Dr. Todd Talks

Dr. Todd Corelli

Most parenting advice tells you what to do. It skips the part that actually matters — why your child listens to you in the first place. Dr. Todd Corelli is a clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience working with families. Each episode walks parents through the connection and credibility it takes to raise kids who genuinely want to follow your lead. Practical, honest, and grounded in real clinical work.

  1. May 16

    Ep. 77: 5 Parenting Habits That Create Disorganized Attachment

    Most parents who contribute to disorganized attachment are not bad parents. They love their children deeply. But unresolved pain, inconsistency, emotional flooding, and unpredictability can quietly shape a child’s nervous system. In this episode, Dr. Todd breaks down the five parenting habits most associated with disorganized attachment and explains why children become emotionally confused when the same person who feels safe can also feel frightening, unavailable, or emotionally unpredictable. You’ll learn: • What disorganized attachment actually is • Why inconsistency is more destabilizing than simple coldness • How children experience “fright without a solution” • The hidden damage caused by emotional shutdown, blank expressions, and parental flooding • Why role reversal teaches children to caretake their parents emotionally • How unresolved trauma silently transfers across generations • Why repair matters more than perfection • The simple nervous-system shift that can begin changing your relationship immediately This episode is not about shame. It’s about awareness, repair, and hope. Children do not need perfect parents. They need parents who can come back, reconnect, and create emotional safety often enough for the nervous system to heal. 🧠 Sign up for the Connection and Credibility parenting course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ 📺 Subscribe to the channel: youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Follow on Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 Podcast: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen 🌐 Explore free parenting resources and articles: www.DrToddTalks.com Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    16 min
  2. May 11

    Ep. 76: Gentle Parenting Is a Scam. Here's Why

    Most parents trying gentle parenting are not failing because they’re too harsh. They’re failing because they’ve been taught that validation alone is enough. In this episode, Dr. Todd explains why so many well-intentioned parents end up exhausted, anxious, and stuck in endless negotiations with their children. The issue isn’t emotional validation itself. The issue is when validation quietly replaces authority. You’ll learn the difference between validating feelings and validating disrespect, why children often become more anxious when boundaries disappear, and how warmth and firmness were always meant to work together. Dr. Todd also explains: • Why kids escalate when limits don’t feel real • The difference between a safe harbor and a doormat • Why over-explaining weakens authority • The “flow chart parent” dynamic • The two-sentence response that holds connection and credibility at the same time 🧠 Explore the Connection & Credibility parenting course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ 📺 Subscribe to the channel: youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Follow on Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 Podcast: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen 🌐 Free parenting resources: https://drtoddtalks.com Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    12 min
  3. Apr 1

    Ep. 74: A Birthday Ritual Your Kids Remember Forever

    There was a moment in my family that changed how I think about repairing with a child. A seven-year-old boy sat and listened as his entire family told him what they loved about him. You could hear it in his voice. It mattered more than anything else. A few days later, after a hard parenting moment, his mom used that same idea to reconnect with him. And it worked almost immediately. In this episode, I talk about what to do after you mess up with your child. Not how to be perfect. Not how to avoid mistakes. But how to repair. We’ll walk through: Why repair matters more than getting it right the first timeWhat actually helps a child feel loved againA simple way to reconnect when your child is hurtHow small moments of humility rebuild trust This is simple work. But it’s not easy. And it changes everything in your relationship with your child. 🧠 Sign up for the Connection and Credibility parenting course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ 📺 Subscribe to my YouTube channel: youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Follow on Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 Podcast: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen 🌐 Explore my parenting course Connection & Credibility and free resources: www.DrToddTalks.com Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    5 min
  4. Mar 3

    Ep. 73: 3 Shifts That Calm an Anxious Child Fast

    Before you say another word to your anxious child, take two slow breaths and drop your shoulders. Your child’s nervous system is reading yours. And your calm is often the intervention that matters most. In this episode, I walk through the three shifts that change everything when you’re raising an anxious child. Most parents try reassurance, logic, rewards, or protection. And when anxiety keeps escalating, they feel confused and exhausted. What looks like support can quietly turn into reinforcement of the fear itself. Here’s what we cover: First, how to regulate yourself before you try to regulate your child. Kids borrow stability from the adults around them. If your body is tense, they feel it. If you are steady, they have something solid to build on. Second, why rescuing feels loving but actually strengthens anxiety over time. Avoidance creates short-term relief but long-term fragility. I explain the “relief trap” and why holding firm boundaries with warmth is essential. Third, how to build an exposure ladder. This is how you retrain the alarm system in the brain. Not through pep talks. Not through promises. Through small, repeated wins that teach your child, “I felt scared, and I did it anyway.” We also talk about the language that accidentally increases dependence, how to validate fear without trying to erase it, why escalation often gets worse before it gets better, and how to stay warm and steady through the protests. Anxiety is not a life sentence. It is a nervous system that needs teaching. And you are the teacher. If you want to raise a child who can feel fear and still move forward, this episode will give you a practical, step-by-step place to begin. 📺 Subscribe to my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Follow on Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 Podcast: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen 🌐 Explore my parenting course Connection & Credibility and free resources: www.DrToddTalks.com #parenting #anxiety #anxiouskids #emotionregulation #exposuretherapy #ConnectionAndCredibility #DrToddTalks Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    12 min
  5. Feb 15

    Ep. 72: The Single Parenting Mistake That Creates Entitled Kids

    Jack walked into my office wearing an orange jumpsuit with two county deputies beside him. Just a week earlier, he had been a regular client sitting in my waiting room. Now he was facing a year of incarceration for theft. His parents loved him deeply. They had spent years trying to protect his future, stepping in to fix problems, soften consequences, and rescue him whenever things went wrong. What looked like support slowly taught Jack something dangerous: that consequences didn’t really apply to him. This episode explores the single parenting pattern that quietly creates entitlement without parents realizing it. Many families fall into it because it feels compassionate, protective, and loving. But over time, constant rescuing prevents children from developing responsibility, resilience, and an internal sense of accountability. In this episode, I explain how small daily rescues accumulate into long-term problems, why children often escalate when parents finally stop fixing things, and how to hold firm boundaries while keeping emotional connection intact. The goal isn’t harshness or withdrawal. It’s learning how to stay warm and connected without stepping in to remove every discomfort your child faces. Listen to learn how to stop rescuing without becoming cold or distant, how to handle the inevitable escalation when patterns change, and how to build connection and credibility so your influence grows instead of fading. 📺 Subscribe to my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Follow on Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 Podcast: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen 🌐 Explore my parenting course Connection & Credibility and free resources: https://correctandconnect.com/courses/connection-credibility/ #parenting #boundaries #entitlement #discipline #emotionalconnection #ConnectionAndCredibility #DrToddTalks Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    5 min
  6. Jan 17

    Ep. 71: Strict Parenting Creates the Best Liars

    Tommy was 12 years old, drowning in the grief of his father abandoning the family, and instead of reaching out, he started lying about everything. His mother was devastated. She told me, “I raised him to tell the truth, and now he’s a liar.” But Tommy wasn’t a bad kid. He was a kid who learned that the truth felt dangerous. We think we’re raising honest children by being strict, but often we’re just training them to hide better. When every mistake is met with a lecture, losing their phone, or a parent’s anger, honesty becomes too expensive for a child to afford. They stop asking, “Is this right?” and start asking, “Will I get caught?” In this episode, I explain how fear replaces a child’s internal conscience, why punishment often makes lying worse, and what to do instead when you catch your child in a lie. The goal isn’t less accountability. It’s building connection and credibility so your child learns to listen to themselves, not just manage you. Listen here to learn how to stop becoming an enemy to your child’s conscience and start becoming the safe place they turn to when they mess up. The shift isn’t more control. It’s reclaiming the influence you already have. 📺 Subscribe to the channel: youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Follow on Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 Podcast: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen 🌐 Explore my parenting course Connection & Credibility and free resources: www.DrToddTalks.com #parenting #honesty #lying #discipline #emotionalconnection #ConnectionAndCredibility #DrToddTalks Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    8 min
  7. 12/07/2025

    Ep. 70: Why Your Adult Child Cut You Off (The 3 Things They Need Before They Come Back)

    Are you experiencing estrangement from your adult child? If you’re the parent who wants them back, this episode walks you through the only path that makes reconciliation possible. You’ll learn why adult children step away to stop the pain, and the three things a parent must do to rebuild trust and create safety. This is a clear guide to understanding why they walked away and what real repair looks like. In this episode: • The core question adult children are asking: “Will they ever change?” • Why defending your actions keeps the relationship stuck. • The three pillars of reconciliation that open the door to connection. • Why boundaries are necessary for healing. • A story of a father who went first, changed, and reconnected with his son. If you want to strengthen the relationships that matter most, my course Connection and Credibility is available at www.DrToddTalks.com. 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@drtoddtalks 📸 Instagram: @drtoddtalks 🎙 More episodes: Dr. Todd Talks — available wherever you listen #estrangement #reconciliation #adultchildren #parenting Want more than just tips? My parenting course, Connection & Credibility, helps you build a strong bond with your kids while setting healthy boundaries that actually work. Explore the course: https://drtoddtalks.com/course/ For more parenting insights, visit my website: https://www.drtoddtalks.com Find me on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@drtoddtalks Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtoddtalks

    15 min

About

Most parenting advice tells you what to do. It skips the part that actually matters — why your child listens to you in the first place. Dr. Todd Corelli is a clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience working with families. Each episode walks parents through the connection and credibility it takes to raise kids who genuinely want to follow your lead. Practical, honest, and grounded in real clinical work.

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