

CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT
Calling Home
Whitney Goodman is a licensed marriage and family therapist and author on a mission to help adult family members have better relationships. Each week, Whitney has conversations with influential guests and real people to help listeners find new ways of looking at old family problems.Calling Home is available every Tuesday and Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 5, 2025 • 29min
Is There a Link Between Therapy Culture and Childlessness?
In this solo episode, Whitney critiques a New York Times opinion piece claiming therapy culture is linked to declining birth rates. Drawing from her work with populations of estranged adults and research for her upcoming book on parent-child estrangement, Whitney addresses harmful misconceptions about why adults choose to limit contact with parents.
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram
Follow Whitney on YouTube
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 3, 2025 • 50min
The Necessary Conversation: How To Talk To Family With Different Political Beliefs
This week, I sat down with siblings Haley and Chad from the Necessary Conversation Podcast. Each week, they sit down with their parents to talk about politics and they invite us to listen (to say their political beliefs differ would be quite the understatement). They discuss their temporary estrangement due to politics and why they continue to sit down every week to have these conversations.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 29, 2025 • 35min
Q&A: I Told My Sister The Truth About Our Abusive Parents
Hi! I'm answering two caller questions today. Caller 1 was abused by her father, and now he's getting remarried to someone with young children. Caller 2 told her sister about their parents' abusive behavior, and it didn't go as planned.
In the first ten minutes of the show, I recap some dysfunctional TV family dynamics in Sirens and Nine Perfect Strangers.
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 snips
May 27, 2025 • 30min
Is This Why Young People Are Cutting Off Their Parents?
Young adults are increasingly distancing themselves from their parents, driven by the desire for differentiation. This discussion reveals how establishing boundaries is a vital part of healthy family dynamics. It explores the complicated relationship between role and relationship quality, highlighting the emotional complexities of estrangement. Personal stories underscore the significant impact these narratives have on understanding familial bonds. Ultimately, the need for mutual understanding is crucial as children navigate their independence.

May 22, 2025 • 23min
Q&A: Our Abusive Dad Died. My Sister Only Has Positive Memories.
I'm back with two caller questions this week. Caller 1 has been waiting for her siblings to see her perspective, but now that they have, she's having some conflicting emotions. Caller 2 is trying to make sense of her sister's apparent amnesia of their father's abuse.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 snips
May 20, 2025 • 17min
Grieving The Childhood You Never Had: How To Let Go And Grow Up
Explore the emotional toll of a chaotic childhood and how it shapes adulthood. Discover the profound grief tied to unmet needs and lost experiences. Learn practical ways to nurture your inner child and validate those past emotions. This journey of self-discovery emphasizes healing and empowerment for a more fulfilling life.

May 15, 2025 • 26min
Q&A: Should My Homophobic Parents Be Grandparents?
Imagine your parents disapprove of your partner, and they're outwardly hateful about the life you've chosen to live. You had to end your relationship with them because of this. But now you're thinking about having a baby, and you want your baby to have grandparents.
What would you do in this situation? That's one of the issues we're navigating in the latest Q&A episode out now.
About the Host
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Calling Home Monthly Topic
May | Grieving Complicated Relationship: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
• Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
• Follow Whitney on Instagram
• Follow Whitney on YouTube
• Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 13, 2025 • 23min
Grieving a Parent Who Wasn’t Really There: How to Mourn the Relationship You Never Got
Episode #116 of the Calling Home Podcast with Whitney Goodman, LMFT
In this solo episode, Whitney Goodman explores the complex grief that comes with mourning a parent who wasn't emotionally or physically present. Whether the parent is still alive but unwilling to change or has passed away, Whitney explores the confusing emotions that can arise and provides practical guidance on navigating both forms of loss.
About the Host
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Calling Home Monthly Topic
May | Grieving Complicated Relationship: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram
Follow Whitney on YouTube
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 8, 2025 • 29min
Q&A: I Answer Your Mother's Day Questions
Mother's Day is this weekend, and I know that is hard for many of you. In this episode, I discuss who should be "celebrated" on Mother's Day and answer several of your questions about how to grieve and estrangement.
Here are those resources I mentioned in the episode:
Mother-Daughter Relationship worksheets, videos, scripts, and articles
The Adult Daughters with Difficult Mothers Group
Q&A: My Mom Didn't Protect Me From My Dad
Q&A: My Mom Snuck Alcohol Around My Child
Q&A: Mother's Day
Mother-Daughter Relationships: Why Mothers Criticize
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 6, 2025 • 59min
Trauma From A Survivor's POV with Nate Postlethwait
This is an episode that every trauma survivor—and the people who love them—should listen to. Nate is an amazing speaker who discusses childhood trauma from a survivor's perspective, and I have no doubt this episode will deeply impact you.
You can learn more about Nate and his work here.
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices