divorce, her continuing desire to have children, and how she’s tried to learn and change her own patterns of behavior in new relationship.

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: breakups, Couples, couples therapy, Divorce, ending relationships, family dynamics, feelings of failure, internal family systems, intimacy, long term relationships

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