Parenting is the hardest job we’ll ever do. And parenting a sensitive child who’s struggling can feel like an endless emotional marathon.
But what if raising your sensitive kid with big emotions could actually feel GOOD? Enter Raised Resilient with Dr. Hilary — the parenting podcast I wish I’d had as a first-time mama!
This podcast exists to support you as you parent your highly sensitive child — start at the beginning, or search below for the episode that’s most relevant for you right now!
Welcome to Raised Resilient with Dr. Hilary — empowering support for parents of sensitive kids with big emotions.

Featured
Why Gentle Parenting Isn’t Working for Your Sensitive Child
(& 3 Shifts to Help You Parent More Effectively!)
Gentle parenting is often imagined as staying calm, speaking softly, and always keeping our cool—but that version of it just doesn’t work for highly sensitive kids. In fact, if you’ve ever tried to white-knuckle your way through frustration, you know it doesn’t help.

Featured
Rethinking Child Therapy: 5 Reasons Why It May Not Be the Best Approach for Sensitive Kids
Have you ever considered therapy for your sensitive child, hoping it might be the key to managing their meltdowns and learning to regulate their big emotions? If so, this episode offers 5 compelling reasons to reconsider this intervention — from a play therapist & parenting specialist.

Featured
“You’re the Worst Mommy Ever!”: Navigating Children’s Mad Feelings
Anger is one of the trickiest emotions we deal with as parents. When our kids are angry – especially *at* us – it can be SO tough to stay calm and regulated and to respond in a way that feels good!
63. How to Respond to Aggressive Behaviors in Older Kids
In this week’s episode, I answer a listener who’s struggling to know how to help her 7-year-old son when he’s angry and hitting; he’s too big for her to easily pick him up, and his behavior is frustrating for the whole family. I talk about why aggressive behaviors in our older kids can feel especially challenging – and how we can respond effectively.
62. Connecting with “Big Kids”: How to Build & Sustain Healthy Relationships with Older Kids, Tweens & Teens
This episode talks about how your relationship with your child changes (and how it stays the same!) as your child grows. You’ll learn tips for connecting with your older kid, preteen, or teenager and help you shift your mindset so that you can show up for your “bid kid” in a way that feels good for both of you.
61. Responding to Fears of the Dark & Other Common Bedtime Struggles
How should parents respond when children are afraid of the dark? In this episode, Dr. Hilary shares why these fears happen and how to respond to nighttime fears and other common bedtime struggles.
60. Beyond Sleep Training or Co-Sleeping Forever: Finding the Baby Sleep Middle Ground with Rachael Shepherd-Ohta
There’s so much middle ground when it comes to baby sleep! And in this week’s episode, I talk with Rachael Shepherd-Ohta – certified sleep specialist and the voice behind Hey, Sleepy Baby – about exactly that. Rachael shares tips for more sleep, how to know what’s normal when it comes to babies and sleep, and when to see your pediatrician.
59. Gentle Parenting with Babies: 5 Tips to Build Emotion Regulation from the Start
In this week’s episode, I answer a listener who’s wondering: How do you co-regulate with a baby? How do you implement gentle / respectful / conscious parenting with our tiniest humans? I share 5 tips to help you make sense of the many ways we’re co-regulating and building emotion regulation – literally from birth.
58. Welcoming a New Baby: 6 Tips to Help Your Older Child Adjust to Their New Sibling
In this week’s episode, I share six tips to support you as you help your older child adjust to having a new sibling. I share the reasons this transition is SO hard on our older kids and how you can support them now and as their sibling grows.
57. “How Do I Get My Partner On Board with Gentle Parenting?” with Bryana Kappadakunnel
In this week’s episode, I talk with fellow licensed therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel about how to get on the same page with our partners when it comes to parenting. We talk about why it can feel so triggering when our partners make parenting mistakes, how to handle it when we disagree, and the single most important thing we can do each day to get aligned with our partners around parenting.
56. "Does Gentle Parenting Actually Work?" Responding to a Skeptical Partner
In this week’s episode, I respond to a listener whose partner is asking these exact questions (which makes this a fantastic episode to share with anyone in your life who’s skeptical about gentle parenting!). I normalize this skepticism in the context of how most of us were raised – and I share why gentle parenting will absolutely prepare our kids for real world challenges.
55. Why Play is Your Child’s Most Important Job (& How it Supports Healthy Child Development!)
In this week’s episode, I dive into why play is so important and give examples of how you can support your child’s need to explore the world through play. I talk about how to prioritize play, how to respect your child’s need to play, and how to use play to support your child during tough moments.
54. Intuitive Eating for Kids: How to Help Picky Eaters & Heal Food Trauma with Bekah Groop
In this week’s episode, I interview Bekah Groop – fellow peaceful parenting educator / content creator, mom of 3, and eating disorder survivor – on how to ditch the mealtime stress and instead teach our kids to be intuitive eaters who tune into & listen to their bodies when they eat. Bekah’s insight will have you stressing less about meals and feeling empowered to feed your child in a simpler, more joyful way.
53: 3 Invaluable Parenting Truths I’ve Learned Through Creating a Parenting Podcast (One Year Anniversary Episode!)
In this week’s episode, I answer a listener who wants to know how to help her young daughter, who’s struggling on play dates. She doesn’t want her peers to play with any of her toys, and that often causes friction. I offer thoughts on how to handle these tough moments – and I also offer some perspective and thoughts about how our listener can reconnect with her older daughter.
52. “My Child Won’t Share Her Toys on Play Dates”: Responding to Challenging Behaviors After a New Sibling is Born
In this week’s episode, I answer a listener who wants to know how to help her young daughter, who’s struggling on play dates. She doesn’t want her peers to play with any of her toys, and that often causes friction. I offer thoughts on how to handle these tough moments – and I also offer some perspective and thoughts about how our listener can reconnect with her older daughter.
51. Do Kids Actually Need Play Dates & Preschool? An Overview of Social Development for Toddlers Through Teens
Parents often stress over scheduling play dates & social activities for their young children. But is that really necessary? In this podcast episode, Dr. Hilary answers this question & gives an overview of children's social development, for toddlers through teens.
50. “Why Is My Child's Behavior Good at School and Bad at Home?!”: Unpacking This Common Dynamic
It can feel so confusing and frustrating when your child is a star student at school but difficult at home. In this podcast episode, Dr. Hilary unpacks this common dynamic -- why it happens and what we can do to help!
49. How to Stop Sibling Teasing (& Why It Happens!)
Why do siblings seemingly intentionally provoke each other? In this podcast episode, Dr. Hilary answers this question and empowers you to support your kids in these tough parenting moments.
48. How to Get Kids to Clean Up: Pro Tips to Help You Teach This Important Skill (Without All the Stress!)
If you've ever thought to yourself, "All I do is go from room to room cleaning up after my kids!", this episode is for you! Learn how to get your kids to clean up after themselves (without all the stress!).
47. Parenting With Trauma: How to Heal Your Childhood Wounds & Reparent Yourself While You Simultaneously Raise Your Own Child
How can we heal our childhood traumas while simultaneously parenting our own children? Is it necessary to have fully healed before becoming a parent? This podcast episode covers how to heal & reparent ourselves while consciously raising our own kids.
46. Parents, Stop Doing These 3 Things Today to Simplify Your Parenting & Feel More JOY!
Parenting is the hardest job we'll ever do, but we often make parenting even harder than it needs to be. In this podcast episode, Dr. Hilary shares 3 things you can completely let go of to simplify your parenting journey.
45. Why You Should Forget the New Year’s Resolutions & Do This ONE Thing Instead for Lighter, More Aligned Parenting in 2023!
Research suggests that focusing on New Years Resolutions is a setup for failure. In this podcast episode, Dr. Hilary empowers parents to let go of resolutions .... and do this ONE thing instead for happier and less stressful parenting.
44. From Toddler Tantrums to Big Kid Struggles: How to Manage Holiday Meltdowns Like a Pro
You're hanging out with family and enjoying yourself for the holidays when your toddler throws herself on the ground in a tantrum, or your older child has a meltdown over a gift they don't love. How do you handle these tricky parenting moments? Dr. Hilary has you covered in this podcast episode!