The Parentologist Podcast

Big Feelings, Little Humans: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Emotional Intelligence

This week Dr. Kim is sitting down with Dr. Jenny Woo. Dr. Jenny Woo is a mom of 3 (a singleton and twins), Harvard-trained educator, Emotional Intelligence researcher, and founder/CEO of Mind Brain Emotion. Dr. Woo is the creator of award-winning card games and mental health tools to help children and adults build emotional intelligence, social skills, and communication skills. Her bestselling card games, 52 Essential Conversations and 52 Essential Coping Skills, are used in homes, schools, and workplaces in 50+ countries. Dr. Woo has been featured in Parents, CNBC, Forbes, PopSugar, and Verywell Mind. Dr. Woo has worked as a Montessori school director, management consultant, talent recruiter and executive coach, and cognitive science researcher. She teaches Emotional Intelligence at UC Irvine.

Find out more at: https://mindbrainemotion.com

Selfless Mental Health: Permission to Overcome Perfectionism and Redefine Success

This week, Dr. Kim is talking with Dr. Jessi Gold, MD. MS, a Psychiatrist that just released her first book “How Do You Feel: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine.” 

Dr. Jessi Gold, MD, MS, is the first Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee System, a role encompassing 5 campuses across the state of Tennessee and over 62,000 students. She also serves as an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

She is a nationally recognized expert on healthcare worker mental health and burnout (particularly during the pandemic), college mental health, using social media and media for mental health advocacy, and the overlap between pop culture and mental health, including celebrity self-disclosure. 

Dr. Gold is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. and M.S in Anthropology, the Yale School of Medicine, and completed her residency training in Adult Psychiatry at Stanford University where she served as chief resident.

Dr. Gold also writes for the popular press and has been featured in, among others, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, TIME, Forbes, In Style, and Self. Dr. Gold is new nationally bestselling book about healthcare worker mental health and burnout during the pandemic is out now!! 

Find out more at: https://drjessigold.com

Neuroscience of a New Mom: Understanding the Postpartum Brain

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Dr. Nicole Pensak. Dr. Nicole Pensak is a Harvard and Yale-trained Clinical Psychologist certified in Postpartum Mental Health and the Author of RATTLED, How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain. RATTLED was awarded Best Book for Parents by Zibby Owens, featured on Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and The Bright Side Podcast, and named by Audible as Most Anticipated Reads 2025 in Well-Being. Dr. Pensak also serves on the Expert Review Board of Parents Magazine and owns her Private Practice in NJ, NY, and 40+ states nationwide. 

Adolescence: Parenting and Protecting Mental Health in the Middle Years

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Sheryl Ziegler. Sheryl Ziegler, Psy.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Play Therapist in private practice. She is the author of Mommy Burnout: how to reclaim your life and raise healthier children in the process and the forthcoming book, The Crucial Years: the essential guide to mental health and modern puberty in middle childhood. She is a regular national and local news contributor on topics related to parenting and mental health and did a Tedx talk on "Why Moms are Miserable" which is all about the power of connection. She is the host of Dr. Sheryl's PodCouch and the founder of the parent-child puberty course, Start with the Talk. She is a frequent speaker on chronic stress, parenting and burnout both in the workplace and at home. Dr. Ziegler is Colorado’s NBC affiliate (9News) Parenting Expert for the franchise series Mental Health & Me.

Holistic Health and Homeopathic Hacks: Whole Body Wellness for Kids

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Dr. Elana Roumell all about holistic health. Dr. Elana Roumell is a pediatric naturopathic doctor, soon-to-be mom of four, and creator of Med School for Moms. Known as "Doctor Mom" in her community, Dr. Elana has dedicated her career to helping over 5,000 moms step into the same role—teaching them how to feel calm, competent, and confident when caring for their children’s health. Her Doctor Mom Membership, with over 2,000 members, offers tools and support to help parents make empowered healthcare decisions. As co-host of the “Doctor Mom” Podcast, approaching two million downloads, Dr. Elana shares expert advice and practical tips.

Learn more at  www.medschoolformoms.com and follow her on Instagram @DrElanaRoumell.

New Beginnings: How to Rise, Rebuild, and Rewrite Your Life Story

Jessica N. Turner is a tastemaker for busy women who respect her recommendations and hard-won wisdom around living with intention. Her practical advice and upbeat personality make her a trustworthy voice for women around the world and annually millions of people view her online content.

She is also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Fringe Hours and Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive. Her newest book, I Thought It Would Be Better Than This releases April 8, 2025.

As a content creator with twenty years of experience and the 2021 Iris Award winner for Best Mom Blog, Jessica partners with many beloved brands and services that help make life easier for busy women. Some of the brands that have worked with Jessica over the years include Nike, Southwest Airlines, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Hallmark, Swiffer, Dyson, and hundreds more. 

She also speaks at events nationwide on work-life balance, navigating grief and disappointment, and social media best practices.

She has been featured in numerous media outlets including The Today Show, The Tamron Hall Show, Hallmark’s Home & Family, O Magazine, People Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Time.com and Inc.com.

Jessica lives with her three children in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Beyond Loss: Understanding the Many Faces of Grief

This week we hear from Dr.Kim and Dr. Jessica Rabon. Dr. Jessica Rabon is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric psychology. Her clinical interests include depression, anxiety, chronic medical illnesses, LGBTQ+ health, and eating disorders. She has published a number of peer-reviewed research papers and a book on topics such as suicide, depression, anxiety, self-compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness. Additionally, Jess creates mental health content on TikTok and Instagram and hosts two podcasts, Psych Talk and Welcome to Group Therapy, with the goal of making mental health more accessible and relatable, and destigmatizing mental health. 

Nourish to Flourish: Fueling Your Body for Cancer Prevention and Recurrence

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Michelle Patidar of Revival Health & Wellness. Cancer survivor, mother, and lifelong learner Michelle Patidar gives cancer survivors the tools they need to heal themselves from the inside out. In 2016, at the age of 32, Michelle was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and after six rounds of inpatient chemotherapy she was on a mission to heal the wounds of treatment. In response to the absence of programs that were available to help her
detox and rebuild her health and immunity, she founded Revival Health & Wellness.

As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Michelle specializes in working with cancer survivors to detox and restore their bodies, as well as with those who have a genetic link or pre-exposure to cancer and want to live a healthy, preventive lifestyle. She serves as a wellness influence and supportive mentor who motivates individuals to cultivate positive food, environmental, and relationship choices to achieve whole-person health.

Heal First, Parent Strong: Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Bryana Kappadakunnel, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the voice behind Conscious Mommy. Bryana is the author of Parent Yourself First: Raise Confident, Compassionate Kids By Becoming the Parent You Wish You'd Had. She serves new moms and families with young children who are in need of compassion, comfort, and support during life's inevitable changes and transitions. She runs the Conscious Mommy Community, an online membership platform for parents who wish to heal their inner child wounds and parent from a place of intention and confidence. She lives in Southern California with her spouse and 2 kiddos.

Learn more at https://www.consciousmommy.com

Grace, Grit, and Growth: A Mom's Path of Entrepreneurship and Special Needs Parenting

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Amy Suzanne Upchurch, the Founder and CEO of Pink Stork, a wellness brand committed to empowering women through science-backed products and a supportive community. Amy's entrepreneurial journey was deeply shaped by her own health struggles during pregnancy. Diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum—a severe and debilitating form of nausea and vomiting—during her first three pregnancies, Amy endured immense physical and emotional challenges. At one point, she was given just 24 hours to live after contracting a
life-threatening blood infection during her first pregnancy.

Determined to take a holistic approach to her health, Amy teamed up with
healthcare professionals—including her mother, a registered nurse—to create
a regimen of natural products. This proactive strategy led to a healthy and
enjoyable fourth pregnancy, a striking contrast to the challenges she had faced
before. Inspired by her own transformation, Amy founded Pink Stork in 2015
with the mission of offering women natural and effective wellness solutions to
support their unique journeys.

Amy's story is a powerful testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative power of natural wellness solutions. Through her unwavering determination and leadership at Pink Stork, she continues to inspire and empower women around the world, offering them not only products but also a sense of community
and support on their own wellness journeys.