The Parentologist Podcast

Love Shouldn't Hurt: Recognizing, Escaping, and Healing from Emotional Abuse

This week, Dr. Kim is talking with Leah Aguirre. Leah Aguirre, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, certified EMDR therapist, relationship coach, and author based in San Diego, CA. She specializes in working with individuals who have experienced complex trauma, including childhood abuse, domestic violence, and dating violence. Leah provides trauma-informed care with a focus on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to support deep healing and self-discovery.

She is the author of Is This Really Love? and co-author of A Girl’s Guide to Relationships, Sexuality, and Consent. Leah is also a contributor to Psychology Today and has been featured in major media outlets such as Bumble, GQ, Reader’s Digest, and Hello Giggles.

Big Kids Have Big Feelings Too: Navigating the Elementary Years

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Alyssa Campbell M.Ed.. Alyssa is an emotional intelligence researcher, Founder and the CEO of Seed & Sew, host of the Voices of Your Village podcast and author of Big Kids, Bigger Feelings: Navigating Defiance, Meltdowns, Anxiety to Raise Confident, Connected Kids (HarperCollins Harvest, 9/16/25). Alyssa has a Master's of Early Childhood Education and strives to change the way adults experience children’s emotions so they can respond with the intention to raise emotionally intelligent humans. This new book is an essential guide to supporting children’s social and emotional growth through the elementary school years (ages 5–12), a critical but often-overlooked developmental stage. 

Find out more at: https://www.seedandsew.org

Stirred by Faith and Family: Recipes, Resilience, and Revelations in the Kitchen

This week Dr. Kim chats with Dina Deleasa-Gonsar. Dina Deleasa-Gonsar is a multifaceted creator, blending her culinary expertise with a deep commitment to faith, family, and personal authenticity. As the founder of the popular food blog Dish It Girl, she offers a blend of comforting recipes and heartfelt reflections on daily life. Her approach to cooking is grounded in the traditions of her Italian-American upbringing, where meals were central to family gatherings and celebrations. This foundation is evident in her cookbook, At the Kitchen Sink, which combines recipes that are meal solutions with everyday life in mind, along with devotionals to help you move through your days with a lighter heart even with a full stomach.

Beyond DishItGirl, Dina has aimed to create a space where everyday life, not
curated lifestyle is celebrated. This is where she connects with others hoping to come alongside them in their daily life rather than out front. Dina wants everyone who finds her corner of the world to understand that they have “more to share.” As a mother who experienced a traumatic birth and journeyed through postpartum
depression and anxiety she hopes to continually encourage others who find
themselves in similar spaces. Whether it as simple as sharing a lineup of her favorite budget friendly snacks or the Pinterest fail of the week, Dina puts her “behind the scenes” front and center.

Find out more about Dina at https://www.dishitgirl.com

Safe, Seen, and Supported: Managing Anxiety in Children

This week Dr. Kim is talking with Dr. Natasha Burgert. Dr. Natasha Burgert is a board-certified pediatrician with nearly 20 years of clinical experience, currently practicing full-time in the Kansas City area. 

Known nationally at KC Kids Doc, Dr. Burgert is a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, a passionate vaccine advocate, and the author of a newly-released guide for parents called Managing Childhood Anxiety (For Dummies). Throughout all her work, she brings a real-world lens to pediatric care—blending evidence-based guidance with the relatable experience of being a mom of two. Connect with her at kckidsdoc.com.

Mean Moms, Bully Kids: Navigating the Hidden Struggles of Motherhood

This week, Dr. Kim is talking with Dr. Noelle Santorelli. If you’ve ever found yourself deep in the drama of Mean Girl Moms on Instagram, you’ve probably come across Dr. Noelle Santorelli. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Santorelli has spent the past 13 years in private practice and as adjunct faculty at Emory School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

In her practice, she specializes in working with high-achieving women who’ve experienced early trauma or grew up in dysfunctional, toxic family environments—often with emotionally immature or narcissistic parents. She also has deep expertise in relational aggression across the lifespan, helping women navigate covert bullying from friends, family, and even the workplace. She helps break down the complexities of relational aggression, Mean Girl culture, and how to protect your peace in a world full of social landmines. 

Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Dr. Santorelli now calls Atlanta home, where she’s raising three boys and keeping up with their endless activities. When she’s not working, you’ll find her reading, skiing, traveling, or watching true crime documentaries.

Find out more at: www.drnoellesantorelli.com

From Crib to College: Raising Kids Through Every Life Stage

This week Dr. Kim is back and talking with Julie Cole. Julie Cole is a recovered lawyer, mom of six and Co-founder of Mabel’s Labels Inc. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought after speaker and emcee.

Julie is no stranger to the media, having appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, HLN’s Raising America, Breakfast Television, The Marilyn Denis Show, CP24, among many others. Her articles have appeared in The Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, The Globe and Mail, Profit Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, and numerous websites.

When she’s not juggling her busy family and professional life, Julie is an engaged
community member serving on boards and volunteering. She is passionate about women’s issues, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and social justice.

Find out more about Julie at https://mabelslabels.com/juliecole

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.