CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT

Calling Home

Family Dynamics

Estrangement

Mental Health

Family Relationships

Boundaries

Emotional Immaturity

Childhood Trauma

Parenting

Therapy

Family Estrangement

Parent-Child Relationships

Grief

Emotional Abuse

Parentification

Emotional Neglect

Emotional Maturity

Sibling Relationships

Boundary Setting

Generational Trauma

Narcissistic Family Systems

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/... more

783 ratings

Publishes	Twice weekly	Episodes	246	Founded	3 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	RelationshipsEducationSelf-ImprovementSociety & Culture

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Guests Host Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Dealing with Your Mother’s Drama with Ashley Oerman

Journalist Ashley Oerman joins Whitney to talk about her new book, Motherf*cked: How to Stop Your Mother's Toxic Drama from Ruining Your Life, and the low contact relationship with her own mother that inspired it.

Connect with Ashley Oerman Book, Mo... more

13 Oct 2026 • 46 min

Can Emotionally Immature Parents Change?

A listener spent years hoping her two divorced, emotionally immature parents would finally take accountability, only to watch the same excuses repeat with new partners. Whitney answers the question of whether parents ever really change later in life ... more

8 Oct 2026 • 34 min

Why Does Every Dysfunctional Family Need A Scapegoat?

Every dysfunctional family needs somewhere to put the blame, and one person usually ends up holding it for everyone else. Whitney traces the history of the word scapegoat, then walks through the research on why one child gets cast as the family's pro... more

6 Oct 2026 • 36 min

When You're Forced to Fix What You Didn't Break

Whitney answers two listener questions this week: one from a woman who's been cut off by her parents because of her marriage and another from a woman who found her family badmouthing her, her marriage, and her parenting in a separate family group tex... more

1 Oct 2026 • 28 min • Most popular

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Recent Guests

Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Author of Raising Conscious Sons and Raising Conscious Daughters

Author/Thought Leader in Conscious Parenting

Episode: Raising Conscious Sons and Daughters with Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Dr. Sherrie Campbell

Clinical psychologist and author

Self-employed / Author

Episode: Low Effort Families with Dr. Sherrie Campbell

Stephanie Jo

Author, writer for The Strong-Willed Child sub-stack; grew up in a modern-day cult within evangelical Christian fundamentalism

The Strong-Willed Child (Substack)

Episode: Abuse and Estrangement in Christian Fundamentalism with Stephanie Warren

Creed Revere

Formerly estranged mother and estranged daughter, host of the Estranged Heart Podcast

Episode: What it’s Like On Both Sides of Estrangment With Kreed Revere

Rin Reczek

Professor of Sociology at Ohio State, family demographer, author of Families We Lose

Ohio State University

Episode: Are We in an Estrangement Epidemic?

Jon Lefrandt

Guest on Leave Then Cleave platform, part of the couple Lefrandt

Leave Then Cleave

Episode: We Tried to Set One Boundary and Lost 40 Family Members with Jon and Ashley Lefrandt

Ashley Lefrandt

Guest on Leave Then Cleave platform, part of the couple Lefrandt

Leave Then Cleave

Episode: We Tried to Set One Boundary and Lost 40 Family Members with Jon and Ashley Lefrandt

Emma Mahony

Therapist focused on family patterns, parentification, and conscious relationships

Self-employed / Therapy practice

Episode: Therapists React to Shameless and What the Show Gets Right About Parentification

Stephanie Lindeman

Group facilitator at CALLING HOME; runs the family estrangement group; dual-license therapist in Florida

Episode: Therapists React to Succession and What the Show Gets Right About Narcissistic Parents

Host

Whitney Goodman

Licensed marriage and family therapist; host of CALLING HOME; focuses on estrangement, family dynamics, boundaries, and therapy-informed guidance.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 783 ratings

Helpful and informative
A podcast of useful coping strategies for dealing with estrangement and difficult family relationships. I found respite in knowing that others had similar experiences (as sad as it is to know this is more of an epidemic than we talk about openly). Thanks to Whitney for making me feel less alone.
Apple Podcasts
5
Mayritko
Spain17 days ago
Lifesaving
This podcast has been a lifesaver for my estrangement journey. Full stop.
Apple Podcasts
5
Ash12447
United States21 days ago
Love it! So validating
My therapist recommended this podcast to me and it’s been so helpful. I’ve been low contact/no contact with my family for over a decade and always felt so wrong about it, despite being much happier in other ways. It’s the only therapy podcast I like (and I’ve tried many). One thing I do notice is that is very heteronormative. It doesn’t ruin it for me but I notice it a lot.
Apple Podcasts
4
Cleopatra333
Canada3 months ago
Beautiful and extremely helpful podcast
I discovered this podcast in the last month and wow- it is like a warm soft blanket. As an adult that has been estranged from my mother for over 10 years, I always felt like “is it just me?” It is such a life saver to not feel alone.
Apple Podcasts
5
cwbean22
United States8 months ago
So helpful and informative
Thank you for sharing your work and expertise. The profound impact it has on my quality of life is beyond any grateful words I can write in a review. I never miss an episode, and revisit them when needed. Thank you
Apple Podcasts
5
jihanburger
United States8 months ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guest selection and relatable discussions about family dynamics.

Thoughtful, well-researched episodes with actionable takeaways.

Sincere, validating guidance that helps people feel less alone in tough family situations.

Calming host with practical advice that combines therapy concepts with real-world scenarios.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#67	United States/Society & Culture/Relationships
Apple Podcasts	#55	Canada/Society & Culture/Relationships
Apple Podcasts	#98	United Kingdom/Society & Culture/Relationships
Apple Podcasts	#87	Australia/Society & Culture/Relationships
Apple Podcasts	#167	Italy/Society & Culture/Relationships
Apple Podcasts	#18	Poland/Society & Culture/Relationships

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

When You're Forced to Fix What You Didn't Break

Q: In your experience, how common is parent-initiated estrangement because of the adult child's life partner, and what general advice do you give in these situations?

Establishing that parent-initiated estrangement can and does happen is important, and the path forward depends on whether the parents will accept the reality of your marriage; if they won't, you may need to grieve the loss of that relationship while prioritizing your marriage, and consider whether there is any pathway back that involves accountability and eventual acceptance from your parents.

Can Emotionally Immature Parents Change?

Q: In your experience, have you ever seen parents at this stage of life truly do the work, take accountability, and change?

Yes, it happens, but it's not common; you should not depend on their change to shape your life. You can hold out hope but prioritize your children and your own well-being, and be prepared to adjust expectations.

Raising Conscious Sons and Daughters with Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Q: What motivated you to publish two books at once, one for boys and one for girls?

Dr. Shefali explains that boys and girls are developmentally different in ways that deserve distinct attention, including hormonal templates and brain chemistry, which led her to publish two separate books but together as a continuum to address both sides of parenting.

Does Estrangement End?

Q: How can I talk to my children about an estranged grandparent, especially if the grandparent might contact them directly in the future?

Explain the boundaries clearly and age-appropriately, prepare them for potential contact by outlining a safe, non-judgmental way to handle it, and emphasize that they can come to you with questions. Provide context on why the decision was made and reinforce that it's about protecting their wellbeing, not blaming them for the family's choices.

When No Contact Doesn't Stop the Contact

Q: How should I navigate therapy when my therapist questions the possibility of a relationship with undiagnosed parents who deny wrongdoing?

Whitney advises selecting a therapist who understands complex family trauma and emotional immaturity, and who can validate your experiences. She notes that therapy may involve clarifying goals (e.g., what kind of relationship is possible) and addressing patterns like over-explaining, while building self-trust and acknowledging past harms before attempting to repair the relationship.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About CALLING HOME

What is CALLING HOME about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on adult family dynamics, boundaries, estrangement, and practical strategies for navigating complex relationships with compassion and clarity. Hosted by a licensed therapist, it features conversations with guests and real listeners to unpack tough family issues, from boundary-setting and reconciliation to boundary maintenance and safety, often weaving in therapy-informed frameworks like radical acceptance and family systems concepts. Noteworthy are its actionable scripts, emphasis on caregiver teamwork, and a supportive community for ongoing growth, making it useful for listeners seeking healthier family interactions or guidance through painful family situations.

Where can I find podcast stats for CALLING HOME?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for CALLING HOME. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to CALLING HOME and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does CALLING HOME get?

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What are the audience demographics for CALLING HOME?

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How many subscribers and views does CALLING HOME have?

To see how many followers or subscribers CALLING HOME has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to CALLING HOME?

These podcasts share a similar audience with CALLING HOME:

1. Adult Child
2. Dear Dr. Tracy
3. Still Talking About It
4. We Can Do Hard Things
5. Mother Mayhem: For Daughters of Narcissistic or Emotionally Limited Mothers

How many episodes of CALLING HOME are there?

CALLING HOME launched 3 years ago and published 246 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact CALLING HOME?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for CALLING HOME?

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for CALLING HOME?

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What guests have appeared on CALLING HOME?

Recent guests on CALLING HOME include:

1. Dr. Shefali Tsabary
2. Dr. Sherrie Campbell
3. Stephanie Jo
4. Creed Revere
5. Rin Reczek
6. Jon Lefrandt
7. Ashley Lefrandt
8. Emma Mahony

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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