The Family Anatomy Podcast

Each week, Dr. Brian MacDonald and Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano talk about the trials and tribulations of parenting and relationships. Psychologists who are also parents, they take listeners behind the curtain to discuss how they deal with their own kids while bringing in cutting-edge research findings about development and mental health.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about three recent research stories, including: Do the popular people on Facebook have different brains than everyone else? How telling people about your vacation can ruin your fun What can parents do if their children's friends are a bad influence on them? For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe examine the research behind life coaching and a common technique practiced by coaches, neuro-linguistic programming. What are the typical goals in life coaching? What are the risks involved in the coaching process? What is "neuro-linguistic programming" and does it work? Find out about coaching and NLP this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Spring fever is upon us! In this blast from the past, Doctors Brian and Giuseppe discuss childhood and teen crushes. How do parents handle the strong feelings that their teenaged children can develop? What types of romantic feelings do younger and older teens tend to develop with their peers? What behaviours suggest that your child might be putting himself or herself at risk for hurt feelings? Find out what we think this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe discuss obesity and its prevention in children and within couples. How big a problem is obesity? What are the factors that predict obesity in children? How should parents or spouses react if they're concerned about a loved one's weight? What strategies could be helpful? Find out what we think this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about three recent psychology news stories, including: Parental overreactions and toddler behaviour problems Does cosmetic surgery make you feel better? How the science of love can help people in the dating pool Find out the latest news this week! For more family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about psychological testing, including: When should parents consider obtaining psychological testing for their child? Should very young children be assessed? What kinds of abilities, symptoms, and behaviours can be assessed using psych testing? What should parents consider when choosing a psychologist? Find out all about psychological testing this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about the importance of active listening, including: Why active listening builds trust between parents and children, as well as in other relationships The benefits of active listening How to listen actively Does talking about sad feelings prolong sadness? The great debate: researchers question whether listening is important between spouses Find out all about active listening this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about recent news stories about families and relationships, including: Should Doctors Brian and Giuseppe be given a time out for rejecting time outs? How relationship problems can be passed on through generations Is making your child the centre of your universe creating problems for kids? What should parents do about it? A new program is using technology to help teens to quit smoking Get the latest parenting and relationship news in this week's episode! For more family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe continue their talk with Dr. Gordon Neufeld, author of Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers, about how parents can help their kids to reach their potential while avoiding behaviour problems.  How can parents help their kids to become resilient so they can deal with difficult situations? Why do some kids have trouble adapting? How do time-outs and other forms of discipline affect the parent-child relationship? Find out what Dr. Neufeld thinks this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk with Dr. Gordon Neufeld, author of Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers, about how parents can help their kids to reach their potential while avoiding behaviour problems.  What should parents see if their child is maturing? What is required for a child to reach his or her potential? How can parents make it easier for their kids to develop optimally? What can parents and teachers do to reduce defiance or noncompliance? Find out what Dr. Neufeld thinks this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

An increasing number of people, perhaps especially those leaving long-term relationships, are looking for romantic partners through online dating sites. But does online dating really work? Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about the pros and cons of online dating: Who uses online dating sites? What are the real odds that someone will meet a long-term partner online? Do online matchmaking tests really work? What about the potential for deception in online profiles? Find out what we think this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about the impact of puberty on kids, especially when physical changes occur early. Are kids entering puberty earlier than before? What is the impact of early puberty? How do kids cope when their bodies change before those of their friends? How can parents make the transition into puberty easier for their kids? Find out what we think this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe talk about homework. Does homework help kids to do better at school? What about kids who are falling behind? How can parents help their kids to stay motivated? Find out what we think this week! For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com.

Doctors Brian and Giuseppe discuss violent toys, including toy guns and pellet guns. Why do we limit our kids' access to toy guns (or don't limit it)? Do violent toys contribute to an increase in aggressive behaviour? Why are boys so interested in playing with violent toys? Should parents ban their children from playing with toy guns and swords? For family and psychology news, visit familyanatomy.com. Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for education only, and are not intended to replace professional or medical advice. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor. Doctor Brian and Giuseppe discussed kids in general in this episode, but every child is unique; your experience may vary from those discussed in this episode.