Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Dr. Lisa Damour, author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, shares insights on parenting teens post-pandemic. Discusses the importance of managing emotions effectively, being a steady presence, and breaking gender stereotypes in emotional communication. Offers practical advice for parents navigating the challenges of adolescence.

Thomas Lynch, a thoughtful and funny funeral director, discusses the habits of love in grief, elements of a good funeral, and how the deceased continue to know our love. The podcast explores the significance of honesty in grief, insights into funeral director roles, cultural perspectives on grief, and the importance of presence in times of crisis.

Bestselling author and poet, Kwame Alexander, discusses navigating grief, parental love, and sharing past experiences with kids. Exploring the complexities of relationships and expressing love in different ways, this heartfelt conversation delves into the beauty and challenges of love.

Bestselling writer Suleika Jaouad and Kate Bowler discuss the challenges of being a cancer patient, creating better economies of love, and the toll illness takes on loved ones. They explore feelings of guilt, shame, and mercy, along with the importance of support in difficult times. The conversation delves into maintaining boundaries, managing relationships post-illness, and finding beauty and gratitude in vulnerability.

Are some people more empathetic than others? By studying those on the opposite end of the compassion spectrum–those with psychopathy–researcher Dr. Abigail Marsh discovered something surprising.  In this conversation, Kate and Abigail discuss:  The usefulness of fear What it means to be “brave” How we can all learn to belong to one another The power of empathy (and why it actually feels good to give to others) This conversation originally aired in 2020, but is one we return to again and again as we think about how empathy expands our capacity for others. Listen for an update from Abigail on what her recent research is exploring.   Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts. Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your life hasn’t turned out like you thought it would? When writer Heather Lanier’s daughter, Fiona, was born with a rare genetic syndrome, she learned that the world will not always see her beloved as good. In this conversation, Kate and Heather discuss how it’s okay that we are not summed up on bell curves. Perhaps the bodies in which we dwell are whole enough. In this conversation, Kate and Heather discuss: When our kids are considered “bad” by the world’s standards The doctor who said two perfect words to Heather How the divine sees everyone as good (and how we should seek to see through those same eyes) The difference between capacity building and deficit building This conversation originally aired in 2020, but it is one we return to again and again for its beauty, its honesty, its courage.    Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts. Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Sunita Puri, a palliative care physician and author, discusses the vital aspects of navigating life's uncertainties. She explains the nuances of palliative care versus hospice, emphasizing compassionate communication and ethical patient choices. Sunita shares strategies for discussing difficult diagnoses with patients, promoting a balance of hope and vulnerability. Through powerful personal stories, she illustrates the importance of human connection in medicine and how simple gestures of support can profoundly impact those facing illness.

Clinicians Justin Yopp and Don Rosenstein discuss the unique needs of grieving parents, ways to talk to kids about cancer, and the magic of coming together in times of sorrow. They explore the challenges of reconstructing imagined futures after loss and share practical insights on parenting while coping with cancer.

American broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff joins Kate Bowler to discuss navigating through life's ups and downs. They explore the power of apologies, the fragility that unites us, and how to be more empathetic towards those we disagree with.

We become the sum of so many people throughout our lives. Kate speaks with one of the funniest people on the entire planet, comedian Samantha Bee, about the people who made her, her. What virtues did they create? What absurdity ensued? How does she think about how she impacts her own kids?  In this conversation, Kate and Samantha discuss: Samantha's hand of God moment that changed the trajectory of her life How the people who love us shape us into who we become What siblings or friends or partners teach us about intimacy   Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts. Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.