Never Perfect – Details, episodes & analysis

Parenting teens isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, honesty, and learning to let go. In this conversation, Beth welcomes Randi Crawford, a straight-talking parenting coach who brings humor, vulnerability, and decades of life experience to the table. From co-founding a women’s health company with her father to becoming an empty-nester, Randi shares her journey of reinvention and what it taught her about resilience, grit, and independence. Together, they dive into: Why letting kids sit in discomfort is a gift (not punishment) How to practice “tough love” without the toughness The importance of listening without trying to fix Modeling imperfection and apologizing as parents Why communication is the #1 tool for building trust with teens This episode is both refreshing and relatable—reminding us that our kids are not an extension of us, but their own people. If you’ve ever wrestled with how much to guide, when to step back, and how to stay connected through it all, this conversation is for you. 👉 To learn more about Randi, go to Randicrawfordcoaching.com 💛 We need your help! This podcast is funded by Dr. Beth, and we are looking for donations from listeners and potential sponsors. If you’re interested in contributing, you can send donations via Venmo (https://account.venmo.com/u/NeverPerfectPodcast) or email neverperfecteya@gmail.com to find out other ways to donate. 🎧 Listen to this episode and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠neverperfect.org 📲 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@neverperfectpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Figs o’Sullivan and his wife Teale are marriage therapists and relationship experts who developed the Empathi method. They are the architects of the Empathi Method and they think of themselves as “wounded healers and fellow strugglers.” Figs takes a casual approach in his work with couples and see himself as “just another wounded person trying to make his own relationships work.” Figs believes that “every person makes sense and every person is worthy of love”, AND if they can get beyond the narrative that one partner is right and one partner is wrong, they can find a neutral place to meet and talk and work through their issues.   He shares a bit about his approach to helping couples, and he believes that “although people are complicated, therapy shouldn't be. “  Figs views himself as a fellow traveler in life and a fellow struggler. He likes to remind couples that many of their conflicts and arguments are just evidence that they care so much about this relationship. O'Sullivan's approach encourages individuals to examine their own emotional responses and vulnerabilities, becoming more self-aware to attract and maintain a healthier relationship dynamic.  He shares the  3 pillars of relationships that he focuses on in couples work:      1    Attachment theory     2    Systems Theory     3    Transformation/Experiences To learn more about Figs and his work, go to empathi.com Listen to this episode and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠neverperfect.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@neverperfectpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please rate and review this podcast. Send us an email with any feedback or requests: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠neverperfectbeth@gmail.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is what happens when 3 therapists get together for coffee, and spontaneously invite Beth’s dietician friend Ellie Paulauskaite to join them. Today’s episode is a recording of this fun and informative discussion about body image, fat shaming, and nutrition. Things include societal perceptions around nutrition and body image, emphasizing that being thin does not equate to being healthy. It highlights the necessity for a balanced approach to nutrition, acknowledging the impact of modern conveniences on physical activity and the tendency for people to seek quick fixes for emotional and behavioral issues through medication . The importance of motivation to change eating habits is stressed alongside the need for safe spaces to discuss help without shame. Healthy lifestyle, self love and body positivity are highly encouraged by this group as a whole. With Brittanee Estes, MFT, Sharon Ratchford, LCSW and Ellie Paulauskaite, RDN. Listen to this episode and more: neverperfect.org Follow us on instagram @neverperfectpodcast Please rate and review this podcast. Send us an email with any feedback or requests: neverperfectbeth@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever asked yourself: How accurate is my understanding of myself and my abilities and passions? What do I feel shame about? What am I meant to do in this life? And what am I meant to learn? In this episode, Beth interviews Christy and Kat, the hosts of the podcast “Enneagram + Yoga” about the nine Enneagram types and what each type brings to the table, both in strengths and in vulnerabilities. This is part one of a two part discussion. If you’ve never taken the Enneagram, you can take it for free or for a small fee on numerous websites. It’s an incredibly informative way to understand yourselves and your loved ones better.  https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/ https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test https://enneagramplusyoga.com/ Book on Shame: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09KMBW6R8/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_5GWA9ZDPB669FZ7BM1S7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part two of a lively discussion between Kyle Horton and Beth on the topic of love and marriage. They focus on the age old question, “Do soulmates exist?” Its possible there’s no pre-existing soulmate out there, but the person you’re with could develop into your soulmate if they make it a priority to know you and understand you and care about your needs (love languages, etc. ) Through that you can build a common culture and influence each other and develop a world of your own, which often involves initial disappointments and recalibration of expectations (I.e., lowering the bar). Maybe a soulmate is someone who loves you enough to study who you are, so that they know and value who you are and what you need. This requires a lot of respect and hard work. Beth and Kyle share stories about their own respective marriages to illustrate their ups and downs. And of course, Beth’s husband Remo pops in to make a few colorful comments near the end.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brianne Davis is a Hollywood actress who has been sober from her sex and love addiction for 12 years. She wrote a bestselling book on the subject and has a popular podcast about the power of sharing your secrets with others. In this episode, Beth interviews her about her experience of recovery and how she uses her gifts and her story to help others More About Brianne: https://briannedavis.com/about/ Brianne's Podcast: https://secretlifepodcast.com/ Brianne's Book: https://secretlifenovel.com/home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is (we hope) an entertaining and thought provoking discussion about the huge topic of marriage and partnership. Marriage requires so much work and is so challenging. So Why do so many people choose to entertain it? What are differing expectations and hope about it it? How do their expectations impact the experience or the outcome? Beth and Kyle laugh as they discuss questions such as… Is love enough? Would most people put more thought into choosing a roommate than a life partner? When do you need to leave a marriage? When are you expecting too much? What package deal do you want out of life? Endless passion or a long history? Or of course most of us want both, but is that realistic… we hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did That podcast was 27 minutes long  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Codependency is a complex issue which is difficult to understand, and yet surprisingly common. In this episode, Beth interviews Tamia, a young woman who is willing to share her story of developing codependent patterns as a result of childhood trauma and dysfunction. Tamia explains why she chose to work through her issues with her family, rather than avoiding them. She recently read a pivotal and classic book on the topic called Codependent No More (by Melody Beattie), which helped her grow and heal herself and improve broken relationships. Find a short summary of the book at theartofliving.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Timothy Jennings is a psychiatrist and master psychopharmacologist, an author of 2 books, and an international speaker. This episode is an educational discussion on the topic of bipolar disorder. Beth draws on Dr. Jenning’s insights and experience to unpack bipolar disorder, which is often challenging to diagnose and understand. Tim shares helpful ways to understand and distinguish bipolar disorder from other disorders and insights on how to treat it. He outlines the various disorders which are included on the bipolar spectrum, including Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia. Grab your pen and paper, because he covers a lot of information in 45 minutes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you ever wanted to hear Beth chatting more on a podcast episode, especially being silly for half the time and talking about why she did the podcast 50% of the time, then this is an episode you might enjoy. Beth has a playful discussion with an old friend from almost 30 years ago, who helps her think through the direction she hopes to take with this podcast, including being more playful and not just getting right down to business, A little unexpected for someone with ADHD, isn’t it…? Beth also talks about Kyle and his wife Lizzie and some of their favorite memories from graduate school and the importance of having friends who are both cheerleaders are and can provide constructive criticism at the same time. Kyle is going to be a regular guest and interview on the podcast so Beth wants you to get to know him as well!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices