Welcome to the Raising Boys and Girls Podcast with Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan. In each episode of this podcast, we’ll share some of what we’re learning in the work we do with kids and families on a daily basis at Daystar Counseling Ministries. Our goal is to help you care for the kids in your life with a little more understanding, a little more practical help, and a whole lot of hope. So pull up a chair and join us on this journey of raising boys and girls. Connect with us at raisingboysandgirls.com.
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Episode 376: Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Find Their True Identity and Capabilities with Alena Pitts Franklin
May 19, 2026
In this episode, Alena Pitts Franklin shares how grief, faith, and family shaped her understanding of capability and identity. She reflects on her early acting role in War Room, the loss of her…
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Episode 375: Capable the Young Adult Years with David and Sissy
May 14, 2026
In this episode, Sissy Goff and David Thomas discuss the growing challenges many young adults face, including entitlement, emotional fragility, difficulty handling feedback, and struggles with…
Episode 374: The Cornerstone of Resilience and Capability with Dr. Ken Ginsburg
May 12, 2026
In this episode of the Raising Boys and Girls podcast, Dr. Ken Ginsburg explains that resilience is built through strong, loving relationships and introduces his “7 Cs” of resilience: confidence…
Episode 373: Capable the High School Years with David and Sissy
May 07, 2026
This conversation highlights a growing “capability gap” in teens, where some, often girls, are overwhelmed by pressure and perfectionism while others, often boys, are disengaged and avoidant. David…
Episode 372: When to Push and When to Pull Back in the Middle School Years with Dr. Lisa Damour
May 05, 2026
Dr. Lisa Damour explains that resilience comes from learning to handle discomfort, not avoiding it, and reminds parents that mental health isn’t about always feeling happy. Especially in the middle…
Episode 371: Capable the Middle School Years with David and Sissy
Apr 30, 2026
Middle school is a crucial but often overlooked stage where kids need practice, not perfection, as they navigate social disconnection, increased screen use, and deep self-consciousness. By creating…
Episode 370: From Trauma to Regulation to Resilience with Neurobiologist Dr. Bruce Perry
Apr 28, 2026
Dr. Bruce Perry unpacks the difference between stress, adversity, and trauma, helping parents shift from asking “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?” He explains how moderate…
Episode 369: Capable the Elementary Years with David and Sissy
Apr 23, 2026
Elementary school is a critical window where kids begin asking, “Am I capable?” and moments of struggle, not success, are what build that belief. Anxiety, anger, lack of regulation, and low agency…
Episode 368: Building Independence and Resilience in Toddlers with Zee Pendleton and Angela Rice
Apr 21, 2026
Zee Pendleton and Angela Rice talk about how kids today are dealing with more anxiety, screen time, and big emotions, and remind us that raising capable, confident kids really comes back to the…
Episode 367: Capable the Toddler Years with David and Sissy
Apr 16, 2026
Toddlers’ “I do it myself” moments aren’t defiance, they’re signs of healthy development and a deep drive for autonomy. When parents pause before stepping in, allow struggle, and offer both empathy…
Episode 366: Helping Boys Become Capable Men with Sherman Bucher
Apr 14, 2026
Sherman Bucher shares that while boys today are more open to getting help, many are also more anxious, less confident, and unsure how to take their next steps. He highlights the impact of online…
Episode 365: Boys' Challenges to Capability with David and Sissy
Apr 09, 2026
This episode highlights how boys develop true capability by practicing risk, emotional regulation, and perseverance in everyday moments. David and Sissy explain that modern life often removes these…
Episode 364: Helping Girls Feel Ready and Capable in Today’s World with Kari Kampakis
Apr 07, 2026
Kari Kampakis shares why today’s girls need both grace and grit—the ability to stay kind while also developing strength and resilience. She encourages parents to help their daughters build…
Episode 363: Girls' Challenges To Capability with David and Sissy
Apr 02, 2026
This episode explores how to raise capable girls by addressing three key challenges—feelings, failings, and fear. Sissy Goff shares how girls often feel deeply, internalize failure, and face…
Episode 362: The Key Ingredients to Finding Happiness as a Family with Dr. Arthur Brooks
Mar 31, 2026
Dr. Arthur Brooks shares that happiness isn’t a feeling to chase, but a direction shaped by habits—cultivating enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. He highlights the importance of investing in…
Episode 361: The 5 Principles of Parenting with Dr. Aliza Pressman
Mar 26, 2026
Dr. Aliza Pressman shares five research-based principles—relationship, reflection, regulation, rules, and repair—that empower parents to raise resilient, capable kids, emphasizing that growth comes…
Episode 360: The Crisis of Capability in Parents with David and Sissy
Mar 24, 2026
David and Sissy explore how modern parenting has shifted toward anxiety, over-helping, and outsourcing wisdom to experts—often at the cost of building real capability in kids. They encourage parents…
Episode 359: A Roadmap to Technology (and Fun) for Families with Catherine Price
Mar 19, 2026
Catherine Price explores how technology is shaping kids’ attention, mood, relationships, and development, while offering a hopeful path forward for families. She emphasizes that the goal isn’t just…
Episode 358: The Crisis of Capability in Kids
Mar 17, 2026
Sissy Goff and David Thomas explore what they call a growing “crisis of capability” among kids today. Drawing from what they see in their counseling offices, they discuss cultural shifts that have…
Episode 357: Increasing Kids Capacity and Capability with Jay and Katherine Wolf
Mar 12, 2026
Sissy Goff and David Thomas sit down with Jay and Catherine Wolf to talk about resilience, suffering, and what it really means to raise capable kids. After Catherine survived a catastrophic brainstem…
Episode 356: Raising Capable Kids with David and Sissy
Mar 10, 2026
Sissy Goff and David Thomas introduce the idea behind their book Capable and discuss the growing mental health struggles they are seeing in kids today—anxiety, isolation, and a lack of confidence in…
Capable Kids Series Coming Soon!
Mar 09, 2026
Sissy Goff and David Thomas introduce the Capable series—a conversation about the growing “crisis of capability” they’re seeing in kids today. Drawing from decades of counseling experience, they…
Episode 355: How to Help Kids Understand, Love and Engage with God’s Word with Tara-Leigh Cobble
Mar 05, 2026
In this conversation with Tara-Leigh Cobble, founder of D-Group and host of The Bible Recap, Tara shares how moving from “Bible exposure” to true “Bible engagement” transformed her faith and led to…
Episode 354: Helping Kids (And Grown-Ups) Grow in Friendship with Jesus with Sally Lloyd-Jones
Mar 03, 2026
In this deeply moving conversation, Sissy and David sit down with beloved children’s author Sally Lloyd-Jones to talk about her newest book, Jesus, Our True Friend. Sally shares how her own…
Episode 353: Helping Your Kids Move From Feeling to Fact with Dr. Lee Warren
Feb 26, 2026
This episode features a powerful conversation with neurosurgeon Dr. Lee Warren about trauma, faith, and the science of hope. Drawing from his experience serving in Iraq, battling PTSD, and losing his…
Episode 352: Five Things Kids Need Now Spiritually with Melissa Trevathan
Feb 24, 2026
In this deeply grounding conversation, Sissy and David sit down with longtime mentor and educator Melissa Trevathan to talk about what kids need spiritually right now. Melissa shares that while…
Episode 351: AI and the Tech Wise Family with Andy Crouch
Feb 19, 2026
Sissy and David sit down with Andy Crouch to talk about what kids need in a tech-saturated world—and why their deepest needs haven’t changed. Andy explores how today’s screens foster “parasocial”…
Episode 350: Porn Proofing Your Kids in a Technology and AI Driven World with Kristen Jenson
Feb 17, 2026
Kristen Jenson, founder of Defend Young Minds and author of Good Pictures Bad Pictures, talks with Sissy and David about why parents need to start conversations about pornography early—ideally as…
Episode 349: Talking with Kids about Faith, Sexuality and Gender with Dr. Preston Sprinkle
Feb 12, 2026
Sissy Goff and David Thomas talk with Dr. Preston Sprinkle about how parents and the church can help kids navigate identity, gender, and sexuality with both clarity and compassion. Preston emphasizes…
Episode 348: Protecting Kids Online, In the Real World and All the Awkward Conversations with Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson from Birds and Bees
Feb 10, 2026
Sissy and David are joined by Megan Michelson and Mary Flo Ridley from Birds & Bees for a practical, hope-filled conversation about protecting kids in today’s fast-moving, tech-saturated culture…
