What if anxiety isn't the enemy but the edge you've been missing?

Dr. Aliza Pressman sits down with clinical psychologist, professor, and author Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary to challenge one of the most widespread misconceptions in modern parenting: that anxiety is something to be eliminated. It isn't. And understanding why could change how you show up for yourself and your kids.

Dr. Dennis-Tiwary unpacks the surprising science and history behind anxiety, from its ancient roots to how modern psychiatry transformed a normal human emotion into a medical diagnosis, and why that shift has made things harder for all of us.

What you'll learn:

• Why anxiety is actually a superpower (backed by dopamine and oxytocin science)

• The parenting mistake that makes kids' anxiety worse, and what to do instead

• Why "fixing" your child's feelings is the one thing you should stop doing today

Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is the author of Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).

In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff to unpack what dopamine actually is—and how understanding it can completely shift the way we approach screens, food, and motivation in our kids’ lives. We talk about why dopamine isn’t about pleasure but about desire, and how that “do it again” loop can pull kids toward things that don’t actually make them feel good in the long run. We discuss practical, doable ways to redirect that drive—by replacing, not restricting—so kids naturally want the activities that support their well-being. We also explore why willpower isn’t the answer, how small environmental changes can make a big difference, and how starting tiny can help create lasting habits for a calmer, more connected home.

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In today’s episode, brought to you by Skylight, I walk through how shifting from being the “family manager” to a team leader can dramatically reduce the invisible load so many of us carry. We talk about why predictability and visual structure are so regulating for developing brains, how simple systems can support autonomy and executive functioning across ages, and why nagging tends to backfire. I share practical strategies for building shared responsibility at home—from weekly check-ins to visual task lists—and how tools like a centralized family calendar can make expectations clearer, reduce daily friction, and help everyone feel more capable and connected.

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In today’s episode, I sit down with psychologist and professor Alison Fragale to explore the concept of status—what it really means, why the need to be respected is such a fundamental human drive, and how it shapes the way our kids navigate friendships, school, and their broader social world. We talk about how status often shows up differently for girls, the balance between being likable and being confident, and how subtle habits like self-deprecation can influence how our kids see themselves. We discuss a simple, powerful framework for understanding behavior through the lens of warmth and competence, along with practical ways to help kids build confidence, interpret social feedback, and develop relationships rooted in real respect rather than external validation.

I WROTE MY FIRST BOOK! Pre-order your copy of The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans https://draliza.com/pre-order/

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In today’s episode I sit down with Dr. Elisha Goldstein to explore how small, practical shifts can help us break out of the constant overwhelm so many parents are living in. We talk about why knowing what to do isn’t the same as actually doing it, how chronic low-grade stress impacts the way we show up with our kids, and why self-regulation is one of the most important skills we can model. We discuss simple, in-the-moment tools to interrupt reactive patterns, calm the nervous system, and move from reacting to responding, as well as how these “tiny shifts” can improve not just our parenting, but our overall health and well-being.

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Join me for a solo episode this week, and a look into alleviating mealtime tension and how to deal with body image baggage. I give six helpful tips to make mealtime easier, and discuss the acronym BALANCE, which you can use to ease mealtime stress. I also discuss the three principles for kids to grow up with a positive body image, and the importance of doing the work to shift how we see our bodies and others. 

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In today’s episode I sit down with professor Arthur Brooks to explore what actually makes a life feel meaningful in a culture obsessed with achievement, optimization, and measurable success. We talk about why happiness is more than a feeling, the difference between pain and suffering, how meaning is built through coherence, purpose, and significance, and why so many high achievers still feel empty. We discuss practical ways to resist the pressure to turn ourselves and our kids into “human doings,” and instead to just love ourselves are our children for who they are, not just for what they accomplish.

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In today's episode I sit down with professor Ann Masten to unpack what resilience actually means—and why it’s so often misunderstood. We explore her powerful definition of resilience as the capacity of a system to adapt to serious challenges, not just a personality trait or inner toughness. From everyday stress to real adversity, we discuss the difference between harmful trauma and growth-building challenges, and why kids need support—not perfection—to thrive. We talk about the “ordinary magic” of caring relationships, schools, communities, and cultural traditions, and why resilience is built through connection across multiple systems.

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In this episode, I sit down with behavioral geneticist and professor Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden to talk about what behavioral genetics can actually tell us about our kids—and what it can’t. We unpack the reality of psychiatric risk, family history, and the limits of control, and why genes are not destiny. We discuss how thousands of tiny genetic differences shape mental health, why diagnoses are messier than we think, and how warmth and firm boundaries still matter more than any “magic bullet.”

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In today’s episode I sit down with developmental psychologist Dr. Jay Belsky to explore a question so many parents wrestle with: is temperament destiny? We talk about why children differ in how deeply they’re shaped by their environments, what “developmental plasticity” really means, and why the same parenting can land so differently depending on the child. We discuss the difference between sensitivity and susceptibility, the limits of attachment research, and why focusing only on long-term outcomes can distract us from what matters in the here and now.

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In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Deepika Chopra to talk about what real optimism actually means — and why it’s so different from toxic positivity. We unpack the science behind resilience, curiosity, and staying open when life is hard, and we get practical about how to grow your “optimism muscle” in everyday moments. We talk about language shifts (like the power of “never” and “always”), parenting through low-capacity seasons, rituals that ground families, and why affirmations and manifestation don’t always work the way we think they do.

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