Dr. Leigh Weisz is the Founder of Coping Partners, a mental health clinic. As a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice, she was on staff and affiliated with The Family Institute at Northwestern University for several years. She has experience working with children, adolescents, families, and individual adults in areas such as child and adolescent family therapy, grief and loss, and relationship issues.

Dr. Weisz earned her graduate degree in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology with a specialty in children and families. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and Spanish from the University of Michigan, having graduated with honors. Dr. Weisz has practiced in community mental health, hospitals, and outpatient family medicine practice settings.

In this episode…

It's easy for parenting to become a calendar-management job: practices, homework, carpools, reminders, meals, screens, and one more thing that needs to get done. Underneath all of that busyness is a quieter question many parents carry: how do we raise kids who are not just successful, but kind, grounded, and capable?

According to Dr. Leigh Weisz, a child psychologist and parent of two, the answer starts with aligning what parents say they value with what children experience day to day. She explains that kindness, resilience, and independence are built through ordinary moments: asking targeted questions at dinner, inviting kids to help with household work, letting them feel disappointment, and resisting the urge to rescue them too quickly. When parents model their values, let kids contribute, and step back enough for them to grow, children begin to see themselves as helpful, capable people who can handle life's ups and downs.

In this episode of The Coping Podcast, Dr. Leigh Weisz discusses how parents can raise kind, grounded, and capable kids. She explains why values need matching daily behaviors, how modeling kindness shapes what children absorb, and why chores and family contribution build confidence. Dr. Weisz also shares advice on stepping back so kids can face discomfort, practice independence, and grow.