What if the real challenge in parenting is not about doing more, but about understanding how we show up?

In this conversation, Kate Mason speaks with family therapist Dr Jenny Brown about the quiet pressure many parents carry to get everything right and the self-doubt that often follows.

With decades of experience and a foundation in Bowen family systems theory, Jenny explores how a parent’s emotional responses, anxiety, and level of involvement shape a child’s development in powerful ways.

Rather than focusing only on changing children’s behaviour, she encourages parents to build awareness, steadiness, and confidence in themselves, creating an environment where children can develop resilience and independence.

Listen For

3:20 What inspired Dr Jenny Brown to shift from law into social science and family therapy?
4:50 Why is understanding humans in their social context so important for parenting?
5:16 What do parents often realise later about what they wish they had known earlier?
5:42 Is it ever too late to improve your parenting approach and relationships?
6:13 Why did Dr Jenny Brown write The Parenting Paradox and who is it for?

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