Dr. Swick reflects on season one of the Talkaboutable podcast

For me, launching a podcast was definitely both exciting and difficult. I couldn’t imagine a world in which people would want to hear my voice for more than 10 minutes, and yet I was thrilled to do what I love most in my clinical work: reminding parents (and patients) of their superpowers.

Each episode felt like stepping into the same questions I hear every day as a clinician, friend, and mom: What do I say to my child? How do I begin this conversation? What if I get it wrong? I listened to parents navigating middle schoolers who can’t fall asleep, teens who witnessed the death of a sibling, children worried about a parent’s mortality, stepparents trying to find their place in blended families, and parents wrestling with the legacy of eating disorders. Every time a guest said, “I don’t know what to say,” the answer was, “You already have something to say. Let’s find it.”

While each family’s story was unique, their worries were universal. They resonated with me as a parent. So, what did this first season teach me — and maybe even us?

Parenting isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence. In episode after episode, the power wasn’t in having the “right answer,” but in inviting the questions, exploring and bearing a challenging situation together. When a parent is calm, curious, and connected amidst uncertainty and anxiety, their child sees a model of how to bear something difficult while you figure out what to do next.

Big challenges often ask us to slow down and listen. From grief to anxiety to major transitions — moving in with a partner, changing households, managing trauma — the real work isn’t in the fix; it’s in the conversation, the pause, the question: What’s going on inside of you? What are you thinking and feeling? What do you need right now? As parents, we have our own worries that we sometimes assume are animating our children. It helps to acknowledge them and then be curious about what they are actually thinking or feeling.

Growth happens one conversation at a time. At the beginning of the season, I asked, “What keeps you up at night?” By the end, the question shifted to, “How do you stay in the conversation, even when it’s hard?” The arc of this season was less about urgent rescue and more about nurturing ongoing dialogue.

As we close our first season, I feel grounded and inspired. Thank you for listening, showing up with openness, and believing in the power of conversation.