The Loneliness of Parenting: Why You Can't Do It Alone

The Loneliness of Parenting: Why You Can't Do It Alone

Author: Anna Seewald April 21, 2026 Duration: 1:07:44

Dr. Debbie Raphael on the significance of social connection—friendships, community, and creating your village.

Connection isn't a luxury—it's a lifeline. It's one of the most powerful antidotes we have to stress, burnout, and loneliness. And yet, it's often the very thing that gets pushed to the bottom of our list when life feels overwhelming. 

So as you listen, I want to leave you with this question:

What is one small step you can take today to strengthen an existing connection—or create a new one?

LINKS AND RESOURCES

Podcast Production by Aminur

 


Anna Seewald hosts Authentic Parenting, a space for those who believe that raising children is deeply intertwined with growing themselves. This podcast moves beyond quick tips and strategies to explore the inner work required to parent with intention. Conversations here are grounded in a trauma-informed perspective, offering a compassionate lens through which to examine family patterns and reactions. The core idea is that by consciously addressing our own histories and connecting with our authentic selves, we can interrupt cycles of generational stress. What you’ll hear in each episode are thoughtful discussions and practical insights aimed at transforming daily challenges into opportunities for connection. The goal isn’t perfection, but fostering a family life with more calm, understanding, and genuine joy. It’s about creating an environment where children can thrive without carrying burdens forward. Tuning into this podcast feels like a supportive dialogue, reminding you that the journey of parenting is also a profound path of personal discovery. It’s for anyone ready to embrace the motto of raising their children while growing themselves.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Authentic Parenting
Podcast Episodes
Rethinking Modern Fatherhood, Mental Health, and Masculinity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:53
Kevin Maguire, author of The New Fatherhood, about what is shifting inside modern fatherhood and why so many men are trying to parent differently than they were parented themselves. Did you know that dads can experience…
The Mental Load of Fatherhood and Why Anger Isn't a Superpower [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:50
Jon Gustin from Tired Dad on what it really means to show up as a father not perfectly, but intentionally, how to keep the bigger picture front and center when you're exhausted, triggered, and pulled in a hundred directi…
Your Mental Health and What's Going Right with Dr. Paul Conti [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:39
Returning guest, renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Paul Conti on tapping into our often ignored and long over-looked generative drive, the primary factor that's already going right in each of us. The generative drive…
The Japanese Way of Raising Calm, Caring, Capable Kids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:49
Lisa Katayama, author and mom on what we can learn from the Japanese approach to parenting. Get her book: The Japanese Way of Parenting: And What It Taught Me About Raising (Mostly) Calm, Caring, Capable Kids OTHER EPISO…
Generosity, Happiness & the Reality  of Uneven Friendships [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:08
We hear a lot these days about boundaries, self-care, and protecting our energy. But what about generosity? In this episode, Kristy Lauricella and I explore generosity—what it means, how it shows up in everyday life, and…
Trailer: Welcome to Authentic Parenting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:07
Authentic Parenting is a podcast about breaking generational trauma cycles and raising emotionally healthy children by growing ourselves first. If you want to parent differently than you were parented, this podcast is fo…